A study that explores interpretations of the provision in the Finnish constitution that states: 'The freedom of art is guaranteed'.
As a constitutional obligation for positive state actions, freedom of art obligates the state to have and develop different forms of direct and indirect support to art and artists, although it does not establish a subjective right for grants to anyone. The freedom of art is the constitutional cornerstone of the development process of grantmaking.
The study shows that the constitutional provision of freedom of art has been very rarely, if at all, mentioned in the main documents of Finnish cultural politics. The researcher, Pauli Rautiainen, argues that this is unfortunate, as actors in the field of cultural politics are not utilizing their strongest legal argument.
The English abstract of the full working paper (no. 33, which is in Finnish), can be downloaded from the list of 'latest publications' at the Arts Council's Research Unit web page, linked to below.