Newsletter
Oulu2026 Newsletter
Subscribe to our Newsletter and get updates on local cultural personalities, stories, press releases and opportunities for international artists.
Newsletters 2024
June / 2024: Summer highlights in Oulu2026 region, Venice Art Biennale 2026 exhibition to Oulu, Oulu2026 Stage at Qstock Festival, Fascinating northern stories: Sound of the North route
April / 2024: Tales of Tar, Sápmi Triennale, Open Call: Solstice Festival 2024, Delta Life, Culture Next conference, Guide for sustainable events, TMW Oulu2026 presents.
Interested in volunteering?
We welcome all participants to register as volunteers, aka Cultural Ambassadors. At the moment we have a limited amount of volunteer positions open. Closer to 2026, we have numerous interesting tasks opening up related to e.g. event production, communication, information, and guidance. We also organise training and own programme for volunteers.
Feel free to leave your contacts with the same form as subscribing to our newsletter. We will reach out to our network as our programme starts to take shape. Welcome aboard!
For more information:
Heli Metsäpelto
Head of Community
heli.metsapelto@oulu2026.eu
Latest
The European Capitals of Culture at the Italian Pavilion of Expo 2020 Dubai
The “The European Capitals of Culture Day at the Universal Exhibition 2020 Dubai” is the event that the Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation is organizing on October 30, 2021 in the Italian Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai, in partnership with the Commissioner General of...
Oulu2026 Cultural Personality: Arja Huotari
Our cultural personality of the week is Arja Huotari, Director of Cultural Centre Valve and Head of Cultural Services in the City of Oulu. Her main priorities in the job have been to create prerequisites for operations in the cultural industries and for other cultural...
”Do not create for the tourists but for the residents”, Stuba Nikula, CEO of Helsinki Events Foundation
Kaupunkifoorumi (City Forum) was organised in Oulu on 12.-13.10., and it gathered a noted crowd of experts to discuss the development of cities and city centres. Themes of the forum were international interaction’s new order, future of city centres, and sustainable...
”Oulu is a cool and energetic cultural city that deserved to win in the European Capital of Culture competition” Cay Sevón, Member of the Board of the Oulu Cultural Foundation
Cay Sevón is a Doctor of Social Sciences. She was responsible for Turku’s Capital of Culture year as the CEO of Turku 2011 Foundation. Sevón has also worked the Account Manager in the City of Turku, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Finance as Director General and...
”The unique Capital of Culture title will bring visibility to Oulu, also internationally” Elena Näsänen, Member of the Board of the Oulu Cultural Foundation
Elena Näsänen is a Master of Fine Arts, visual artist and a filmmaker. She acted as the Chairperson of Artist’s Association Finland between 2004 and 2007. She has worked as Production Advisor for the Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture (AVEK) between 2004-2007,...
The Capital of Culture is a common endeavour, Jouko Niinimäki, Member of the Board of the Oulu Cultural Foundation
Jouko Niinimäki was born in Oulu and is a Doctor of Technology who has worked at the University of Oulu since 1995. The past years, he has acted as the Rector of the University. He studied in Oulu and graduated from the University of Oulu as an engineer. He has...
”Oulu is an inventive city that has the opportunity to be the capital of the whole Northern Finland” Tytti Määttä, Member of the Board of the Oulu Cultural Foundation
Tytti Määttä has a master’s in political science and is the Mayor of Kuhmo. Määttä studied political science, political history and economics at the University of Turku. Additionally, she has studied environmental science and management. She has also acted as the...
”The success of the Capital of Culture is fully in our hands” Member of the Board of the Oulu Cultural Foundation Reima Loukkola
Reima Loukkola has a master of science in economics and has acted as the Chief Financial Officer of Osuuskauppa Arina since 2020. At the end of the year, Loukkola will become the Chief Executive Officer of Arina. He has worked in a wide range of positions in the...
In Oulu, we dare to think in a new way,” Member of the Board of the Oulu Cultural Foundation, Emilie Gardberg
Emilie Gardberg, Master of Arts, is the dean of the Sibelius Academy at the University of the Arts Helsinki. She has previously worked as director of the Finnish Institute in London, executive director of the Turku Music Festival and curator of the Turku Philharmonic...
Young and experienced consumers co-design solutions for food waste reduction
VTT in collaboration with Cross-KIC New European Bauhaus and the Oulu2026- the city of Oulu European Capital of Culture 2026 initiatives will bring together young and experienced consumers in a co-design event. During the event, the participants will get to know...