Creative Triangle

The Creative Triangle project focuses on developing cooperation between creators of art and culture, program and event services, and tourism services. The project aims to foster business activities and enhance regional vitality.

Project Background

Support is needed to promote the growth of art and cultural services, program production, and tourism services, especially in sparsely populated areas. Oulu, along with 39 partner municipalities, will be European Capital of Culture in 2026. This opens new opportunities to develop rural services and to diversify the rural economy. The potential of rural areas in cultural and event tourism has not yet been fully realized. Artists and cultural actors often face fragmented income streams. The project aims to develop a network-based approach and environment to address these challenges.

The Creative Triangle project fosters cooperation between creators of art and culture, program and event services, and tourism services. This, in turn, helps to extend the tourism season by offering cultural experiences alongside tourist attractions.

Project Goals

Collaboration enables longer tourism seasons and more sustained regional vitality. A key goal of the project is to extend the tourism season by offering cultural experiences alongside traditional tourist attractions. The project will design services that combine artistic creation, cultural production, and traditional tourism business, such as accommodation and restaurant services. The project will also enhance joint communication about nature and cultural attractions in the Oulu2026 region.

The project also has an international dimension, utilizing networks and sales portals related to artist residency programs and accommodation services. The goal is to develop collaboration between entrepreneurs, freelancers, arts and cultural associations, residency operators, and tourism businesses, as well as improve staff training and commercial and business competencies. The main executor of the project is the Kerttu Saalasti Institute of the University of Oulu. Co-executors include the Oulu Culture Foundation, Kattilakoski Cultural Cooperative, and Nivala-Haapajärvi Region NIHAK ry. The project area encompasses the municipalities of Northern Ostrobothnia.

What do we do in practice?

· Connect creative industry entrepreneurs and freelancers with program and event services and tourism service providers.

· Help extend the tourism season in Northern Ostrobothnia by offering cultural experiences alongside tourist attractions.

· Organize open training sessions to improve participants’ commercial and business competencies.

· Develop joint communication about nature and cultural attractions in Northern Ostrobothnia.

Main Executor: Kerttu Saalasti Institute, the University of Oulu Co-executors: Oulu Culture Foundation, Kattilakoski Cultural Cooperative, and Nivala-Haapajärvi Region NIHAK ry.