The grant for regional cultural hobby activities is a new type of grant, now awarded for the first time. The matter was decided on by the Culture and Library Sub-committee of the Culture and Leisure Committee at its meeting on 21 August 2025. Targeting the City’s allocated grants to children’s and young people’s hobby activities is one of the means by which the Culture and Leisure Division aims to prevent regional segregation.
“We believe that hobbies strengthen children’s and young people’s faith in their own abilities. This helps them believe that they are able to influence the course of their own life, and that there is hope in the future,” comments Chair of the Culture and Library Sub-committee Jaana Alaja.
The special grant is awarded to: Eiran musiikkiopiston kannatusyhdistys ry, Globe Art Point ry, House of New Theatre ry, Itä-Helsingin musiikkiopiston kannatusyhdistys ry, Mahdollisuus lapselle ry, Todellisuuden tutkimuskeskus -yhdistys ry and Voimauttavan taiteen äärellä ry.
The projects supported with the grant take place in Helsinki’s suburban regeneration areas, where children and young people have fewer hobbies than average. The suburban regeneration areas are Malminkartano, Kannelmäki, Malmi, Meri-Rastila and Mellunkylä. There is also one project in the city centre involving cooperation with Children of the Station, which specialises in reaching out to young people at risk of social exclusion.
The hobby activities provided include music, theatre, performing arts and dance, etc. Shadow theatre and hobby horse activities linked to dance art are also available. As all of the grant-funded projects are committed to listening to children’s and young people’s own views, the art forms are partly selected in accordance with the wishes of children and young people as the projects progress.
Feedback will be collected from children and young people and the results will be reported
A key aspect of the projects is the development of new operating models.
“We love the fact that the grant-supported projects have identified a wide range of barriers to participation. Through various partnerships and new operating models, we have found ways to reach children and young people who do not yet have hobbies,” Alaja rejoices. “We are eagerly looking forward to the results of these promising projects.”
The projects will also focus on measuring their effectiveness. In addition to annual reporting, the grant recipients will commit to collecting regular feedback from the children and young people taking part in the activities.