A record number of artists, 1319, responded to the barometer survey in autumn 2022. The Arts and Culture Barometer is conducted annually by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) together with the Foundation for Cultural Policy Research (Cupore) with the purpose of monitoring the views of artists regarding current issues. The theme of the 2022 barometer was the occupational wellbeing of artists, which has been studied relatively little in Finland in previous years.
Almost all of the artists who responded to the barometer survey felt that they were doing meaningful work and that their art had something to give also to others. However, the occupational wellbeing of artists was undermined by the uncertainty and lack of income, competition over grants, the burden of applying for grants, and unpaid work.
The resulting stress is manifested in artists’ concern about their ability to cope. Over half of artists are concerned about their ability to cope mentally. Among artists under the age of 35, the majority felt concerned about their ability to cope mentally always or quite often.
The report can be downloaded in PDF format from the Cupore and Taike websites.