EN/ BIG PICTURE PROJECT

ISO KUVA project for Finnish visual arts education aims to unite and develop the field

The ISO KUVA (Big Picture) project maps out the current state of Finnish visual arts education, future cooperation and the vision of visual arts education from the perspectives of the different actors in the field. The training and development project is a strategic collaboration aiming to improve the visibility, impact and social status of visual arts education.
The aim of the project is to increase cooperation between different actors in visual arts education as well as strengthen its position in the Finnish education system and in the debate on values in society.
The staff training of the teaching staff is funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education. Some of the project’s webinars are included in the programme of the Year of Research-Based Knowledge 2021.

Project leaders:

Finnish Association of Art Schools
Acting Executive Director, MA (Art and Design), MFA Eliisa Sorvali
President, Principal, Arts, Architecture and Crafts School Emil, Visual Arts Lecturer, MA (Education) Johanna Kivioja

The main partner:

Visual Art Teacher Association KUVIS RY
Executive Director, MA Erja Väyrynen

Project partners and members of the steering group:

Aalto University, Department of Art
Professor of Art Pedagogy, PhD Anniina Suominen
DA (Art and Design) Tiina Pusa, Senior University Lecturer of Art Education

University of Lapland, Faculty of Art and Design
Professor, DA (Art and Design) Mirja Hiltunen
University Lecturer, University Teacher, MA (Art and Design) Marjo Pernu

Uniarts Helsinki, Academy of Fine Arts
Vice Dean, Docent Johanna Vakkari
Project Manager of the national vision work on art education and training, MA (Art and Design), MFA Katriina Rosavaara

Partners also include InSEA Finland (International Society for Education through Art) and the Observatory for Arts and Cultural Education, Finland.

Webinars in 2021

Schedule for the webinars in 2021

The ISO KUVA project will organise four training sessions in 2021. The training sessions will be conducted as webinars via the Zoom web application. Participation in the training sessions is free of charge. The webinars will cover the topics “Now and in the Future”, “Diverse Cooperations of the Art Education”, “Turning point of Art Education and Pedagogy” and “Utopias and Dystopias of Art Education”.


The training sessions are aimed at staff, students and anyone interested in the field of art education. The sessions include topical and diverse lectures, presentations, participatory discussions and workshops, as well as arts and culture programmes. The project’s webinars will feature key experts in the field of visual arts education.

The project website www.isokuva.net features current news and blog posts from partners (in Finnish). The “Webinaarit 2021” section of the website will be updated with current information on webinar programmes and registrations.