Brief presentation of Kotka's cultural services. Purpose, impact, direction of travel

1. Culture in
Kotka
What & Who is it for?

2. Purpose
Cultural services create value for
citizens of Kotka and tourists

3. The Structure
• Libraries (3)
• Kymenlaakso museum (local history)
co-hosted at Merikeskus Vellamo with
National Maritime Museum
• Grants budget
• Annual maritime festival
• Spaces: Vellamo, Concert Hall, 2
theaters
• KymiSinfonietta, City theatre

4. What is Kotka known for?
• Maritime Festival (Kotkan Meripäivät)
• Vellamo museum
• Emperor’s fishing lodge, Kymi castle
• Music, especially popular & jazz
• Film commission
• Sinfonietta orchestra
• Sculpture promenade & parks
• Theatre with specific outreach for youth
• Nature (esp. River Kymi)
• Sports (football, basketball)

5. In Figures
• Cultural services boasts 800 000 annual users
(city pop 55 000)
• Citizen survey rated Library services,
Kymenlaakso museum, Maritime festival,
theatre and sinfonietta orchestra as top
services amongst all services that the city
offers
• Total budget of 6.5M euros (exc. theatre and
symphony orchestra)
• Attracts external funding from private sector
and government c. 500 000 p.a

6. Scorecard
Finance Audience Internal & External
Are we keeping the
balance?
Level of funding
from external
sources
How much
audience?
In targeted events –
did we reach who we
targeted?
Do citizens like our
services?
Are we travelling in
the right direction?
Do we like the
direction?
Are we operating in an
open and fair way?
Are we doing the right thing and are we measuring it?

7. Direction of travel
• Supporting new innovations – urban
events
• Continue to focus on audiences & users
• Visual Arts programme with an open
process
• Improvements in communications,
marketing and branding
• Make culture an essential part of old
port development and city strategy
2018 - 2023.