The Finnish government’s severe cuts to arts and culture funding — totalling €17.4 million in 2025 — are hitting dance and circus particularly hard. Independent groups and freelance artists face increased unemployment and fewer opportunities for creative work as grants and subsidies are slashed. Organisations like Circus & Dance Info also suffer.
Public funding for arts and culture in Finland has faced drastic reductions this year. In 2025 alone, the sector has been cut by a total of €17.4 million — a devastating blow to an already vulnerable field struggling to recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The consequences for independent performing arts groups and freelance artists, in particular, will be profound.
The scale of these cuts is staggering. While the long-term effects are difficult to predict, a small glimmer of hope remains: the government has decided not to impose further cuts to arts and culture funding in 2026.
Of the total cuts, €10.9 million was slashed from state-subsidised theatres, dance and circus companies and museums. An additional €4.6 million was taken from funding promoting arts and culture, including operational and project grants from the Arts Promotion Centre (Taike) — vital sources of support for independent groups and individual artists.
Project grants heavily slashed, with freelancers particularly affected
Dance and circus arts have been disproportionately affected. Independent groups and freelance artists, already among the most vulnerable after the Covid-19 pandemic, are facing unprecedented challenges. The number of project grants for dance and circus artists has been halved, and the total funding available has dropped over 40%, setting support levels back twenty years. As a result, audiences can expect significantly fewer performances in the coming years, and international outreach will also suffer.
These cuts will inevitably lead to increased unemployment and financial hardship for artists, and will weaken the entire dance and circus ecosystem for years to come.
One critical issue is that international mobility grants — essential for artists seeking to present their work abroad and build international networks — were some years ago merged with domestic project grants. Now, with project funding cut drastically, opportunities for international mobility are vanishing.
Funding cuts hit Circus and Dance Info Finland Hard
Circus and Dance Info Finland, a key organisation for the international promotion of Finnish dance and circus, has also been hit. Its operational funding was reduced by nearly €100,000 in 2025 — about a 15% cut. This has led to staff reductions and scaling back of activities, particularly in communications and international networking efforts.
“While no area of activity will be completely shut down, the volume of our work will inevitably decrease, which in turn will reduce the impact of our operations,” says Director Tove Ekman.
In this difficult situation, the staff must now also put considerable effort into securing additional funding to maintain the work of the organisation.
In Finland, only 0.8% of the national budget is allocated to arts and culture — below the international average — and municipalities spend less than 2% of their budgets on culture.
The recent cuts represent a serious threat to the diversity, accessibility, and future development of dance and circus arts in Finland.