The Finnish Cultural Foundation awards 300,000 euros for the launch of a master’s programme in musical theatre
Uniarts Helsinki aims to admit the first students to the degree programme in 2026.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation has awarded Uniarts Helsinki with 300,000 euros in funding for establishing a master’s programme in musical theatre. The new master’s programme will bring together the excellence of two academies at Uniarts Helsinki: Music education of the Sibelius Academy and performing arts education of the Theatre Academy.
“We have dreamed of a joint master’s programme in musical theatre since the founding of Uniarts Helsinki. It’s wonderful that the dream is now becoming a reality thanks to funding from the Finnish Cultural Foundation,” Rector of Uniarts Helsinki Kaarlo Hildén says.
The master’s programme will train performers for musical theatre, and the aim is to admit the first students in spring 2026. The degree requirements of the programme will include studies in singing, dance and acting. The studies are being planned in close cooperation with the Finnish music and theatre field.
“The need for high-quality education in musical theatre has been recognised in Finland for a long time, and so far, it hasn’t been possible to earn a master’s degree in the field in our country. The degree programme is also the only one of its kind in the Nordic countries and therefore a major breakthrough,” CEO of the Finnish Cultural Foundation Susanna Pettersson explains the reasoning for the funding.
The plan is to make the master’s programme bilingual. The languages of degrees and instruction within the programme will be Finnish and Swedish, which will support graduates’ employment in both Finnish- and Swedish-language theatre contexts. Top national and international talents in the field will visit the programme as teachers.
Some of the funding is still pending
The university has sought external funding for the master’s programme from several foundations. The applications are pending, and the overall funding will be clear later this spring. If the funding for the programme ends up being significantly less than what was sought, the programme’s format and scope may need to be adjusted from the original plan.
Preparations for the master’s programme have been possible thanks to long-term support from the Pacius Fund, operating under the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland. Uniarts Helsinki has also received support for setting up the master’s programme from the Waldemar von Frenckell Foundation, which enabled the establishing of a professorship in musical theatre. The five-year professorship was awarded to J. Martina Roos last autumn.
Uniarts Helsinki receives over 600,000 euros in grants
In addition to sponsoring the master’s programme in musical theatre, the Finnish Cultural Foundation awarded 39 grants, totalling 639,500 euros, to individuals and groups at Uniarts Helsinki. Of these grants, 8 are based at the Academy of Fine Arts, 26 at the Sibelius Academy and 5 at the Theatre Academy.
The largest individual grant was awarded to Elisa Seppänen and the Valaan laulu working group, based at the Sibelius Academy. They received 66,000 euros for creating a website aimed at children and young people.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation awarded a total of 831 grants. Once again, a record number of science, art and culture professionals applied for grants in October 2024.