By Ann Nwaosa
The Nordic Diversity Connections in Arts and Culture Seminar in Oulu opened with music, warmth, and an unmistakable commitment to inclusivity which created an atmosphere that felt deeply aligned with the values of Globe Art Point (GAP). As a long-standing advocate, collaborator, and information hub for international artists in Finland, GAP participated both as an organiser and a community partner invested in ensuring that diverse creative professionals are seen, heard, and supported across the Nordic region.
From the start, it was clear that this was not just another seminar. It was a call for transformation.
A Gathering That Embodied Its Principles
The event’s opening moments, from musical performances to sign-language-led hosting, affirmed a truth GAP has championed for years: accessibility is not an afterthought; it is the foundation of an inclusive cultural ecosystem.
Seeing visual self-descriptions, sign language interpretation, speech-to-text services, and quiet-room arrangements integrated so naturally demonstrated the type of practice that should be standard across the arts sector.
For the international creatives GAP represents, such holistic accessibility signals respect, belonging, and possibility. It sets a tone that says: you are not guests in this space; you are part of shaping it.
Collaboration as a Nordic Responsibility
This seminar forms part of the Finland and Åland Presidency Programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers 2025, yet the collaborative network behind it, Ministry of Education and Culture, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, City of Oulu, Oulu2026, Culture for All, and Globe Art Point, renders it uniquely organic.
For GAP, taking part in this collaboration was more than institutional partnership. It offered a platform to highlight lived realities of foreign-born artists, whose professional paths in Finland often intersect with opaque structures, limited representation, and systemic obstacles.
The day’s conversations proved that Nordic cultural leadership must be a shared project, built through constant dialogue between institutions, minority communities, and independent practitioners.
Opening Messages: Leadership Meets Local Identity
The welcoming remarks from Minister Marleena Talvitie, Mayor Ari Alatossava, and Oulu2026 CEO Piia Rantala-Korhonen set an encouraging tone.
The mayor’s emphasis on Oulu’s Sámi roots, international growth, and upcoming investments in cultural infrastructure resonated strongly with GAP’s advocacy work. A city that acknowledges Indigenous history, celebrates youth, and embraces global influences is well positioned to foster an arts sector where international creatives can thrive without being asked to “leave parts of themselves at the door.”
Rantala-Korhonen’s message on cultural climate change offered a powerful metaphor for the transformation ahead. Her admission that representation gaps persist served as a reminder that recognising who is missing is the first step toward making room.
Keynotes That Spoke Truth to Power
Both keynote speakers delivered messages that echoed GAP’s core mission.
1. A Call for Cross-Nordic Learning
Sadjad Shokoohi emphasised the need for shared evaluation tools, stronger national frameworks, and transnational cooperation. GAP sees this as vital. International artists in Finland often fall into gaps between institutions, policies, and funding criteria. Shared Nordic learning can prevent these gaps from becoming barriers.
2. Diversity as the Heartbeat of Democracy
Ceyda Berk-Söderblom’s bold insistence that “diversity is not an add-on, but the core system democracy depends on” felt like a crystallization of years of advocacy. Her reflections mirrored the experiences of many GAP community members, who face discrimination, invisibility, or tokenization within cultural structures meant to represent everyone.
Her words reminded all of us:
Diversity is a redistribution of power, not a decorative gesture.
Tokenism, Representation, and the Need for Structural Change
A recurring theme throughout the seminar was the tension between representation and tokenism. GAP encounters this struggle often: institutions eager to “include” international creatives but hesitant to share decision-making power.
The message was clear:
- Representation must begin at the planning table, not after the programme is designed.
- One person cannot represent an entire community, ethnicity, or identity.
- Visibility is powerful, but it comes with risks, as shown by backlash examples from across the Nordics.
For foreign-born artists in Finland, these discussions are not theoretical. They reflect daily experiences trying to be visible without being tokenized, welcomed without being flattened into a single narrative.
Accessibility and Inclusion as Everyday Practices
Perhaps the most important takeaway of the entire seminar was the reminder that inclusion happens in the small, daily actions, a philosophy GAP deeply believes in.
This includes:
- Using clear, multilingual communication
- Being mindful of how meetings are scheduled
- Adjusting environments for different bodies and minds
- Making room for emotional reactions, not just intellectual debate
- Acknowledging discomfort instead of avoiding it
Accessibility is everyone’s job. And it grows from practice, not perfection.
Relationships Over Representation
One of the most meaningful insights came from the discussion on institutional relationships. In Finland, many institutions still struggle to form genuine relationships with minority artists and communities. As a result, participation in cultural structures remains uneven.
GAP’s own mission, to build bridges, provide information, and create networks, felt directly reflected in this conversation. Representation without relationships is hollow. But relationship building creates the trust, safety, and continuity needed for true co-creation.
Looking Ahead: Imagination as a Tool for Transformation
The seminar closed on a hopeful note. Artists were framed as the ones who imagine futures long before institutions could build them.
This resonated deeply with GAP’s commitment to nurturing the creativity and perspectives of international artists: individuals who often imagine Finland in ways that expand, challenge, and enrich national narratives.
Real change will require giving something up: familiar habits, old hierarchies, unquestioned norms. But what grows in their place can be extraordinary.
Conclusion: A Nordic Space for the Many, Not the Few
For Globe Art Point, the Nordic Diversity Connections in Arts and Culture Seminar was not only a milestone; it was a mirror. It revealed how far Finland and the Nordic region have come and how much work remains to be done.
It reaffirmed that GAP’s long-term mission to advocate for equity, provide knowledge, and connect international artists with institutions, remains not only relevant but essential.
Democracy, culture, and creativity flourish when more people, not fewer, are allowed to shape them. True diversity requires everyone.
And GAP is committed to ensuring that everyone truly means everyone.