Laitakaupunki Orchestra was founded in Seinäjoki in 2011 as a pilot project within the Sibelius Academy’s Rytminno initiative, aimed at supporting creative musicianship in South Ostrobothnia. The orchestra brings together professional musicians with diverse backgrounds in jazz, folk, theatre, dance and rhythm-based music, and is rooted in improvisation, composition and collaborative creation. Since 2012, the orchestra has received continuous support from the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, and has operated as an independent association since 2020, in collaboration with key cultural partners in the region.