27 youth groups from all over the country have been selected for the Young Stage project – HKT and the National Theatre mentor youth groups in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
The youth groups for the fourth round of the Young Stage concept (2022–24) have been selected: there are 27 youth groups from 16 different localities. The Young Stage reaches nearly 500 young theatre enthusiasts and more than 10,000 young spectators throughout the country. All selected groups can be found on the Young Stage website. Helsinki City Theatre and the Finnish National Theatre are organising a joint Helsinki Metropolitan Area Young Stage Festival in April 2024 at Studio Pasila and the National Theatre’s Small Stage.
Young people on the stages and auditoriums of professional theatres
The youth groups for the fourth round of the Young Stage concept (2022–24) have been selected: there are 27 youth groups from 16 different localities. The Finnish Workers’ Theatre Association is responsible for the practical implementation, with the support of theatres’ audience workers and artists.
The participating theatres are the Finnish National Theatre, Helsinki City Theatre, Rovaniemi Theatre, Tampere Theatre, Seinäjoki City Theatre and Lappeenranta City Theatre. All the participating theatres are doing a significant job in offering theatre professional support to groups of young people aged 13–19 and in organising a joint theatre festival for young people in their own area and giving them the opportunity to perform in the conditions offered by professional theatres.
“HKT is delighted to be involved in this fine Young Stage for the fourth time and as a link to the world of professional theatre for young theatre makers,” says Mirja Neuvonen, Head of Audience Relations at the Helsinki City Theatre.
The sponsor groups of the Helsinki City Theatre are Caliban from the Tikkurila Theatre and Circus School, Circus Helsinki, the Young Stage of the Icebreakers, the musical theatre group of Tapiola Upper Secondary School, Teatteri Pikku Kivi, Teatteri Werner and the Vimma Ensemble of the Helsinki Theatre School.
“A total of 13 groups applied to the National Theatre and the Helsinki City Theatre, and we decided to include everyone. The applications exuded great enthusiasm for theatre art. It is a pleasure to be able to work with a wide range of groups of different sizes. I’m also happy that we’ll be seeing versions of all the different plays,” comments Hanna Häyhä, Head of Audience Outreach at the Finnish National Theatre.
The groups acquired by the Finnish National Theatre are Artmix from the Children’s Cultural Centre Musikanttit, Dante from the Tikkurila Theatre and Circus School, the PALO group from the Tuike School of Expression, the youth of the Järvenpää Theatre, Martinlaakso Upper Secondary School and the Narri Stage Theatre Group Jounit.
In the Young Stage project, which was awarded the Children’s and Youth Theatre Award in 2023, young people receive strong support for theatre as a hobby by working with new, high-quality texts and in cooperation with professional theatres without measuring skill levels. At the same time, young people are inspired to take up theatre both as creators and as experiencers. Training will be organised for the instructors of the youth groups.
Four new youth plays
Three new Finnish youth plays and one translated text have been completed for the Young Stage project. All selected groups will perform one of the new play texts. The texts are inspiringly original and give a diverse picture of what a play can be in this moment.
The play texts are Arda Yildirim’sAbout Us, the Flies, Marko Järvikallas‘ The Cherry Bomb, Pauliina Feodoroff’sThe Colonial Nation and Christoffer Mellgren’sCake to Share.
Kati Kaartinen, dramaturg at the Young Stage, says that she has found a surprising number of common themes in the plays. The plays deal with and experience empathy, but not only towards other people, but also towards other species and towards our shared planet. In addition to this, the compassionate gaze is also turned to oneself. The texts also raise the question of the significance of choices in life.
The Young Stage local festival will be held in spring 2024
The local Young Stage Festival in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area will be held from 25 April to 27 April 2024 at the Helsinki City Theatre’s Studio Pasila and the Small Stage of the Finnish National Theatre.
In the spring of 2024, the Young Stage local festival will also be held at the Lappeenranta City Theatre on 20 April, the Rovaniemi Theatre on 3–4 May, the Tampere Theatre on 13–14 May and the Seinäjoki City Theatre on 18–19 May.
The Young Stage final review, which will bring together performances of different plays from all over the country, will be held on 16–18 August 2024 on the Small Stage of the Finnish National Theatre.
Photo in the release: Tapiola upper secondary school students in 2018. Photo: Miika Storm.
More information:Finnish National Theatre
Hanna Häyhä, Audience Outreach Coordinator, hanna.hayha@kansallisteatteri.fi, 050 523 4756,
Karoliina Masalin, Communications Manager, karoliina.masalin@kansallisteatteri.fi, 040 833 7382
Helsinki City Theatre
Mirja Neuvonen, Audience Outreach Coordinator, mirja.neuvonen@hkt.fi, 040 352 3969
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Young Stage 2022–2024Arda Yildirim: About Us and the FliesMarko Järvikallas: The CherryBomb Pauliina Feodoroff: The Colonial NationChristoffer Mellgren: Cake to ShareJesse Goes Finnish National TheatreJesse Goes Helsinki City Theatre