An opinion piece published in Forum24 newspaper on March 26, 2025
It seems that the Children’s Theatre Festival will be organised for the last time in Oulu in April. The European Capital of Culture year 2026 will mark the first year in Oulu for a long time without this significant cultural event.
The reason for the break in the 44-year tradition is the government’s cuts to theatres, which has forced the Oulu Theatre to cut some of the financially most unviable activities. The city of Oulu still has the chance to save the future of the festival. It is just a matter of an annual grant of 40 000 euros.
Oulu has long positioned itself as a city of children’s culture. In our opinion, the city of Oulu must intervene, so that we can ensure high-quality children’s and youth culture in Oulu in the future. The attraction of Oulu is not just economic figures but also soft factors.
For families with children it is important that our city is child-friendly and full of activities. Going to theatre must not be limited to just a freetime activity of the elite; we want Oulu Theatre to continue offering a wide range of programmes for various target groups.
The benefit of a high-quality theatre for the city is not only the box office hits, but for example, introducing children and young people to artistic experiences and the wellbeing effects of culture.
Aino-Kaisa Manninen
Liisa Väisänen
Green city councillors and municipal election candidates, Oulu