Arts and Culture Barometer: Funding and support for artistic work do not correspond to actual needs
The Arts and Culture Barometer is conducted annually by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) together with the Center for Cultural Policy Research (Cupore) with the purpose of monitoring the views of artists regarding current issues and phenomena. The theme of the latest barometer was funding and support for artistic work. Altogether 1253 artists and 81 peer reviewers representing Taike and foundations that support the arts responded to the barometer survey in autumn 2024.
Grants enable self-determination, but the amount of funding is not in line with the number of applicants
Based on the responses to the barometer survey, wages and grants are the most important types of income for artists in terms of euros. Of the two, however, only grants enable independent art to any significant extent, as they are awarded specifically for artistic work. Artists often receive their wages by performing other types of work.
The artists who responded to the barometer consider grants to be an important opportunity to focus on artistic work and develop their professional skills without external or commercial pressures. They also believe that grants enable diversity and free expression in art, which artists across Finland consider to be the state grant system’s most important task to safeguard.
Peer reviewers representing Taike and foundations that support the arts also responded to the barometer survey. According to these respondents, the biggest challenges when making funding decisions and peer reviews are related to the large number of applications in relation to the funding allocated, as a result of which, good applicants may be left without support.
Earning a living through copyright compensation is difficult
Slightly more than half of the artists who responded to the survey had received copyright compensation over the past year, yet in terms of actual euros, the significance of copyright compensation remains low for a large proportion of artists. Almost half of the artists feel that they are at a disadvantage when negotiating the use of their works, and half of the respondents have not always received appropriate compensation for the use of their works. The copyright implications of artificial intelligence are also a concern: more than a third of the respondents consider artificial intelligence to be a potential threat to their copyrights. This is a particular concern among writers.
The low level of copyright compensation is seen in part as an indication that the work of artists is not valued.
Adequate funding is vital for the arts sector
The results of the barometer also suggest possible solutions. Funding the work of professional artists and their status in the labour market form a complex entity, the development of which would require structural changes. These could include increasing and diversifying funding and flexibility in combining different methods of employment with unemployment and social security. A large proportion of the artists who responded to the barometer survey would like to combine different methods of employment in the future.
Securing the livelihoods of artists is vital for the arts sector. Almost half of the artists who responded to the barometer survey reported that they had changed their profession or considered changing their profession outside the arts sector over the past 12 months. The proportion has increased by five percentage points since 2022.
Financial and livelihood issues are clearly the most frequently repeated reason in the barometer report for those who have changed their profession or are considering doing so. In addition, funding cuts to the cultural sector are reflected in the results in the form of increased uncertainty and a lack of prospects.
Previous barometers and time series
The barometer being published now is the tenth in a row. Alongside annual themes, the Arts and Culture Barometers have also included regularly recurring questions, through which it is possible to examine trends within the arts sector.
This report is complemented by openly available online contents on the Cupore website that compile barometer responses from different years and provide opportunities to examine the issues in more detail in relation to different background variables, for example by fields of the arts.
Previous Arts and Culture Barometers can be found on the Taike website.
Welcome to the discussion forum on 8 May
The findings of the Arts and Culture Barometer will be presented at a discussion forum at Kino Konepaja in Helsinki on Thursday 8 May 2025. The programme includes a presentation of the results, a commentary and a discussion with artists. The forum can also be viewed online.
See the programme and register online.
Arts and Culture Barometer 2024: Funding and support for artistic work
Lahtinen, Emmi, Ruusuvirta, Minna, Kautio, Tiina, Rensujeff, Kaija & Leppänen, Aino (2025). Arts and Culture Barometer 2024: Funding and support for artistic work. Center for Cultural Policy Research (Cupore). Cupore’s web publications 83.
Download the Arts and Culture Barometer 2024 from the Cupore website.
Further information
Minna Ruusuvirta, Senior Researcher, Cupore, [email protected], t. +358 50 326 8014
Kaija Rensujeff, Special Advisor, Taike, [email protected], t. +358 295 330 721