We invited cultural makers, communities and individuals to participate in the European Capital of Culture 2026 cultural programme through the We are the Culture programme call.

There were two ways to apply:

• By proposing your own event as part of the official Oulu2026 programme
• Applying for a targeted grant for their own event 

The aim was to find new factors, content, venues and methods of implementation so that the cultural programme would be as diverse as possible.

We organised workshops open to everyone, where the basic information of the programme search was discussed, the application criteria and the making of the application as well as the questions in the application form were studied. The workshops developed programme ideas so that they would be as accessible and strongly inclusive as possible.

In addition, we organised tailored workshops with various parties, such as work communities, working groups, organisations, volunteers, groups of friends, school classes, housing units and residential homes.  

The workshops either dealt with existing ideas or found new ones.

The main content of the workshops was to familiarise oneself with the application process and the criteria of the application from the perspective of promoting equality. The participants' own programme idea was mirrored through search criteria, which highlight diversity from different perspectives:

• novelty value
• target group
• accessibility
• community and Inclusion
• communication
• European dimension
• topic

Small groups discussed what kind of ideas these criteria evoked, what good tips could be found to meet the criteria, and what kinds of opportunities and/or challenges the criteria could pose to the programme. The most important development needs were also considered in cultural activities that involve the organiser, participant or the public.

Novelty value

The novelty value in the programme search meant that the programme will be implemented for the first time, the programme will have a new theme, new audiences, a new way of working or a location for implementation. From a diversity perspective, it was essential to consider:

• How to find new audiences and participants? 
• Where could the event be held so that it would be accessible to everyone? 
• How could the familiar implementation be changed to allow new audiences to participate? 

Target group

The cultural programme ought to be ‘open to everyone’, but is there someone missing from the audience? What does it really mean that the program is for everyone? How will the programme be communicated so that everyone has the opportunity to participate?

From a diversity perspective, we wanted to strengthen the inclusion of underrepresented groups, i.e. people at risk of discrimination and people belonging to minority groups, in the programme.

• How does the program take into account the diversity of the audience?
• Is the program designed in conjunction with the target group, not for the target group?
• Where will the event take place?
• How are diverse audiences informed about the program in order to reach them? 

The aim was to develop the target groups of the already existing cultural programme, which are not yet very well represented in the cultural programme, such as children, young people, the elderly, people of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds and minority groups.

Topic

We wanted to find diverse topics for the program, because when the program is diverse, the audience is also diverse. You might ask,

• Whose art is art?
• Who performs?
• With whom is the program designed?

Accessibility

The promotion of accessibility is examined from the perspectives of communication and minimizing social and economic barriers. In communication, understanding is expected to be supported with clarity, plain language, language versions and accessibility information. Social barriers were expected to be minimized e.g. Through a culture buddy, autism-friendly services, or a social story. You can read more about the accessibility of cultural events and communication in chapter 8 of the guide.

Inclusion

We hoped that the applicants would design their programme in such a way that the under-represented groups, who would normally experience poor participation as creators or experiencers of culture, would be actors from the time the programme was designed. This is achieved when the programme is not designed for target groups but with target groups. Different people have different needs to participate in culture. You can read more about inclusion in chapter 5 of the guide.

Communications

It is hoped that applicants will have a plan for implementing the communication so that diverse audiences will be informed about the programme. The Accessibility of Communication -checklist can be found in chapter 8 of the guide.

European dimension

As an application criterion, the European dimension answers the question of how to understand one's own event as part of the European Capital of Culture? This can be achieved by considering polyphony and multilingualism, addressing intercultural dialogue or promoting shared values and cultural rights.

The European dimension can relate to, for example, history, human rights, cultural heritage, a topical theme, international anniversaries or collaboration with twin towns.

We also hoped to hear in the applications how European identity inspires creativity and common understanding. Global and non-Western perspectives were welcomed. Locals were also raised to consider how to understand their own locality and their own event as part of the European Capital of Culture.