Tampere folk high school finds new owner after closure threat

Tampere’s Voionmaa Folk High School will continue operations under a new owner after facing closure due to financial difficulties, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The school, previously run by the Sasky education consortium, will now be managed by the Laajasalo Folk High School Foundation. Both parties signed the transfer agreement on Wednesday.

All current study programmes—including film and television production, acting and directing, psychology, and rap music—will continue under the new ownership, along with their staff. The school’s operations will remain in Tampere, with further details to be announced in spring, according to Laajasalo’s principal, Janne Virtanen.

Voionmaa Folk High School, which previously operated for decades in Ylöjärvi before relocating to Tampere University’s central campus, saw a sharp decline in student numbers. In the 2024–2025 academic year, 99 students graduated, but this year’s intake dropped to just 55.

Sasky announced in September that Voionmaa would close after the current academic year due to financial struggles. Shortly after, both Laajasalo and South Ostrobothnia Folk High Schools expressed interest in taking over.