Helsinki City Theatre participates in supporting the well-being of elderly Helsinki residents
The Art for the Homes of the Elderly project, which has been running since 2021, brings participatory art activities into the everyday lives of the elderly. In the project, people meet in many ways through art, stories and joyful togetherness. In addition, the project trains City of Helsinki employees and university of applied sciences students who work with the elderly. The project is part of the Helsinki City Theatre’s audience outreach and it is funded by the City of Helsinki.
In the spring of 2025, the project will implement, among other things, From Story to Theatre activities, Creative with the Elderly trainings and a tour of the Light Draws the Furrows of Your Face photo exhibition.
From Story to Theatre activities culminate in a housing company tour in May
Pensioner groups that meet weekly at senior centres in Helsinki have been practising story theatre since autumn 2023. Story theatre is a form of theatre based on improvisation, in which the experiences and stories of the participants are seen on stage as small performances.
“For me, the story theatre hobby means joy, the fun of learning and good company in a wonderful community. Stories feed my imagination. We move through play and joy to deep emotions in all areas. Even if I come to rehearsals tired, I always leave with good energy,” describes Tuula Holopainen, one of the participants in the From Story to Theatre group.
This spring, the groups have formed a performing group that has toured Helsinki’s service centres in the form of open rehearsals. The audience has been residents of service homes and visitors to day activities. The Story Theatre has created communal moments in the everyday life of the service centres, where people have stopped to reflect on experiences, memories, stories and emotions. Based on feedback from both the performing group and the service centres’ customers, the moments spent in front of the story theatre have been perceived as valuable and meaningful.
The spring activities will culminate in a housing company tour in May. The From Story to Theatre group performs all over Helsinki in housing companies, club rooms and community centres. Any Helsinki resident has been able to order a performance for their residents’ association or housing company. There will be five performances in May, and they will spread to Kallio, Jakomäki, Maunula, Myllypuro and Tapulikaupunki. The From Story to Theatre activities are led by project artists Talvikki Eerola, Laura Ikonen and Reetta Kankare.
Helsinki City Theatre trains employees and students in the social welfare and health care sector
The project has developed three different training modules for employees and students working with the elderly. The training aimed at home care workers of the City of Helsinki focuses on encounters and the study of one’s own operating models. The training, which is aimed at group instructors in the hospital, rehabilitation and care sectors, introduces art-based exercises that increase community spirit and explores interaction and its significance in one’s own work. The training aimed at students of universities of applied sciences focuses on group guidance via remote connections. Based on the training, the students plan their own remote sessions in multi-professional small groups, which are carried out with the elderly. In the spring of 2025, students of gerontology and music pedagogy from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences will participate.
The Light Draws the Lines of Your Face photo exhibition has been touring around Helsinki for three years
The photo exhibition Light Draws the Furrows of Your Face , which has been touring Helsinki since spring 2022, continues its tour. The exhibition highlights nine stories of elderly people living at home in Helsinki. The exhibition will be on display at the Kannelmäki Service Centre until the end of April 2025, after which it will move to the Madetoja Service House in April-May. In autumn 2025, the exhibition will be on display at the Töölö Senior Centre.
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In the photo in the press release: From Story to Theatre group from the Myllypuro Service Centre. Photo: Sonja Tolonen.
Helsinki City Theatre’s ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 394022 Mon-Fri 10-17.30. Ticket offices First Line 2, Mon-Fri 12-17.30, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11-18.30 and one hour before the performance and Lippu.fi, Mon-Sat 9-21, Sun 10-18, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fi
Further information:
Project Coordinator Reetta Kankare, reetta.kankare@hkt.fi, tel. 050 434 4930