Cultural Partners

Culture Partners have been chosen for the 2025–2027 season 

The city of Oulu’s Culture Services has signed temporary contracts with professional communities working in the culture field since 2006. Culture partners receive support for their activities and produce cultural content and events for all citizens of Oulu and the residents of nearby regions. 

Contracts reinforce the long-term development work of culture operators and their cooperation with the city of Oulu. Culture partners form a wide network of specialists which has a significant role in the city’s art and culture activities. The culture partners play a significant role in the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture year’s implementation and designing and launching the year’s inheritance work during the coming partnership period. 

For the contract period 2025–2027, there are 14 partner communities in different fields of art who have been chosen with open applications.

Culture and arts partnership agreements

The City of Oulu has signed agreements on cultural partnership with 18 independent cultural operators. The first partnership agreements in history were signed in 2006 with four different operators. Today there is a wide range of art involved in the partnerships from literature to literary art and from dance to photography.

The cultural partners receive financial aid for their operations and produce cultural content and events for the use of all residents of Oulu and nearby areas. Partners, on the other hand, can develop as independent, professional cultural operators and plan and develop their activities on a long run.

The cultural partnership in Oulu is a way to expand municipal cultural activities: the city and the residents also gain an access to a valuable network of experts in the field. 

Culture and arts partnership agreements
season 2025–2027

The City of Oulu culture and arts partnership agreements have been made with the following Oulu-based cultural operators and with the following amounts of aid:

Flow ry, 60 000€
JoJo – Oulu Dance Centre ry, 110 000€
Cultural Cooperative ILME, 30 000€
Oulu Urban Culture ry, 50 000€
Oulu Film Centre ry, 110 000€
Oulu Writers Association ry, 40 000€
Oulu Culture Events Association ry, 120 000€
Oulu Music Video Festival ry, 40 000€
Oulu Comics Centre ry, 30 000€
Oulu Artists Association 63 ry, 50 000€
Northern Photographic Centre ry, 70 000€
Circus and Theater Association Lumous ry, 20 000€
TaikaBox ry, 40 000€
Uleåborg Jazz Organisation ry /Oulu All Star Big Band, 35 000€