About Us

The Finnish Institute in London is a private, non-profit trust bringing together individuals, communities and organisations. Our mission is to identify emerging issues important to contemporary society in Finland, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. We encourage cross-disciplinary and cross-border collaboration by creating networks and building new partnerships.

We want to take thinking of social challenges and cultural practices in new, positive directions. To do this, we open up spaces for novel ideas, discussions and trends by bringing passionate people together. We believe that a pinch of risk-taking accompanied by the hard work of imaginative people can transform the cultures and spaces we collectively inhabit. We embrace the unexpected while nurturing and maintaining excellence in contemporary social and cultural practice.

Mission

The mission of the Finnish Institute in London is to increase awareness about Finnish culture and society in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and to increase co-operation between the countries. In order to reach this goal the Institute identifies emerging issues and strives to make a positive social impact. The Institute provokes its partners to carry out culturally and socially significant actions.

The Finnish Institute in London makes Finnish culture, society and research known by strengthening existing and creating new co-operation and networks in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Finland. The Institute supports the internationalisation of Finnish artists, researchers and other social and cultural actors. The Institute also works towards better utilising international expertise in Finland.

Programme

The Finnish Institute’s work rests on the recognition that modern societies are going though a major technological, economic and cultural transformation and that this transformation has challenged the established ways of thinking, values, public policies and organisational arrangements. Our mission is to engage in public conversation and to find ways to support this transformation.

The Institute has two programmes: Arts & Culture and Society & Culture. The aim of the Arts & Culture programme is to identify fresh themes, events, groups and individuals in the field of art, and to nudge new, unexpected collaborations. The focus areas for this programme are contemporary art, design, contemporary circus and film. The Society & Culture Programme is to provoke discussion on issues central to a fair society, such as education and learning, equality and diversity and democracy of knowledge.

We engage in research, broker people, link ideas, and provide our partners with a platform to discuss and act. Both programmes promote excellence by encouraging cross-disciplinarity and international collaboration between partners in our networks. All our projects are produced in collaborating with partners.

Our programmes and activities are supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland.