Significant progress was made in youth work in the 1970s. Until then, the Youth Committee had mainly activated political youth organisations by handing out subsidies. The spark came from a youth agency under the Youth Committee that began supporting young people who were not members of any association. The Youth Act, which entered into force in 1972, increased the state share of the municipalities. Multiplying the budget made it possible to build new youth centres and hire staff.

When there was more staff, we were able to meet the youth in a different way. The young people dared to come to the youth office, and what I remember best are these band boys, who walked into the office, you could say, almost weekly, that very rarely other things were discussed in the office then. Mainly these band spaces were the ones that kept us occupied back then. – Paula Kariniemi, a veteran of youth work in Oulu

Official youth work was solidified in the 1980s, and young people’s views were incorporated into it. The organisation of events for young people on a voluntary basis, which began in the 1970s, had been found to be a good thing and, by the 90s, events were being planned especially with young people’s views in mind. Music continued to grow as a hobby, and the weekends at Santaholma youth centre were dedicated to band activities.

Of course, we sometimes went to check out these band spaces, to see what the atmosphere was like and whether the places were clean and in order. We were once visiting one youth centre and felt that everything wasn’t in order in that band space, and wondered what this thing really was, and searched and looked at the cabinets, and finally noticed, that there was hooch fermenting inside the drums. – Paula Kariniemi, a veteran of youth work in Oulu

In 1992, the renovated NuKu Youth and Culture Centre was opened in the city centre, having been renovated from the premises of the old town hall and police station, and was intended for all Oulu residents.

At the turn of the millennium, young people took over the weekends at NuKu and music was now being blasted out in the multipurpose hall. The disco events attracted young people, and the usage rate in the evenings was at maximum capacity.

There were all sorts of events arranged there, and several entrepreneurs were running the operations. They were quite popular, with queues stretching outside and a steady stream of visitors for a long time. – Paula Kariniemi, a veteran of youth work in Oulu

Hip hop landed in the white Nordic city, and now there were breakdancers who sprayed their hats with silicone spray. The most prominent national hip-hop artists came to showcase the new style of music. The first wave of the Oulu rap scene found its audience in a party that was like a fever dream.

In 2008, the youth services moved from NuKu to Byström House in the same neighbourhood, and NuKu became Cultural Centre Valve. The youth services have been renting training spaces for beginner players in Oulu since the 1970s, with no end in sight. In addition to the training spaces, there are free-to-use band rooms with musical instruments and a studio at Maikkula Youth Centre.

Cultural Centre Valve continues as a professional venue for wide-ranging performance arts.

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Sources:

Kariniemi, Paula, a veteran of youth work. Telephone interview 11.3.2024, interviewer Esa Nissi.

Ryynänen, Lassi-Pekka, NUORILLE TILAA JA TOIMINTAA, Oululaisen nuorisotyön kehitys 1947–1997 Master's thesis 2016, University of Oulu, Historical Sciences

Nuoperi, Oulu – Ei ollenkaan paska kaupunki: https://issuu.com/nuoperi/docs/nuorisoohjattuja\_savelia

Huoviala, Tinja, Muistatko legendaariset Nukun diskot? Kaleva 14.11.2023.

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Photo: Jarmo Kontiainen, Kaleva archive. Street dance show at Valve on 30.5.2008

Video: Stepa, Oulu Anthem (Official Music Video), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rov4i2yZMSM