Finnish Arts and Culture Agency begins operations

The statutory tasks and functions of KAVI will remain unchanged in the new agency.

The tasks of Taike will also continue as before, but the peer review structure will change as of 1 July 2026. The current national and regional arts councils will be discontinued. In the future, the preparation of decisions based on peer reviews will be carried out by grant assessment panels drawn from a pool of experts. The Council of Arts and Culture will make decisions on the awarding of grants and prizes based on preparations made by the grant assessment panels.

Emilie Gardberg was begun her duties as the first Director General of the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency.

“The new agency strengthens the status of the arts and culture in society, allowing combined resources to be allocated even more effectively to promote the sector,” Gardberg states.

The new agency has four substance departments: Arts and Culture Networks, Arts and Culture Funding, Audiovisual Culture, and Media Education and Age Limits. Shared services have initially been organised into two departments: Strategy, Communications and Public Relations Department and Administrative Services.

The merger has not affected the number of staff. 

Education and Culture Administration 2030 reform project

The establishment of the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency is part of the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Education and Culture Administration 2030 reform project. The reform is included in the Government Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The reform of Finland’s cultural administration contributes to the implementation of the national productivity programme.

The reform combines individual agencies within the administrative sector into larger units to streamline administration and increase efficiency. From the beginning of 2026, administrative tasks will be handled by 5 agencies instead of the previous 11. Unified operating models will be created for cultural administration, and shared services will be developed for the agencies. The reform will also strengthen the effectiveness of cultural administration.

New telephone numbers and e-mail addresses

The abbreviation for the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency is Kuvi. E-mail addresses are in the format [email protected]. Old e-mail addresses will remain active for the time being.

The original websites www.taike.fi and www.kavi.fi will also remain active for the time being. A new website containing basic information has been launched alongside them at www.kuvi.fi. The new website contains, for example, more detailed information about the organisation and responsible persons.

New telephone numbers have been introduced at the beginning of the year. The new switchboard number is +358 295 249 000. Other telephone numbers can be found on the websites www.taike.fi and www.kavi.fi. 

Taike's head office moved to Kavi's premises in November at Kaikukatu 2 C, 00530 Helsinki. The postal address is Kavi's address: P.O. Box 16, FI-00501 HKI.

Taike's regional offices will continue to operate as normal.

Further information

Emilie Gardberg, t. +358 440883379, [email protected]