TUTL gets no allocation in 2027 budget proposal

The Faroese music association TUTL has no funding allocated in the government’s 2027 budget proposal, despite receiving 500,000 kroner in each of the past two years. The figures were reported by Faroese public broadcaster KVF.

TUTL is described in the proposal as a fundamental part of the infrastructure for the Faroese music industry. The funding supports its work promoting Faroese music abroad and is administered under a set of rules.

Director Kristian Blak said the funding had given TUTL the confidence to expand its international work. The association has been able to hire more staff and attend more trade fairs around the world, he said, adding that the events also help it build networks.

“If we stop going, we’ll be forgotten within one or two seasons,” Blak said. Without funding, TUTL would have to change its plans. The association has recently hired someone to handle more international events, but may have to scale that work back, he said.

TUTL is also a music shop on Áarvegur in Tórshavn. Blak said it serves as a kind of office for Faroese music, where people can see, buy and listen to the music and get information from staff. Travelling to Japan would be a significant financial challenge, he said, while TUTL currently has no contacts in China.