Operation Pirkanmaa and Culture Bank work together to strengthen the structures of art and culture

Saija Mustaniemi and Eerika Lehtinen, coordinators at Tampere City Public Cultural Services, are developing models that support cooperation between creators, clients, and municipalities. Both are working on two large-scale projects: Mustaniemi heads the Operation Pirkanmaa – Regional Cultural Development in Pirkanmaa project, which brings together 20 municipalities, while Lehtinen runs the nationwide Culture Bank.

Operation Pirkanmaa – Regional Cultural Development in Pirkanmaa project brings together 20 municipalities in Pirkanmaa for joint development work. Saija Mustaniemi has been surprised by the positive agility of the municipal field.

“Trust, responsibility, and peer support between municipalities are at the heart of this network. Together, we can develop innovative solutions that would be difficult to identify and implement on a smaller scale,” Mustaniemi explains.

Since the beginning of 2025, the former Operation Pirkanmaa project has continued its activities as a network with fewer resources and solely with the basic funding of the municipalities. However, Mustaniemi believes that the change will enable closer municipal guidance and adaptability. The network actively identifies common development needs and translates them into project activities. The goal is to increase development activities in the coming years.

The nearly nationwide Culture Bank brings together professionals and clients in the arts and culture sector on the same platform. The service facilitates commissioning, makes the supply visible, and supports the employment of creators in 15 regions.

“Professional artists and cultural creators deserve to be seen. At the same time, we want to make commissioning as easy as possible. Culture Bank allows actors to find each other easily and safely,” says Lehtinen.

The cooperation between Operation Pirkanmaa and Culture Bank will deepen in the future. Planned activities include joint training sessions and the sharing of commissioning models with other Finnish regions. The goal is to create permanent structures that strengthen the position of the arts and culture sector as a partner to municipalities.