University of Arts Helsinki Student Union (TaiYo)'s election programme for the Finnish parliamentary election of spring 2027 has been published. The programme is titled 'A total work of art called Finland'. TaiYo Board member Mathias Waenerberg writes about the process of writing the programme, the content and why TaiYo has its own election programme in the first place.
The University of Arts Helsinki Student Union is in a unique position: we are the only student union that represents solely art students. That is why we have the responsibility to make the voice of the students of Uniarts but also all the art and culture students in Finland heard in societal discussion and next spring's elections. If we don't speak for art students, then who?
Our student union is also committed to the National Union of University Students in Finland's election programme We are part of the joint movement of students that aim to secure students' rights and benefits. Our special expertise is art and culture students' advocacy which is why our own programme focuses on that. The next four years of Finland are shaped in the parliamentary elections and the government negotiations after that. That is why now is the right time to influence and bring up themes and topics that are important to us.
We as a society are faced with a lot of uncertainty. Economy, security and democracy are reoccurring themes in public discourse and thus have been present in our discussions while writing our programme. To combat the challenges of our time, we must strengthen an international, open, free, diverse and trustworthy Finland. For this, we need solutions from all different fields and it is important to remember that art and culture are central when seeking solutions.
Art and culture make us understand each other better. They create societal sense of community and make us more perceptive and make us think critically. Through art we can process things we would not have the tools for otherwise. We want to offer solutions for the entire society with our election programme, so that we would truly be in the same boat.
Art and culture are a solution. Not just for art and culture students but for all of society.
About the writing process
We started working on our parliamentary elections programme in the spring of 2026. We met with other art and culture organisations and discussed topical themes in the field. Through these discussions with our stakeholders as well as discussions amongst ourselves, we started drafting our programme. Several trainings organised by the National Union of University Students in Finland about the elections, influencing and the current political landscape were also helpful in the process.
When deciding on the themes and concrete goals, we utilized the discussion the TaiYo Representative Council had and the art policy paper it has approved. Based on these we have worked on and workshopped the goals and solutions of our programme, published today.
Lastly
Our student union cares about art and culture students as well as art and its future, but also for the entire society. A unified, diverse, open and international Finland is a necessity for the future of our nation, and art and culture play a key role when we are creating a total work of art called Finland.
You can read TaiYo's election programme (only in Finnish) here.
Mathias Waenerberg
Board Member
University of Arts Helsinki Student Union
English (UK) 
Suomi 
Svenska