Every child has the right to art and culture.

20.11.2025 | Today we celebrate Children’s Rights Day.
In addition, this week marks Children’s Rights Week, which this year has the theme “The Child’s Right to Belong”. The theme carries a double meaning: children have the right to belong and connect to their communities and society, and they also have the right not only to be seen, but to be heard.

Kotka, a UNICEF Child-Friendly City, celebrates the week by publishing reflections and thoughts from the city’s leadership and various departments on children’s rights and the work of creating a child-friendly city. The fourth article in this series features the Kotka Children’s Culture Centre Laivuri.

*”Kotka Children’s Culture Centre Laivuri offers diverse and free cultural experiences while promoting children’s right to art and culture. Its operations follow the quality criteria set by the Finnish Children’s Culture Association and support the principles of child-friendliness.

The centre’s services are free of charge, enabling all children to participate regardless of their family’s financial situation. Accessibility is continuously improved, for example by enhancing accessibility in the old protected building and bringing culture to different neighborhoods.

The centre reaches 90,000–130,000 customer interactions annually. This represents a significant proportion of the region’s children and families. The number of interactions indicates that children engage with culture more than once a year.

Weekly clubs, such as the Farsi language club, multidisciplinary arts groups, animation club, and theatre club, give children opportunities to develop their creativity and participate in cultural activities.

The centre offers children and young people opportunities to engage in diverse cultural activities and have an influence on them. Through clubs and workshops, they can express themselves and be an active part of the community.

The centre actively collaborates with local cultural institutions, such as the Kotka City Theatre and Kymi Sinfonietta, enriching children’s cultural experiences and strengthening community.

The cultural education programme Kulttuuripolku (Culture Path) provides children and young people with a comprehensive cultural education experience, from preschoolers to ninth graders. The programme includes visits to art institutions and artist-led workshops. Free public transport during the school day supports participation.

Kotka also hosts large public events. Events such as Children’s Sea Days and Children’s Culture Weeks bring culture closer to thousands of children and families.

Collaboration with local cultural institutions enriches the area’s cultural offerings and enhances cultural experiences for children and families.

Cross-sector collaboration is extensive. The activities are flexible and multidisciplinary, making it easy for different actors to work together.

Overall, Kotka Children’s Culture Centre Laivuri works daily to promote equal opportunities for participation by providing high-quality cultural services and strengthening children’s engagement and well-being in Kotka.”