Helsinki Cultural Act award goes to Hänninen

The City of Helsinki’s 2024 Cultural Act award has been awarded on Friday to Heidi Hänninen for her activities in KAS! Kontula Art School, said an official press release.

The amount of the award is EUR 5,000.

Helsinki residents were given the opportunity to propose the 2024 Cultural Act between 29 October and 10 November 2024.

The authority received 291 nominations, which proposed a total of 70 different acts.

The awarding ceremony took place at the Kontula Library. The final decision on the winner was made by the Culture and Library Sub-Committee of the City of Helsinki’s Culture and Leisure Committee.

Founded by community artist Heidi Hänninen, KAS! Kontula Art School offers free low-threshold street art activities for young people and adults, and the murals and street art they have created have enlivened the public spaces of Kontula and its surroundings and strengthened the distinctive identity of the area.

In its award criteria, the Culture and Library Sub-Committee considered the project to be a model of how a grassroots project can change entire neighbourhoods in a positive direction by creating a more attractive environment and even by increasing people’s sense of security in the area.

KAS! Kontula Art School’s activities are based on the idea that every individual – including those in difficult life situations due to substance abuse or mental health problems – is welcome to engage in the goal-oriented and collaborative art activities.

The project’s way of supporting the inclusion of children and young people was considered particularly valuable.

The City of Helsinki has been granting Cultural Act awards since 2009.