The University of Oulu, together with the Kattilakoski Cultural Cooperative, the Oulu Culture Foundation and NIHAK ry, has launched the Creative Triangle project to promote the creative industries in view of the CoC2026 year and its legacy. The project focuses in particular on extending the cultural tourism season in North Ostrobothnia, so that there are enough events and places to visit all year round. Currently, in many municipalities, cultural activities and events are concentrated in summer or winter. At other times of the year, there are less events and the number of tourists decreases.
Of course, there is also cultural life outside of Midsummer and Christmas. The Creative Triangle project will also run pilots outside the busiest tourist season, where artists, programme service providers and tourism and hospitality operators can work together to develop new ways of enjoying off-season culture - including our diverse food scene in the area!
Northern Finland has four seasons, which is widely recognised as a tourist asset. So why should all concerts take place in June or July? Can you enjoy art and local food in November? Is there a cultural scene in January? These are all questions that the Creative Triangle is trying to answer through pilot projects. The aim is for the pilots to become permanent models for year-round cultural tourism in different municipalities.
Cooperation between different actors can lead to better earning opportunities, longer seasons and more vibrant regions. The aim is to create a year-round cultural tourism in the North Ostrobothnia that offers great experiences in autumn, winter and spring, not forgetting summer. The Capital of Culture year is an unique opportunity to showcase the diverse cultural offer of Northern Ostrobothnia and to create something wonderful, new and amazing for the whole region, all year round.
Creative Triangle - a trinity of art and culture, programme service companies and tourism services - forms an economic ecosystem whose development consolidates the economic activities of all parties and increase regional vitality. Support is needed to promote the growth of cultural tourism operators, especially in sparsely populated areas. The Creative Triangle project develops a network approach and environment to address this problem.
Author: Markus Rytinki, PhD, Project Manager, Creative Triangle Project, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, University of Oulu, MicroENTRE Microentrepreneurship Research Group
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