In the centre of Brussels, on Rue de Luxembourg number twenty to be exact, floats a Finnish flag. This flag with a blue cross on a white background attracts the attention of both the Finns themselves as of people from other countries in the buzz of the European capital. Under the flag, you can dive into a narrow but high space through an iron door. The street level of the building hosts the cafeteria of the Finnish Seamen’s Church and The Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux is located on the fourth floor.
The office of the Institute is open Mondays through Fridays 10 am-4 pm and we wish everybody welcome to visit us. We can help you in six languages: in Finnish, Swedish, English, French, Dutch and German. You can take a break in our culture-tuned atmosphere by reading Helsingin Sanomat or by checking our brochures about Finland or the treasures of our library.
The Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux offers professional knowledge on cultural matters for all interested sources. The institute is involved in coming up with new ideas, organizing and sponsoring various events introducing Finnish culture in the Benelux countries. ”The role of the Institute is to find good contacts and various fora in Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxemburg for the Finnish cultural professionals and to make Finnish culture more known in these countries”, says Director of the Institute, Kalle Jämsén. ”In addition, our goal is to gain more visibility in the local media and that way to reach the great public”, Jämsén continues. The Institute aims at creating a foundation for permanent cultural exchange and activities between Finland and the Benelux countries with various efforts for the arts and culture. Currently, music, literature and dance art are very strongly presented in the cultural repertoire of the Institute. New ideas or initiatives are always welcome.
The staff of the Benelux Institute consists of three permanent members and a few Finnish trainees helping out in various projects. Kalle Jämsén is the Director of the Institute since the past three years. His own specialization area is music. In 1981, he graduated with an MA Degree from the University of Helsinki majoring in Musicology. Most of his career Kalle has worked with the most recognized names of the musical field. He has worked, for example, as the Communication Manager of Teosto (Finnish Composers’ Copyright Society) and as the Executive Director of Konserttikeskus ry (Concert Centre in Finland). In his leisure moments, he enjoys playing guitar as well as golf. You can spot Kalle, for example, playing in one of the Finland-related events somewhere in Brussels.
Riikka Thitz is responsible for the cultural and communication matters of the Benelux Institute. Riikka has a BA Degree from the University of Helsinki and also a double MA Degree on Cultural Research from the University of Göttingen in Germany and the University of Groningen in The Netherlands. The career of Riikka started out as a trainee of the Institute after which she was offered to stay within the Institute. Riikka’s interests consist of yoga, traveling and cultural events.
The finances and administration of the Institute are taken care of by Kata Kotka. Kata has been working for the Institute already for eight years and she is still feeling very much at home. Kata and Riikka also both speak Dutch. Currently the Institute also hosts two trainees: Mariann Hilli is a student of Åbo Akademi in Finland and was sent by the Svenska Kulturfonden (Swedish Cultural Foundation) to Brussels and Aleksandra Silén recently graduated from the University of Tampere and she was sent to Brussels by CIMO (Centre for International Mobility).
The Institute has clear and informative web pages where you can find information on the upcoming activities and cultural events. A handy way of keeping up-to-date on the current events is to join the mailing list of the Institute when you will receive a newsletter in English via email. The newsletter appears once a month and consists of a compact information package on various tips on the Finnish cultural activities in the Benelux countries. In addition, you can find the profile of the Institute in Facebook and Twitter and it is constantly updated. You can also contact the Institute via email or by telephone.
The Finnish Cultural Institute for Benelux
Rue du Luxembourg, 20
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel. +32 2 513 0941, fax +32 2 513 1241, info@finncult.be
You can subscribe to the newsletter of the Institute in English by filling in the order form at: www.finncult.be/newsletter
