Kolibrí, probably the most multicultural children's cultural festival in the Nordic countries, produced by the Kulttuurikeskus Ninho, is loved by families from babies to grandparents. The annual event is the association's showcase for the general public. Behind the scenes, the Ninho team promotes diverse and multilingual children's culture in Finland through art, science, literature, and advocacy.
Ninho was founded in 2016 by Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking communities in the capital region who wanted to actively promote their heritage language and support their children. New members joined later, artists, educators, and activists. In addition to children's culture and diversity, common interests included building safe spaces for families and communities to meet.
Ninho's work supports immigrants raising multilingual children, with a particular focus on Spanish and Portuguese-speaking communities. Ibero-American outreach is important to the organisation, but not exclusive. In recent years, the organisation has been active not only in the capital region but also in other parts of Finland, and with the funding it has raised, it aims to expand its activities to new areas around the country.
We interviewed the Ninho team, which included Executive Producer Laura Gazzotti, Office Manager Núria Rovira Martí, Communications Manager Marta Bermúdez, Treasurer Andrea Botero and Chair of the Board Javier Gauto, who also leads the Ministry of Employment and the Economy-funded Kumppanuudessa project at Moniheli.
"Ninho is more than an association! It is a dynamic community of families where generations meet. Together we want to build a brighter future for the next generation. Our goal is to bring together Finnish and non-Finnish artists, cultural activists, researchers, and children's culture workers to work together to build multilingual and intergenerational cultural experiences", the team summarises.
"Our priority is to create a powerful sense of community and a sense of belonging among our members and participants in the events we organise, such as Kolibrí Festival, Lukupesä and the Picnic."
A growing language community
Ninho organises around 200 events a year and also works in partnership with institutions working in the field of children's culture, such as libraries. One of the aims is to increase the availability of picture books and other works for children in Spanish and Portuguese in Finland. Ninho also runs a joint forum and exchange programme for professional artists, cultural workers, and researchers.
"Based on global education and artistic expression, we aim to create spaces for learning, togetherness, and dialogue, promoting families' active participation in Finnish society," the team says.
The Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking communities in Finland now number around 15,000 people. In recent years, the number of members of language communities in Finland has increased significantly. However, the strongest growth of language communities in Finland was in the 2010s
As an organisation, Ninho is aiming for financial stability, with the aim of increasing staff numbers. The number of members and volunteers is also increasing. Last autumn's Kolibrí Festival, for example, had as many as 60 volunteers.
This year, Ninho will focus in particular on building an inclusive community that actively combats prejudice and discrimination. Activities will also be extended to other language communities. Find out how you can support Ninho's work and mission in separate ways.
"Last year, we launched an open call for artists and teachers, with a particular focus on Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Kurdish, and Ukrainian. Lukupesä project has created many storytelling workshops and training in heritage languages other than Spanish and Portuguese."
Kolibrí Festival is a children's favourite
Ninho was launched as a continuation of the Kolibrí Festival, which was founded in 2011. Held every autumn in the capital region, it is an artistic, multicultural, and free festival for the whole family, and Ninho's beloved flagship.
What started out as an event for just a few dozen people has now grown to reach thousands of visitors. The festival aims to make a positive contribution to children's well-being, creativity, and development, and to increase people's sense of belonging.
"We want children to enjoy their minority language heritage and to understand that the language is not a secret language used only at home. It means a lot for their identity development and increases their awareness that it is great to be multilingual, to appreciate and celebrate it and multiculturalism. They are the present and the future of Finnish society."”
Kolibrí has a different theme each year. Last year it was "The Art of Hospitality". The festival featured a number of international guests and a diverse range of artists from diverse backgrounds.
"We curated a programme with 17 different languages. More than 30 languages were spoken during our festival", says the Ninho team.
Kolibrí is supported by both local and Latin American institutions, including Latin American embassies. In 2020, the Spanish government awarded the festival a medal of merit for its cultural and linguistic promotion work.
In the coming days, the annual open call for applications for Kolibrí 2024 will be launched. Ninho invites artists living in Finland to submit their artistic proposals and participate in the festival events. For the 13th time, there will be a week of workshops, concerts, exhibitions, and entertainment without language barriers.
MAYA award is a boost
Last Independence Day, Ninho was awarded the MAYA Award as Moniheli’s 2023 Member Association of the Year. The MAYA award recognises Moniheli’s active member organisations that have contributed to Finnish society.
"For the team, winning this award is like a pat on the back, a recognition that we are on the right track. It means a lot to us; it is like a big thumbs up for all the challenging work we have done. It's a thank you from the immigrant community of multicultural associations, which says: "Hey, you are doing something great and better for everyone in this society, for the present and for the future"."
"Winning the award puts Ninho in the spotlight. It is a boost that will help us to do more visible and impactful work for the community. More people may notice us, want to support us, and even collaborate with us."
