New Grants+ Programme Coordinator Johanna Fredriksson is no stranger to the day-to-day life of a grantee

Johanna Fredriksson started in her position as Programme Coordinator at Kone Foundation in January, with her range of responsibility being the Grants+ programme.

Johanna has created a long career for herself in the cultural world. She has studied cultural management at a University of Applied Sciences and arts management at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. Before Kone Foundation, she worked at the Development of Museum Sector unit of the Finnish Heritage Agency, coordinating the “MOI! Museums of Impact” project funded by EU’s Creative Europe program. The project worked on a self-evaluation model for European museums, which allows them to reflect on their social impact and its development.

“The model served as a low-hierarchy discussion tool, which is not quite a given in many European countries.”

Before this, Fredriksson has worked in the free art’s field in various working groups and associations. She has coordinated projects, organized events and worked closely with artists’ productions.

“Since the art field is heavily dependent on grants and project-work, I have gained a lot of experience in applying for grants and working on projects. In that way, the everyday life of a grantee is very familiar to me. Through the Grants+ programme, I hope to be able to help improve the working conditions of grantees.”

Three questions to the Programme Coordinator

What has it been like to work at Kone Foundation so far?
Working at Kone Foundation has felt great. Everyone here is so friendly and seems to care a lot about all the grant applicants and recipients. More care is needed everywhere!

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I do very little during winter, I mainly dream of slow trips and wait for spring. In summer and autumn, I spend my free time in the archipelago of Turunmaa, where I am also from. It’s nice to get to do all kinds of things in Korppoo, I at least try to have time to make some apple cider or apple cider vinegar.

Which pastry would you be?
Pastries are usually associated with well-known people that I don’t necessarily want to identify with. But if I were a pastry, I would at least have cream and maybe chocolate too in me. Chocolate helps in getting through the winter anyway, so I recommend it to everyone who struggles with winter.