Espoo residents participate actively in cultural events

In the EspooCult research project, Espoo residents’ participation in cultural events was compared to the entire population and residents of other big cities (Helsinki, Tampere, Vantaa, Oulu and Turku). On average, Espoo residents rank among the most active participants in cultural events. However, participation is influenced by factors such as age and mother tongue. There are regional differences as well.

In 2017, Espoo residents went to the cinema, concerts and art exhibitions most frequently.

“Unlike elsewhere in Finland, women and men in Espoo had equally high levels of participation in cultural events, and men aged 15–44 were actually slightly more active than women,” says researcher Sari Karttunen from Cupore Centre for Cultural Policy Research.

There are regional differences in how much Espoo residents participate in cultural activities. For example, residents of Tapiola and Matinkylä go to the cinema, concerts and art exhibitions more frequently than on average. People in northern Espoo go to the theatre a lot. Young people are the most active cinema-goers, and pensioners frequent the theatre. Cultural events were most often attended by highly educated people.

Compared to the rest of Finland, Espoo has fewer people who had not visited any cultural events over the past 12 months. Among Espoo residents, persons with a low level of education and other language groups than Finnish- or Swedish-speakers have the lowest level of attendance in cultural events – one particular group is women from other language groups. The residents of Vanha-Espoo participated in events less frequently than the residents of other major areas in Espoo.

According to the CultureEspoo 2030 programme, all residents must have the opportunity to participate in and enjoy art and culture activities. Espoo aims to remove barriers to participation by, for example, producing free-of-charge activities for various age groups and supporting resident-oriented events all around the city. The results from the EspooCult project provide measured information to support the development of cultural services.

The two-year EspooCult research project studies what kind of a city of culture Espoo is. The project provides solid knowledge for the development of the city. The project was commissioned by the Cultural Unit of the City of Espoo and is implemented by Cupore Centre for Cultural Policy Research. The research project was launched in January 2018. Four Fact Sheets in total will be published over the course of the project. The first Fact Sheet was published on 26 April 2018, the second on 11 December 2018 and the third on 28 May 2019.