Malmi in the Leading Role 2025-2027

Pienellä lavalla seisoo henkilö, joka pitää kädessään diskopalloa. Hänen ympärillään on joukko ihmisiä ja useita roikkuvia diskopalloja pimeässä, sinisellä valaistussa huoneessa.

Our community arts project Pääroolissa Malmi is coming to Malmi in 2025-2027! The project will create and deliver theatre activities shaped by the local area and its communities.

Pääroolissa Malmi

In the Pääroolissa Malmi project, Helsinki City Theatre’s community artists bring theatre and arts activities to Malmi, working together with local residents and organisations. Pääroolissa Malmi explores themes and phenomena emerging from the area through theatre and organises a variety of events, workshops, artistic projects and performances. The aim is to offer residents a range of opportunities to participate in theatre and the arts, support local cultural activities and create new forms of urban culture.

The artistic content of Pääroolissa Malmi is inspired by the area’s many voices, and the material is created together with local residents. Interaction between residents and artists lies at the heart of the project. The artists working in the area invite everyone in Malmi to take part in the artistic activities—not only as audience members, but as active participants.

Pääroolissa Malmi is part of Helsinki City Theatre’s audience engagement and outreach programme. It is led by drama instructors Laura Ikonen and Janne Puustinen, musician and sound designer Aleksi Kinnunen, and audience engagement coordinator Jenny Jumppanen. Pääroolissa Malmi is one of the City of Helsinki’s Helsinki Model projects and is funded by the City of Helsinki.

Further information:
paaroolissamalmi@hkt.fi
+358 40 652 9932 (Jenny Jumppanen, project production)

CURRENTLY IN THE PROJECT:

What does Malmi look like through the eyes of a young person? Whose city is this, really?

Pääroolissa Malmi is looking for young performers aged 15–25 for a theatre production!

We will rehearse the upcoming performance in Malmi 1-3 times a week from March to May, followed by an intensive rehearsal period in August–September 2027. Performances will take place at Malmitalo and Studio Pasila in September and October 2027.

Participation in the theatre group is free of charge, but you must be able to commit to the rehearsals and performances. No previous performance experience is required. We will hold taster workshops in January–February, where you can explore how a performance is created and meet the directors. Exact dates and venues will be announced on this page soon.

The team responsible for the production:
Laura Ikonen, Jenny Jumppanen, Riikka Karjalainen, Aleksi Kinnunen and Janne Puustinen.

FIND OUT MORE AND SIGN UP:

Instagram DM: @paaroolissamalmi
WhatsApp: 0504758701 (Laura Ikonen)
Email: paaroolissamalmi@hkt.fi

Kaupunkini (työnimi) is a theatre production created with young people from Malmi, bringing their perspectives and stories about their city to the stage. It draws on their own thoughts, memories, observations and dreams about urban space—and what it is like to grow up and live in Helsinki today.

During 2027, young people from Malmi will explore the city through theatre workshops, discussions, writing, photography and video art. These experiences will form the basis of a performance created with theatre professionals, with a script built from material produced by the young participants.

The performance will premiere at Malmitalo in autumn 2027 and will also be staged at Helsinki City Theatre’s Studio Pasila. The production is presented in collaboration with Q-teatteri, Malmi/Kollektiivi and Malmitalo.

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NAAPURINI – A TOURING CHILDREN’S THEATRE PERFORMANCE

Kolme ihmistä, joilla on liioitellut kasvonilmeet ja värikäs meikki, poseeraavat tiiviisti yhdessä sisätiloissa, joiden taustalla on keltaiset seinät ja sarjakuvamaiset ikkunakoristeet. Keskimmäisellä henkilöllä on raidallinen pusero ja hän hymyilee leveästi. — Miika Storm Photography

In autumn 2025, we ran theatre and music workshops exploring the theme of neighbours with kindergartens in Malmi. Using material created in these workshops, we produced a touring children’s theatre performance: Naapurini. The performance premiered at Malmitalo on 11.9.2026 and has since toured various performance and community venues around Malmi.

There are still two free public performances of Naapurini to come. No advance registration is required. Read more HERE!

Sat 31.10. at 13 Säveltäjänpuiston Monitoimisali
(Melartininpolku 2, Helsinki)

Thu 19.11. at 17.30 Malmin Varustamo
(Pekanraitti 16, Helsinki)

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We have also organised Taidetta koteihin events in the area. Read more about the Taidetta koteihin concept HERE.

Vaaleanvihreällä pohjalla on yksinkertainen talon ääriviiva, jossa on lihavoitu teksti TAIDETTA KOTEIHIN ja vaaleanpunaisella siveltimenvedolla korostettu pienempi teksti esityksiä olohuoneissa.

Mies auttaa neljää lasta käyttämään lattialla äänimikseriä ja kannettavaa tietokonetta ja opettaa heille musiikin tuottamista. Lapset katsovat tarkasti, ja heidän ympärillään näkyy värikkäitä kaapeleita ja laitteita.

In the project Pääroolissa Malmi, community artists from Helsinki City Theatre bring theatre and arts activities to the Malmi district, working together with local residents and community groups. The project explores themes and phenomena emerging from the area through theatre and organises events, workshops, artistic projects and performances. Its purpose is to offer diverse opportunities to participate in theatre and the arts, support local cultural activities and create new forms of urban culture.

The content is inspired by Malmi’s diverse community and developed in collaboration with residents. Interaction between artists and local residents is at the heart of the project: everyone is invited to participate in the artistic activities—not only as audience members, but also as active contributors.

Pääroolissa Malmi is part of Helsinki City Theatre’s audience engagement and outreach programme. The project is led by drama instructors Laura Ikonen and Janne Puustinen, musician and sound designer Aleksi Kinnunen, and audience engagement coordinator Jenny Jumppanen. The project is one of the City of Helsinki’s Helsinki Model initiatives and is funded by the City of Helsinki.

Further information:
paaroolissamalmi@hkt.fi
+358 40 652 9932 (Jenny Jumppanen, project production)

CURRENTLY IN THE PROJECT:

In autumn 2025, we ran theatre and music workshops with kindergartens in Malmi. Using the material created in these workshops, we will produce a touring children’s theatre performance called Naapurini . The performance will premiere on 11.9.2026 at Malmitalo, after which it will tour various performance and community venues in the Malmi area.

We are also organising Taidetta koteihin events in the area. Read more about the Taidetta koteihin concept HERE.