A survey published by the Finnish Actors Union in September revealed discrimination and racism in the acting industry that is not being recognised and addressed.
Minority actors reported difficulties in entering the industry and working in the profession. Those who responded to the survey also recounted experiencing name-calling, exclusion and bullying.
Additionally, more than half of respondents said that workplaces lacked policies and guidelines to deal with discrimination.
Fourth-year student Senna Vodzogbe, an undergraduate at Tampere University's Department of Theatre Arts, said she was surprised by the wide range of racism and discrimination people still faced in the field. Vodzogbe was born and raised in Finland, but her father is Ghanaian.
"The fact that this has happened in the theatre and in the audiovisual industry in the past is not surprising. But the fact that the same issues are still so strongly present is quite worrying, including for one's own future," Vodzogbe told Yle.
There are still few non-white actors among the performers at the Tampere University Theatre.
"Things are changing gradually, but not by themselves," Pauliina Hulkko, professor of theatre studies at Tampere University, said.
Hulkko added that diversity and equality need to be taken into account in the student selection process, noting that applicants' cultural backgrounds, social classes, and previous places of residence or study are all factors that must be considered.