City Theatre participates in musical theatre activities for children and young people that emphasise diversity
Helsinki City Theatre is involved in supporting child and youth work that takes diversity and children with special needs into account, and offers a performance venue for the ShedHelsinki Foundation’s new musical theatre production Sleeping Beauty – Return to the Future, founded by Elisa.
Already in December last year, Elisa and ShedHelsinki implemented the Peter Pan theatre project, which differs from the mainstream. It offered different children and young people the opportunity to be presented as their own and unique individuals. The cooperation continued, and since the beginning of 2017, more than 150 young people have gathered weekly in a musical theatre club led by StepUp School. In the club, you will learn about musical theatre activities as well as your own voice, body and self-expression.
– Everyone has the right to be seen. Based on this message, ShedHelsinki has been born , where Finnish theatre professionals create unique musical theatre together with children and young people. We want to encourage young people from different backgrounds to fulfil themselves in a safe and equal environment,” says Riikka Kannas , Project Director at ShedHelsinki.
Starting in September, rehearsals will be held for the upcoming performance, and the year 2017 will culminate in the romantic fairytale musical Sleeping Beauty – Return to the Future at the Helsinki City Theatre’s studio in Pasila.
ShedHelsinki’s musical version of Sleeping Beauty mixes classic fairy tales and traditional youth musicals set in the school world in a funny, unprecedented way. Sleeping Beauty – Back to the Future is based on the original script by Chickenshed Theatre (UK). It is implemented by the teachers of StepUp School’s Skene Musical Theatre School under the guidance of director Marco Bjurström. The conductor of the performances is Tuomas Kesälä.
The story of Sleeping Beauty takes on new dimensions when the princess in the classic fairy tale is a modern-day teenager with the growing pains of puberty. And to make the story even more wonderful, he doesn’t sleep a hundred years ahead, but wakes up in the raucous 1970s when his own parents’ teenage adventures are at their hottest.
ShedHelsinki Foundation in brief
- The purpose of the foundation is to support diverse child and youth work that takes special needs into account, among other things, as well as communities that help children and young people.
- The Foundation’s largest project enables different children and young people to have their own stage, where each individual has the opportunity to be present – together and safely.
- The performance of 2016 was the Peter Pan musical, this year’s premiere on Friday 8.12.2017 was Sleeping Beauty – Back to the Future.
- A total of 16 performances during 8.12.–19.12.2017 at Studio Pasila, Itä-Pasila, Helsinki.
- The role model and source of inspiration is the London-based Chickenshed Theatre, whose visionaries ShedHelsinki teachers have instructed.
- #shedhelsinki #prinsessaruusunen #jokainenkelpaa
Sleeping Beauty – Back to the Future premieres 8.12.2017 and performances until 19.12.2017 at the Helsinki City Theatre’s studio in Pasila (Ratamestarinkatu 5)
Tickets: 39 € (incl. pm)
Age recommendation: from 7 years old
Further information:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Officer, Helsinki City Theatre, tel. 040 5523 788, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi
Katiye Vuorela, Communications Director, Elisa, tel. 050 66997, katiye.vuorela@elisa.fi
Riikka Kannas, Project Director, ShedHelsinki, tel. 040 354 6331, riikka@shedhelsinki.fi