The Ainola Centre will replace and expand the former Tampere House, whose activities came to an end at the end of 2025. The association brings together non-governmental organisations and partner organisations operating between Estonia and Finland, functioning as a network for Finnish culture.
- Especially Finnish cultural actors in Tartu wanted to build something new based on the story of the Tampere House Foundation. The Ainola Centre provides a platform for continuing cooperation. For Tampere, it is important to promote and sustain international cultural collaboration. Children and young people are a key target group for the association, which also lays the foundation for future cooperation, says Anne-Mari Jussila, Deputy Mayor of Tampere.
The objectives of the Ainola Centre include promoting culture, creating community-based activities, and supporting networking in Finnish culture, science, and education.
The association’s members include communities and organisations operating in Estonia and Finland whose activities strongly involve Finnish-Estonian cultural cooperation. Finnish twin cities of Tartu are also invited to join the association, including Hämeenlinna and Turku in addition to Tampere. The aim is to establish a shared cultural and cooperation centre, facilitate information exchange among members, and organise various events.
The opening celebrations of the Ainola Centre will take place on Friday, 6 February 2026. At the same time, a meeting between city representatives will be held to discuss and agree on future cooperation between the cities. Tampere will consider joining the association later in the spring, once operations have begun.
