About Us
Oulu Underground ry is a non-profit organization founded in May 2025 and based in Oulu, Finland. While our journey began in the local electronic music scene, we support and advocate for all subcultural actors who share our commitment to mutual respect, safer spaces, and co-operation over competition.
We act as a collaborative hub, providing the digital infrastructure, professional training, and networks needed to empower Oulu’s grassroots talent. By offering these shared resources, we aim to build a cultural ecosystem that is high-quality, safe, and accessible for the entire community.
Our Impact
We believe in professionalizing the underground without losing its soul. Our work focuses on fostering responsible, community-led practices:
- Safety Trainings: In fall 2025, joint safer space training sessions were organized to raise the bar for safety standards within local subcultures and establish a foundation for further development.
- Community Care: In the HUG Halloween 10th Anniversary rave, a multi-professional community care team (Hyvinvointitiimi) was successfully piloted to proactively manage mental and physical risks in an invite-only, underground setting.
- Roadmap 2026: Alongside partners, we are scaling these initiatives into a permanent change. This work supports our Subculture Capital (AKPK) campaign, celebrating responsible grassroots culture during 2026.
- Digital Self-Reliance: We adopt, provide, and develop communal tools led by community needs – such as event calendars and communication platforms – to help organizers coordinate effectively and avoid scheduling conflicts. Members access project management tools, publishing platforms, and @oulu.ug email.
- Empowering Creators: We lower the threshold for content creation by offering technical support, marketing assistance, and hosting for portfolios and press kits.
Our Values
Our actions are guided by our commitment to the community. They are reviewed and updated annually by our members at the general meeting to stay aligned with the community we serve.
- Working together: We foster active co-operation between diverse subcultures to build a supportive local scene while championing creative autonomy and the do-it-yourself ethos.
- Equality & Respect: We promote the fair and respectful treatment of everyone involved, ensuring a welcoming environment regardless of background.
- Accessibility: We raise awareness of diverse needs and provide clear accessibility information, ensuring everyone can plan their participation with confidence.
- Safer Spaces: We move beyond theory by implementing safer space principles and developing practical protocols to elevate safety standards across the scene.
- Innovation & Privacy: We stay open to new ways to improve our community and build our IT infrastructure on free and open-source solutions, prioritizing transparency and self-ownership of personal data.