Culture Bank makes artists and cultural professionals visible across 14 regions

Culture Bank brings together professional artists and cultural practitioners and the services they offer. Through the service, professionals can present their expertise, package their services and reach new customers. At the same time, commissioners can easily find professionals and services in their own region and across regional borders.Employment in the creative industries is often built from many different assignments and partnerships. Culture Bank aims to strengthen the visibility of the sector and create better conditions for professional work.– Culture Bank helps artists and cultural professionals make their expertise visible. We want to lower the threshold for finding new customers and partners, while also supporting service packaging and entrepreneurial skills, says Eerika Lehtinen, national coordinator of Culture Bank.Culture Bank is based on exceptionally broad regional cooperation. The service was originally developed in Pirkanmaa, after which it has been expanded together with other regions. Today, the service brings 14 regions together around a shared goal: strengthening the operating conditions for art and culture.Culture Bank operates in the following regions: Kanta-Häme, Kymenlaakso, North Karelia, North Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia, Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme, Satakunta, South Karelia, South Ostrobothnia, South Savo, Southwest Finland, Uusimaa and Åland.– Culture Bank is an excellent example of how regions can work together to create solutions that benefit the entire cultural field. We want Culture Bank to become a nationally recognised service and the first place people think of when looking for artists, cultural professionals or cultural services. A shared service increases the visibility of professionals, makes services easier to find and strengthens the role of culture as part of vibrant municipalities and regions, Lehtinen says.Culture Bank is a free service for both artists and cultural professionals and those commissioning services. The service can be used to find art and cultural services by private individuals, municipalities, educational institutions, wellbeing services counties, associations, companies and other organisations.Culture Bank is managed by the City of Tampere Public Cultural Services.