Arts management student: I want to help shape the future of the arts
Years in consulting clarified Oula Hyle’s calling toward arts and culture. In the Arts management master’s programme, the threads of his earlier experiences finally came together: pedagogical skills, people-oriented leadership and business insight help him build bridges between the cultural field and the business world.
Who are you, and can you tell us about your path to the Arts management master’s programme at the Sibelius Academy of Uniarts Helsinki?
I’m Oula Hyle, a second-year student in the Arts management master’s programme. Creativity and a pull toward the arts have been steady forces in my life for a long time. I helped establish a theatre association already in high school, and over the years I’ve taken part in many different arts communities in a wide range of roles.
My background is in adult education, and I have four years of work experience in the consulting world. I’ve worked as a funding specialist for Fashion Finland, the umbrella organisation for Finnish fashion and design, and I’ve worked with funding and internationalisation in several other sectors.
These roles gave me a broad understanding of how the private sector operates, and I learned to speak the language of business. Even though there were many reasons to stay in the field, I realised I wasn’t doing well there. The art projects I worked on in my free time helped me cope with the constant pursuit of economic growth and competition only up to a point. Eventually I decided to take a leap into the unknown and apply to school one more time.
To my surprise, I got into Uniarts Helsinki. My pedagogical approach, understanding of people, consulting skillset and experiences from artistic projects all found a shared rhythm in the Arts management programme. It felt like an “aha” moment. All the previously separate strands finally wove together.
What made you choose the Arts Management master’s programme?
I loved acting and long dreamed of becoming an actor. I also got the chance to try directing and producing and to learn more about the work designers and technicians do. Little by little, a new kind of spark emerged. In addition to acting, I became passionate about building artistic processes and creating the conditions that allow others to realise their ideas.
In my previous studies, I was interested in societal structures and in how communities and organisations form and operate. The same themes appear in this programme’s full name: Arts management, society and creative entrepreneurship.
I wanted a degree that wouldn’t focus only on producing or on one specific art form, but would offer a broader academic understanding of the arts and culture field as a whole, with a strong international dimension.
This degree combines theoretical study, practical skills, international professional networks and the chance to dive deep behind the scenes. It builds a solid foundation for administrative and leadership roles in the arts. I feel like I’m finally able to combine my abilities with my genuine passion for the field.
I’ve followed the state of the arts sector with concern lately, but I hope that with my background and studies I’ll be able to help build new bridges between the cultural field and different sectors of society.
What do you remember most about the admissions process?
It was a three-stage process that began with a motivation essay. I don’t think I’ve ever put that much effort into a written assignment. It’s the first impression the admissions board gets, and it determines whether you move forward. I spent time writing it and asked friends to read it. I wanted to express who I am and what I understand about the programme’s themes.
The head of the programme, Violeta Simjanovska, has said that our class includes students who really let their own voices be heard in the admissions assignments.
The next stage was to create an ecosystem map of an arts organisation of your choice. I chose the Finnish National Theatre and got a great excuse to explore what happens inside a major institution. I interviewed staff members, collected information and built a dataset I felt genuinely proud of.
The third stage was an online interview. The biggest challenge was the limited time. I focused on showing my personality. The atmosphere was warm and humane, and the panel showed genuine interest in getting to know me. A few weeks later, we received the results.
What is expected of students in the Arts management, society and creative entrepreneurship programme?
The community is warm and people-oriented. We are expected to practise verbal communication, explore our own leadership style, and develop both our expertise and the ability to take initiative in a range of roles and organisations.
Multidimensional and critical thinking is important, as well as curiosity about the arts sector and its intersections with society. Collaboration and working together are central.
Strong stamina is also needed. Academic writing plays a big role in learning, and writing essays helps structure your thinking around the phenomena studied in each course.
The first year is very intensive. During the second year, we write our thesis. The studies require strong commitment, and in the beginning there is limited time to work alongside them.
We’re also expected to challenge each other’s ideas and the ideas of our lecturers. Our class consists of people from different backgrounds, each bringing their own perspectives. Debates happen in a safe environment, while still allowing room for shared understanding.
It’s pure luck that this exact group came together. We share similar values. We care about equality and sustainability, and we aim to think and act in anti-racist and anti-colonial ways. We try to stay aware of privileges that shape our work.
I admire my classmates deeply and learn from them constantly. We listen to each other and support each other. There is no competitive atmosphere and no comparing achievements or fighting for attention.
How would you describe your student community?
My experience is that people want to get to know each other and are genuinely interested in what others are doing. As the vice chair of the Student Union, I’ve had the privilege of following the entire community closely.
The student culture at Uniarts Helsinki is different from the University of Helsinki, where I was previously active in student organisations. Traditional student culture is not as prominent here, which was surprising at first.
Even so, we have huge potential to build more community spirit that strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration and benefits the professional field. At the Student Union, we’re exploring ways to build more connections between classes, programmes and campuses.
The Arts management programme could naturally take a stronger role in fostering community, since students from various programmes and from the Open Campus join our courses. Many of the themes we study, such as cultural policy and business skills, are relevant across all art forms. Networks are built here if we make space for them.
What has been the best part of your studies?
The best part has been finally getting to immerse myself in a field I’m genuinely passionate about. I never imagined that lectures and academic reading could feel this exciting.
SibA and Uniarts Helsinki also invest a lot in their students. Study trips to Paris and Norway, visits to Kallio-Kuninkala and many university events have shown me things I never even knew I was missing from university studies.
The professors care about our views and want us to learn. Small class sizes create space for strong peer learning and a sense of community.
In what ways have your studies strengthened your skills and opened new career paths?
Many themes were familiar through my work experience and previous studies, but now I approach them through the lens of arts and culture. I’ve gained a new understanding of the structures and mechanisms of the cultural policy field.
I’ve also worked on projects with Theatre Academy students and taken part in ministerial meetings through the Student Union.
When we started, we were encouraged to “dream fiercely”. At the time, I imagined becoming a theatre director. Now the options feel much broader: expert or research roles in arts organisations and unions, work in arts and culture funding or even positions in the international creative economy.
I recently I co-authored an academic article while working as a research assistant for the Open Campus. Doctoral studies are also an appealing possibility.
Have you been able to take advantage of cross-academy study opportunities?
The Arts management programme naturally provides them. In the Production Lab course, we take on producer roles in projects created by students from other academies. I worked on a choreography student’s dance production and helped produce an event called Waves 25.
There should be more opportunities like this. For example, the university’s joint professional skills courses could provide an easy chance to meet students from other academies.
What are your plans or dreams for after graduation?
My first, slightly naive answer is that I want to work in roles that help the arts sector thrive and strengthen its place in society.
My second dream is to make the performing arts field more international. I would love to bring international performances to Finland and take Finnish theatre abroad.
What advice would you give to future applicants?
Your inner motivation matters. Why do you want to study here, beyond just the title of the degree? Clarify what genuinely inspires you across the arts and culture field.
The skills learned here are extremely relevant to artists’ working lives. This programme trains professionals who manage, lead, resource, facilitate and advocate for the arts. If these roles interest you, you should absolutely apply.
As for succeeding in the admissions process, be honest about why you’re applying and show your personality. One thing I love about the arts field is that there’s room to express who you are. Lean into your uniqueness, which is the extra quality you bring to your expertise. It will take you far, and it will be valued here.