Note: No longer in repertoire!

Showtimes:

Tue 8.8. premiere at 18.30, studio Pasila
Thu 10 Aug at 6.30 pm, studio Pasila
Fri 11/8 at 18:30, studio Pasila
Sat 12/8 at 3 pm and 6.30 pm, Studio Pasila
Mon 14 August at 6.30 pm, studio Pasila

Note. The show has flashing lights.
Discussion: Physicists and puppeteers from Cornell University

On Monday 14 August, after the performance, a discussion will be held. The discussion will be attended by director Aati Hanikka, dramaturg Iiris Syrjä, sound designer-musician Valtteri Alanen, and physicists Anna Barth and Kemper Ludlow from Cornell University. The moderator is Suvi Tuominen, the curator of the Contemporary Performance stage. The discussion will be held in English.

Performance times:

Tue Aug 8th Premiere at 6.30 pm at studio Pasila
Thu Aug 10th at 6.30 pm at studio Pasila
Fri Aug 11th at 6.30 pm at studio Pasila
Sat Aug 12th at 3 pm and 6.30 pm at studio Pasila
Mon Aug 14th at 6.30 pm at studio Pasila

Note: The performance has flickering lights.
Duration: approx. 1h
Post-performance discussion with physicists Mon 14th of Aug

Director Aati Hanikka, dramaturg Iiris Syrjä, sound designer-musician Valtteri Alanen and physicists Anna Barth and Kemper Ludlow from Cornell University will be on stage discussing about the performance. The moderator is Suvi Tuominen, the curator of the Stage for Contemporary Performance. The discussion will be held in English.

(Scroll down for English.)

Nano Steps is a performance that tells about a strange relationship across scales and sensory boundaries. It examines what happens when a physicist collides with particles invisible to the human eye at a point of light in a microscope. A group of puppet theatre artists harness the methods of applied physics on the stage of Studio Pasila and take them to the basement laboratory, where the research is unpredictable.

Nano Steps was born out of the question of what could be the smallest theatre puppet in the world. The Trial & Theatre group threw themselves into a meandering and unpredictable research process in which they called world-renowned professors, travelled to Cornell University, the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Aalto University laboratories. The wordless performance at Studio Pasila collides with the object theatre of science and brings to the stage for the first time a puppet theatre technique learned directly from physicists: the processing of micro-sized particles. The work is not science fiction, but a presentation of science fiction.

Nano Steps is the first work of the Trial & Theatre working group formed by the Alanen-Hanikka-Syrjä trio. Suontausta and Yu are the guest artists of the work. The work has been implemented in a group- and material-oriented way (devising): thinking together, experimenting and deciding. The artistic work of the working group aims at a free and undisciplined research process in which science and puppetry work together, blurring each other’s boundaries.

Director: Aati Hanikka
Dramaturgy: Iiris Syrjä
Sound designer-musician: Valtteri Alanen
Devising: En Ping Yu
Lighting designer (devising): Jere Suontausta

Nano Steps has been produced in collaboration with Helsinki City Theatre, Aalto University, Itai Cohen Lab (Cornell University), Aura of Puppets, Studio Alta and the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

The work has been supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Helsinki City Theatre, Aura of Puppets, the Nordic Cultural Foundation and the Samuel Huber Fine Arts Foundation.

Thank you to the Sun Ballet, Metropolitan puppets and Grus Grus Theatre.

The Stage of Contemporary Performance pilot project, which will be seen at Studio Pasila in 2022 and 2023, will bring various forms of contemporary performance into the Helsinki City Theatre’s repertoire. In 2023, the stage of the current performance will be divided into three premieres and two guest performances. The pilot project is supported by Kone Foundation.

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Trial & Theatre: Nano Steps

Nano Steps is a performance that portrays an uncanny relationship across scales and boundaries. The performance inquires what happens when a physicist encounters invisible particles in the spotlight of a microscope. A group of puppeteers harness the methods of applied physics on the stage of studio Pasila. The performance takes the spectators into a basement laboratory where research is unpredictable.

Nano Steps started with a question of what the world’s smallest puppet could be. Trial & Theatre group indulged into a meandering and unpredictable research process, during which they called world-famous professors, travelled to Cornell University, to Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and to laboratories of Aalto University. The non-verbal performance to be seen at studio Pasila interweaves science with object theatre and brings for the first time a manipulation technique learned directly from physicists to stage: the technique of manipulating/treating/handling micro-sized particles. The performance is not science fiction, but rather a fiction of science.

Nano Steps is the first premiere by Trial & Theatre – group formed by trio Alanen-Hanikka-Syrjä. Suontausta and Yu are visiting artists. The performance has been realised in a group and material-oriented way (devising): thinking, experimenting and deciding together. The objectives of the group is to reach out for free and unruly research processes where science and puppetry collaborate while blurring each other’s boundaries.

Director: Aati Hanikka
Dramaturg: Iiris Syrjä
Sound designer-musician: Valtteri Alanen
Performer (devising): A Ping Yu
Light designer (devising): Jere Suontausta

Nano Steps is made in collaboration with Helsinki City Theatre, Aalto University (Espoo), Itai Cohen Lab (Cornell University, Ithaca), Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Prague), Studio Alta (Prague) and Aura of Puppets (Turku).

The performance is supported by Arts Promotion Centre Finland, The Finnish Cultural Foundation, Helsinki City Theatre, Nordic Culture Fund, Aura of Puppets and The Samuel Huber’s Art Foundation.

Thank you Metropolitan Puppets (Helsinki), AB Dance Company and Grus Grus Theatre.

Stage for Contemporary Performance is a pilot project implemented in studio Pasila during 2022 and 2023. The objective of the project is to include different forms of contemporary performance in the Helsinki City Theatre’s seasonal programme. In 2023, the activities of the Stage for Contemporary Performance are divided into three premieres and two guest performances. The pilot project is supported by the Kone Foundation.

View the programme