Sustainability work at the Finnish Institutes

In the following interview, questions will be answered by Annu Webb (SKTI), the network specialist and coordinator of sustainability, Director Laura Boxberg from the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux, Monica Gathuo (Finnish Cultural Institute in New York) the head producer of the Together Again project 2022–2023, and Iiris Tarvonen, the producer of the Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute.

1. How has environmental and social sustainability been reflected in the work of the institutes, and how has it evolved over the years?

Annu Webb: "Ecological and social sustainability has been reflected in the discussions and activities of the institute network since the last decade. The focus on environmental and social sustainability has been a key principle in all the joint projects of the network that have taken place since at least 2019: good practices have been developed within projects like AISTIT, Together Alone, Together Again and pARTir. Currently, the largest joint project of the network is the pARTir project, coordinated by SKTI, which promotes sustainable and long-term internationalisation of the arts and allows us to develop sustainable practices within the network of institutes. PARTir is an EU-funded NextGenerationEU project.

In 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, we set up both an Ecological Practices Working Group and an Equity Working Group within the network, focusing on equality work. We created, for example, a set of Ecological Guidelines common to the network, as well as an Equality Act Challenge to map out and challenge the network's activities. We have also organised a number of training sessions and workshops for staff at the institutes on these topics – including anti-racism training and shared best practices from the institutes on issues such as obtaining environmental certificates."

Laura Boxberg: "Ecological and social sustainability is enshrined as a value in the Finnish Benelux Institute's strategy for 2024-2026: "Culture is a powerful tool for rethinking values, practices and societal issues needed for ecological transformation. We will establish ecologically and socially sustainable working methods and practices to promote international mobility and cultural exports." Ideally, it will be part of all the Institute's activities."

Iiris Tarvonen: "Sustainability thinking has developed especially in the context of joint projects within the institute network. Challenges identified include the operating practices of the institutes and the structures guiding their activities. Government funding for the institutes is always granted for one year at a time, which requires projects to be launched quickly. This can make it challenging to consider sustainability.

At the Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute, we have tried to improve our activities by actively creating new networks, developing our own expertise and incorporating sustainability thinking into the documents that guide the Institute's activities, such as action plans and strategy. Our current strategy and action plan not only provide a framework but also a requirement for identifying and launching projects, for example of longer duration."

Monica Gathuo: "My own starting point was originally social sustainability. From an early stage, I realised that my activities must also be environmentally sustainable. One cannot exist without the other. At the Armory Art Fair in New York, for example, it is easy to see that art is a big industry. In this context, if sustainability is left only to the artist, it is reduced to a mere commentary. Sustainability should be reflected in all aspects of arts and culture. Institutions should think about what is being done, why and what is the consequence. If there is no understanding of why art and culture are made, the quality of art and culture will suffer.

Sustainability issues must form the cornerstone of a project and cannot be added as a skylight later. Sustainability needs to be brought to the forefront before you even start planning a project and considered in everything. Not just at the stage when everything is already done and the only choice you can make is to buy Fairtrade coffee."

Annu Webb: "From my point of view, the work has become more and more systematised and I have also considered it my personal responsibility to ensure that these aspects remain in the shared consciousness of the network at all times and are not forgotten. I subscribe to the idea that "every job is climate work", i.e. every job has a responsibility to critically monitor and, if necessary, change practices."

2. What factors have contributed to sustainable practices and what factors have hindered them? What has worked and what has not?

Monica: "People have both contributed and hindered. Courage, humility, and a willingness to learn have driven sustainable choices. People have started without necessarily having the knowledge and have been able to admit that they lacked knowledge, but have still been curious and wanted to learn and do things differently.

The obstacle is resistance to change, fear of loss, and the idea that the quality of art will suffer. There is also fear of restrictions. We should remember that artists face constraints, walls, and boundaries all the time and still make things work. The limits of the planet are no different.

The demands of funders can also be an obstacle to sustainability. When you apply for funding for a project where you're supposed to do a hundred things in a terrible rush and pain, it's easy to end up compromising on things you shouldn't have compromised on."

Iiris Tarvonen: "Sometimes the challenges are created by our role as a networking and bridge-building institute. For example, the Norwegian-Finnish Institute has no space to host events at all, so all our collaborative projects take place in cooperation with local and Finnish partners. Our role is often that of co-beneficiary, enabler, and co-producer. It can be difficult to demand certain activities or, for example, energy-efficient facilities from partners, especially when we do not necessarily have the expertise.

I believe that good cooperation not only within the Institute but also with partners has provided a good basis for the adoption of new practices. Designing together, listening to others and learning from others is inspiring."

Annu Webb: "Challenges include the large number and turnover of staff in the network, and the fact that although we are a network, the institutes are 17 independent organisations operating in vastly different environments.

However, at the moment I see that work is progressing well at the network level – we are in the process of launching a network-wide impact evaluation model with a common transformation objective of 'Sustainable Internationality'. The evaluation model, which is the result of a joint development process, will hopefully embed sustainability thinking at all levels of the network and engage institutions to monitor and evaluate their own activities from this perspective.

Co-development requires persistent and ambitious leadership and a commitment at the senior management level to change objectives. I think it also helps that the Ministry of Education and Culture, our funder, requires development activities and reporting on the subject – so we are also guided by them."

Laura Boxberg: "When we looked at embedding sustainable practices, we realised that we didn't really have data on the Institute's carbon footprint, so we calculated it for 2022 and 2023, which has given us a better idea that, for example, travelling across the country significantly reduces emissions from programme activities.

Brussels is ideally located, with its short distances and good train connections.

However, Finland is still geographically distant from this point of view. In the Benelux region, many of our partners are also committed to greener planning, so when we talk about cooperation, we are often on the same page on these issues. I was also surprised when an exchange meeting at the Ministry of Education and Culture had noted that we have reduced our carbon footprint and this was seen as a good thing, even if it is not reflected in the reporting level of general grants, for example."

3. What are the specific challenges or opportunities related to environmental and social sustainability in the international context?

Laura Boxberg: "It would be nice to say that distances to Finland are not a challenge, but yes they are. The opportunities are practically limitless: you can always improve your operations to become more sustainable and the best things often happen when the partner organisation is committed to the same 'values'.

Iiris Tarvonen: "Since 2022, we have been implementing the NORD – Cultural Bridges programme, which strengthens networks and activities between actors in Northern Norway, Northern Finland and Sápmi. The Nordic region has a very different operating area and infrastructure compared to, for example, the infrastructure in the capital cities. For example, small towns and areas with long distances do not have the same access to public transport as, for example, Helsinki or Oslo. However, the North is very international and mobile, and we weigh up sustainability as a whole, with a strong social dimension and social impact.

For example, as part of the pARTir project, we have supported with the New York Institute the first international indigenous drag show in Sápmi, Indigenous Drag Excellence XXL, which brings together artists from Australia, Canada, and the Finnish side of Sápmi. Commissioned by the International Indigenous Festival Riddu Riđđu, the show has included networking, mentoring and important encounters between different Indigenous artists. It has been interesting to reflect on internationalism from an indigenous perspective. The Riddu Riđđu festival is based on the premise that when they visit other countries, they always want to give something back to the local communities, for example by sharing their knowledge. At its best, art and cross-border cooperation can have a positive impact on social development and contribute to sustainable development."

Annu Webb: "Certainly, the most common thing that people talk about is that international activity requires air travel. To some extent this is true, but there is certainly still room to reduce emissions without compromising on impact.

But to prevent the climate crisis, or the multi-crisis, from advancing, we need links across national borders, cooperation, diversity of vision and creativity.  Responsible international action is vital for the social sustainability of societies."

Monica Gathuo: "The challenge is how to stay open to the world in a situation where restrictions are real and tangible, especially as Finland is a bit peripheral and travel is a lifeline. You must become more innovative and creative when you think about what kind of collaboration you can do without being physically present. In the end, the sky's the limit when it comes to getting things done.

Isa Hukka has said it well, "You can't meet everyone's needs, but you have to be able to say it and justify why." The Together Again project, for example, started from the premise that the margins must be at the centre. The result was that people were flown in to represent specific communities. So ecological sustainability took a back seat. However, this was deliberate, as the aim was to include specific people. Different requirements need to be identified and recognised and, where necessary, informed choices made between them.”

4. What would have to change in order for institutions to be fully ecologically and socially sustainable, and what would such an approach look like?

Monica Gathuo: "In a sustainable future, sustainability policies are the norm, and strategic decisions are made, monitored and followed up by institutions. Sustainability is the cornerstone of our operations."

Iiris Tarvonen: "I mentioned earlier the short-term nature of funding. A longer-term funding model would allow for more thorough planning and more sustainable implementation. Sustainability solutions require not only time but also money. It is also interesting to consider what is a sustainable way of working. Can sustainability and well-being at work be combined?"

Annu Webb: "The Western social system and its institutions are built on destructive and unjust structures and norms, so dismantling these is a priority if we are to talk about sustainable practices. Institutions must also play their part in clarifying our understanding of these structures and play an active role in facilitating broader social change. Institutions have a responsibility to ensure that our own actions do not exceed the carrying capacity of the planet and of people and that they also challenge others to dismantle harmful structures and harmful patterns of thought and action. Envisioning and presenting alternatives is also an essential part of this."

Laura Boxberg: “I think that the Board of The Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes Association should require that each member foundation's strategy takes this into account and that the boards of the foundations are committed to promoting this issue. At the same time, one might think that if funders always demanded accountability reporting, the institutes would be forced to take action more systematically."

5. What has inspired you in your sustainability work?

Monica Gathuo: "It's when you see successes. Most of all, the relationship of indigenous peoples to all life, how they have been able to function sustainably for millennia. On the cultural front, Ritni Ráste Pieski's work Girjái."

Iiris Tarvonen: " Colleagues and collaborators. There is a wealth of knowledge and dedication in the field of the arts from individuals and organisations."

Annu Webb: "I am inspired by the large-scale understanding of where the root causes of climate catastrophe lie. For example, Amitav Ghosh's The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis, Angela Saini's The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule and Riina Tanskanen’s and Samu Kuoppa's Kapitalismin suuri illuusio (The Great Illusion of Capitalism) open up this in an insanely clever way!"

Laura Boxberg: "A collaboration between the Finnish art scene!"