Manager of Cultural Services: Multicultural culture events make sure Espoo is for everyone

Multicultural events in Espoo promote cultural sustainability by giving visibility to different languages, traditions, and cultures. Our events are special thanks to their intercultural nature. They offer a space for encounters where the residents of Espoo can learn from each other, have discussions, and form mutual understanding.

The purpose of culture is to offer glimpses into the core of humanity through experiences. When two cultures converge, there is a good chance they will come together as a new, third culture: a concrete output that can come out in music, art, design, and identity formation, among many other things. Therefore, the third culture forms a bridge between different cultures and people, enabling new kinds of understanding, creative expression, and cultural innovation. We don’t want to lose the opportunity for this exchange.

Our events offer residents opportunities to be seen - through their own language, background, and skills. This is how we form a shared identity as the people of Espoo. When cultural heritage is recognised as part of the life here, this strengthens trust in society. Integration shouldn’t mean having to give up your background but rather be an opportunity to become a fully functioning member of society.

Loneliness and exclusion are not challenges that only those who moved here from elsewhere face - they also affect long-term residents. A familiar and fun event gives you a reason to get out, meet others, and find your community. Participation, joy, and meaningful experiences strengthen the sense of belonging and thus improve the quality of life. The city belongs to everyone but only once everyone has been given the opportunity to be included. The benefits extend throughout the entire city with decreasing social exclusion and easier integration.

Multicultural events offer the majority population more awareness about different languages, customs, and culture. Music, food, art, and discussions open doors to the lives of other people and dismantle prejudices. Meeting people face to face turns the unknown into familiar and makes diversity more understandable.

For this reason, it’s better to not look at the events as isolated moments, but as long-term work on wellbeing, innovation, and inclusion. Cooperation between the city, organisations, artists, and NGOs also reaches people who are not always within the reach of traditional services. The impact of the events is not evaluated just through the number of participants but through whether they help form new networks, create continued participation, and strengthen the sense of belonging in Espoo.

Putting effort into organising multicultural culture events is an investment in the city’s social sustainability. They create trust, dialogue and inclusion, all building blocks of a harmonious society. Espoo becomes stronger when every one of its residents has the possibility to participate and diversity is seen as a shared resource. Espoo is everyone’s home.

Leena Hoppania
Manager of Cultural Services
Event and Cultural Services