The city as a learning environment

Cultural education forum 

There are many artists and a lot of art and culture in Helsinki and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Children therefore have the opportunity to experience culture and make art in a diverse way. It is important that every child and young person can experience art and culture equally. Children and young people are best reached through daycare centres and schools. 

The City of Helsinki organises a cultural education forum twice a year. This is an event where people from the fields of arts and culture meet teachers and educators. They can discuss, learn about and develop cultural education together. 

The event involves discussion of current topics and lectures by experts, as well as speeches by educators and artists. You can also network and meet new people at the event. 

Spring Forum for Cultural Education
Wed 18 March 2026, 9:00–16:00

Naturally! Environmental Competence through Art and Culture

The next Forum for Cultural Education will take place on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, from 9:00 to 16:00 at the Cultural Centre Stoa (Turunlinnantie 1, Itäkeskus). This spring’s forum will focus on environmental competence through artistic and cultural (pedagogical) approaches and explore creative methods to promote environmental awareness.

Programme

09:00 Morning coffee and a savoury bite

09:30 Words of welcome and expert presentations

• Welcome, Pirjetta Mulari
• Opening speech, Antti Sarpo and Mari Heikkinen
• Eco-anxiety and Other Dreary Matters – Does Our Perception of Reality Need Rewilding? Paula Mattila
• Visual Art Education as a Conversation Starter and a Catalyst for Shared Agency Between Young People and Adults, Sanni Virtanen

11:30 Lunch

13:00 Workshops

• Nukketeatteritalo: Multidisciplinary art workshop for educators
• Seikkailutaidekoulu: Workshop on materials and techniques for arts-based environmental education
• City of Helsinki, Education and Training: The Kettu model workshop from the perspective of storytelling and drama pedagogy
• Mamia Company: Wisdom of Water – a dance and theatre workshop exploring environmental competence
• Aino Johansson: Forest Nervous System – an ecosomatic workshop
• Henna Laininen: Workshop on environmental emotions through creative writing
• Anna Kuoppamäki: Imagination as a superpower – let's make a song about environmental hope!

14:45 Coffee break and something sweet

15:15 Afternoon refreshment and closing words

• Closing speech, Jari Tamminen

16:00 Event ends

Register

The registration form opens on Monday 9 February at 09:00.
Register here (by 4 March at the latest).