The future of Vapaan Taiteen Tila (VTT) is no longer just uncertain, but in danger of ending completely by the end of 2024. The closure of operations would mean a significant loss for Uniarts Helsinki students and Helsinki's urban culture. VTT's future is entirely dependent on Uniarts Helsinki's support.
Vapaan Taiteen Tila is an event space managed by the University of the Arts Student Union (TaiYo). Uniarts Helsinki students and alumni who graduated no more than three years ago can reserve the space free of charge for organising concerts, performances, exhibitions, workshops and rehearsals, for example. Since 2014, the facility has been located in the immediate vicinity of the Sörnäinen metro station in the Katri Vala Civil Defence Shelter. The space was founded on the initiative of students when the Academy of Fine Arts, the Sibelius Academy and the Theatre Academy merged to form the University of the Arts Helsinki in 2012. The space for liberal arts serves as a meeting place for students and professionals from different academies and as an easily approachable opportunity for Helsinki residents to see students working.
Vapaan Taiteen Tila is a significant opportunity for Uniarts Helsinki students and should absolutely be held onto. Students are allowed to build, market and present exhibitions and works themselves almost in accordance with the professional field. VTT is a space and concept that many try to create without success, so it would be a shame to lose it just as it has become a solid player as part of Helsinki's urban culture. It is created, used and maintained by students. There it is possible for artists to find new ways of working, reach a wide audience and safely try new forms of art.
n recent years, a lack of space has become a problem for students, and many have ended up completing their thesis in Vapaan Taiteen Tila. In addition, several summer projects have made it possible to work outside the usual schedule of the school year. The booking calendar has been full since the beginning of the year, and inquiries for the following year are already pouring in. Last year, i.e. the 2023 season, VTT had a total of 56 bookings, of which 49 were open events. If Uniarts Helsinki and TaiYo collaborated in coordinating the space, it could also be utilised more extensively in course use and in the implementation of theses. This in itself would definitely be a good reason for Uniarts Helsinki to commit to funding the Free Art Space on a long-term basis. If the grounds for continuing VTT's funding in the long term are not considered weighty enough, TaiYo hopes that the funding will continue until the end of 2025 in order to ensure the continuity of operations. If the university terminates its support, the lease agreement of the space should be terminated by the end of October, as applying for public and foundation funding requires the establishment of an association separate from TaiYo responsible for the operation of the Free Art Space. The funding granted by Uniarts Helsinki to Vapaan Taiteen Tila until the end of 2025 would enable the transition to alternative funding so that during autumn 2024 the members of TaiYo's Board of Directors will do the necessary actions to establish a new Free Art Space Association, a separate board will be elected for the association, and TaiYo's Secretary General and the coordinator of Vapaan Taiteen Tila will do fundraising for the academic year 2024-2025. TaiYo simply does not have the resources to find alternative funders at such short notice. The practical matters of Vapaan Taiteen Tila are currently handled by a coordinator whose salary is paid from the university's support, and if the support ends after December this year, VTT's operations would depend on student volunteering. As studying is already stressful, it would be almost impossible to sustainably maintain activities like VTT's.
It is understandable that Uniarts Helsinki strives to save on everything possible, but sustainable change is not supported by short-term cuts that directly affect students. Frustrating cuts are being planned in Finnish art and culture, which will exponentially increase unemployment among artists. Vapaan Taiteen Tila offers students the opportunity to gain visibility and gain experience that would support the future labour market. It almost feels like a punishment to cut students from significant subsidies and resources while degree requirements and graduation schedules are tightened.
Elli Kujansuu,
Member of the Board of the University of the Arts Student Union 2024
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