The recipients of this year’s Helsinki Day production grants have been chosen

Helsinki’s birthday will be celebrated on 12 June with hundreds of events taking place around the city. At the heart of Helsinki Day are events created by the residents themselves. These diverse events will again delight people this year in streets, parks, museums, service homes, business premises and sports centres across the city. Helsinki Day is a shared city festival that offers plenty to see, experience and do and where everyone can participate in producing events.

The implementation of Helsinki Day is coordinated by Helsinki Events Foundation, which distributes production grants to associations, clubs and organisations, as well as private actors and residents, through an open call for events. This year, the amount of production grant available totals approximately €25,000 and a Helsinki jury representing various parties and actors decided the grant recipients on 18 April.

This year’s jury consisted of Juha Ahonen, Head of the Culture and Leisure Division at the City of Helsinki, Mari Nieminen, Content Writer at Pienten Helsinki, Tinja Siltavuori, Chair of Safer Space Host ry, Tuulia Thynell, Helsinki News and Current Affairs Producer at Yle, Yaxye Mohamud, Development Manager-Consultant at Movement Ry as well as Oona Simolin, Marketing Producer, and Riikka Fagerholm, Commercial Director, both from Helsinki Events Foundation. Read more detailed descriptions of the jury at the end of the article.

The open call for applications for a Helsinki Day production grant was launched on 1 March and attracted a total of 131 applications from event producers and organisations. Grants were awarded for 13 events and the maximum amount for any one applicant was EUR 4,000 This year, the jury paid particular attention to a programme that boosts local pride as well as content that emphasises diversity, communality and doing things together, the distribution of the programme evenly across the city, appealing to different target groups and taking into account accessibility.

The deadline for applications for production grants was 31 March. Below is a list of those
receiving a production grant.

Recipients of Helsinki Day production grants in 2024

Helsinki Events Foundation would like to thank everyone who applied for a production grant. “As I read the applications, I could see each event through the eyes of my soul. Going through the 130 or so applications was like a mini-marathon. I think our jury chose as many accessible events as possible, located in different parts of the city”, Tuulia Thynell comments.

You can still register your event for inclusion in the Helsinki Day programme until 12 May using the online form.

Free events in various parts of Helsinki and at all times of the day are welcome for inclusion in the Helsinki Day programme.

Jury deciding production grants in 2024

Juha Ahonen, Director of the City of Helsinki’s Culture and Leisure Division 

Mari Nieminen, Director of Pienten Helsinki
Mari Nieminen is the author of Pienten Helsinki, expert in children’s events and a great friend of children’s culture. Now seven years old, Pienten Helsinki provides tips and ideas about what to do with kids and adventures under the roofs of Helsinki from a child’s perspective.

Tinja Siltavuori, Chair of Safer Space Host, Suomen häirintäyhdyshenkilöt ry
Tinja is a 36-year-old pedagogue and social services professional, who values friendship, fairness and equality.

Tuulia Thynell, Yle Helsinki News and Current Affairs Producer
Tuulia is a Producer at Yle News, who enjoys gardening and tends to the needs of two wire-haired dachshunds and two teenagers.

Yaxye Mohamud, Development Manager-Consultant at Movement Ry
Yaxye is a 26-year-old youth worker in the field of child welfare and youth services. Enthusiastic, energetic and equipped with a sense of humour, Yaxye likes to learn new things and enjoys football, working out and wrestling, among other things.

Oona Simolin, Helsinki Events Foundation/marketing producer 

Riikka Fagerholm, Helsinki Events Foundation/Commercial Director

Image: Saara Vanhala