Helsinki City Theatre brings art to the homes of the elderly

The Helsinki City Theatre’s Art for Homes events will continue when in the autumn of 2021, the elderly will be able to participate in art activities in different parts of Helsinki in the role of both experiencers and active creators. The Art in the Homes of the Elderly events, which began this week, bring participatory art activities into the everyday lives of the elderly and home care clients in Helsinki. In the project, people encounter art in different ways, remotely and face-to-face.

“People’s stories play the main role in interactive visits. We want to highlight older people as equal members of society, as personalities and as active agents in their own lives. In addition, the aim is to reach especially those elderly people who experience loneliness in their everyday lives. Art promotes well-being, brings people together and enables encounters,” says Hanna Nuorala, coordinator of the Art for the Homes of the Elderly project, from the audience work of the Helsinki City Theatre.

The project consists of, among other things, art souvenirs created based on encounters with seniors, interactive remote art sessions organised via remote devices, and a photo exhibition through documentary photography. In addition to the project, volunteers working with the elderly will be trained to use digital cultural content.

The Art for the Homes of the Elderly activities are part of the Helsinki City Theatre’s audience outreach. The project is funded by the City of Helsinki and is implemented through a strong cooperation network. In addition to the Helsinki City Theatre, the participants include the Helsinki Northern Home Care Unit, the Kustaankartano Senior Centre, HelsinkiMissio and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.

Art for the Homes of the Elderly is a continuation of the Art for Homes events organised by the Helsinki City Theatre in northeast Helsinki, where performances were carried out in people’s living rooms and yards, as well as the Art for Homes Kalasatama installation to be implemented in the Redi shopping centre in November 2021.

Further information: Helsinki City Theatre, Audience Worker and Project Coordinator Hanna Nuorala, hanna.nuorala@hkt.fiHelsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki