As a Grafia member, you are entitled to all of Grafia’s membership benefits. Actual members and junior members are entitled to all the same benefits. Members-only site As a member of Grafia, you have access to Grafia’s members-only site. At the members-only site, you find out about your membership benefits, gain access to Grafia members’ calendar and find the members own blog. Members can publish their own articles on the members’ blog and add event tips on the members’ calendar. From the members-only site, you can also join Grafia members’ private Grafialaiset Facebook group, a dedicated group for discussions and networking among the members. Profile on the Creators site Grafia members have an opportunity to create their own profile on the Grafia Creators site. The Creators site is a meeting place for visual communication professionals and customers. The service presents Grafia’s members from illustrators to advertising designers and from digital media specialists to graphic designers. On the site, you can search for professionals by name or by area of expertise. Handbook for visual communication creators As part of the members’ package, Grafia members receive a free copy of Heikki Jokinen’s book Työnä kuva: visuaalisen viestinnän tekijän opas (2021). The handbook is an up-to-date, practical book for visual communication creators – graphic designers, illustrators and cartoonists. The book covers various issues freelancers and entrepreneurs often face: copyrights, choosing a company form, pricing your work, reaching an agreement on work, taxation, the principles of pensions and social security as well as grants and applying for them. Members can also buy the handbook at a discounted price from Grafia’s online shop. Grafia magazine Grafia members receive the Grafia magazine delivered to their home free of charge. The Grafia magazine is the voice of the visual communication industry. The award-winning cultural magazine provides a comprehensive background for the phenomena of visual communication and creative design and tells about the creators in the sector and their work. The magazine is distributed both to the membership and to a wide range of Grafia’s interest groups. The Grafia magazine is published twice a year. Weekly newsletter Members receive a weekly Grafia newsletter by email. The newsletter contains up-to-date information about Grafia and industry activities and events in general. Members also receive invitations to events and openings organised by Grafia. Professional advice and legal assistance Grafia members are entitled to receive advice on copyright and contractual matters as well as professional assistance. Longer-term assistance is available through Grafia’s annual mentoring programme. If necessary, members are also entitled to the services of a lawyer (3 hours, value approx. €630). Mentoring Grafia members can apply to join Grafia’s annual mentoring programme. The programme has been organised every year since 2020 and supports the professional development of and sense of community among Grafia’s members. The mentoring lasts for six months, from the end of the year to the beginning of the following summer. The programme starts in September with a mentor search, and mentee applications are invited in October. The mentoring partners have a kick-off meeting, an intermediate meeting as well as a final meeting in the summer. In addition to these, the mentoring partners agree to meet one another three to four times. The mentoring programme is led by Virpi Haavisto, the founder of Avantage and the Creative Director Forum. Virpi is a solution-focused coach for individuals and teams, specialising in facilitating the work of creative professionals. Grafia’s grants Grafia organises two grant calls per year. The March call for applications is open for the month of March each year. The summer’s call for applications runs every year from the end of June until the end of August. Grafia awards both project grants and working grants in each call for applications. In addition to these, Grafia members are also eligible for training and article grants. The training grants can be awarded to one applicant only once a year (max. €200). The training grant is available for training that develops and maintains professional skills. Member training and events Grafia members can participate in training courses at member prices. Grafia organises various topical training courses throughout the year as remote and face-to-face training. Members can also express their wishes for future training courses. You can take a look at the current training courses on offer in Grafia’s online shop. Members can also apply for a separate training grant from Grafia. However, the training grant cannot be used for Grafia’s own training courses. There are also free events for members every year, such as the Wellness Afternoon in June and the Grafia’s Christmas party towards the end of the year. Grafia members also receive discounts on events organised by Grafia’s partners, such as the Visualizing Knowledge seminars. Membership card benefits As a member of Grafia, you receive an electronic membership card. Your membership card offers you the following benefits: Corellia -20% discount on the training courses in the public training calendar Design Museum Entry ticket €5 (normal price €15) Finnish Design Shop -10% discount Papershop -10% discount in the Fredrikinkatu shop (does not apply to bespoke products, stamps, gift cards or online shop) Polku Hotel -20% discount on all reservations, -50% discount if you stay at least 3 nights off-peak on weekdays Art materials and supplies store -20% discount Kunsthalle Helsinki Annual pass €18 (normal price €35), Single ticket €10 (normal price €18) Tempera -15% discount Turku Art Museum Annual ticket €20 (normal price €25) Ukko.fi -20% discount off the service fee for UKKO.fi invoicing service UKKO Pro -10% discount on accounting for a sole trader. Discount on Vuoden Huiput competition fee (freelancer) Grafia members receive a discount on the Vuoden Huiput competition fee for freelance work. The discounted price for Grafia members is €50 + VAT. 24%/work. Discounted ticket to Huiput Creative Festival Members can buy a ticket to Grafia’s top creative design event, the Huiput Creative Festival at a discounted price. Särö Association’s Oder residence in Germany Särö Association’s residence in Frankfurt Oder in Germany is also available to Grafia members. Grafia members can choose the desired period from the available dates and apply to Grafia for a residency grant with a motivation letter. The submitted applications are considered once a month at a board meeting. Grafia’s residency grant for a 2-week period: Single room €150 / double room €200 Check out the residence and the price list. Are you a member already?If you are already a member of Grafia and are looking for more information about your membership benefits, you can find out more on the members-only site.