Helsinki City Theatre brings performances to people’s living rooms
In November and December, special performances will be seen in the Siltamäki, Alppikylä, Puistola, Tapanila and Tapulikaupunki areas, as they will be carried out in the homes of the residents of the area. The Art for Homes performances are part of the Spotlight in the Northeast art project, and they are implemented by the Helsinki City Theatre in cooperation with the North Helsinki Band School.
As part of the Spotlight Northeast art project, four performances will take place in homes that are open to all audiences. Daytime dances in the style of Alppikylä, the Soundscapes from the Northeast concert and the Home Evening with Your Favourite Music are one-off events, and the performance Curtains Are Open If There Are Any – Stories from Home will be seen in several performances in the Northeast Helsinki area.
“Art cannot get closer to people than this, and that is the idea of these projects: to make art participatory and easily approachable,” says artistic designer and director Laura Ikonen from the Helsinki City Theatre’s audience outreach.
Helsinki City Theatre’s theme for this year’s project is the home, and the idea of performances in homes was naturally born with the theme.
“Home is a personal matter related to a person’s identity. When we visit homes, we get to see something essential about a person about who they are. For me as an artist, people’s stories and personalities are always the most interesting,” Ikonen describes.
This idea also gave rise to the idea for the performance Curtains are open if there are any . The performance consists of texts and thoughts from those who participated in the adult theatre workshops in Tapulikaupunki during the autumn. 18 residents of the area will take the stage. The performance, which will be seen a total of four times, will premiere on Thu 28.11. At the Tapuli parish house, from where it continues its tour through the Tapuli library to homes.
The other three art events to be seen in the homes have been brainstormed together with each resident. Daytime Dances in the Style of Alppikylä is, as the name suggests, a daytime dance event. It will also feature a small nostalgic performance based on the resident’s wishes, created by the artists of the Helsinki City Theatre Laura Ikonen, Janne Puustinen and Sarppa Seppänen.
The Soundscapes from the Northeast concert brings a sound work created by musicians from the North Helsinki Band School to a living room in Puistola, where a resident wanted to test the acoustics of his house. A home evening with their favourite music is a communal event where participants bring a song that is important to them and the thoughts raised by the songs are discussed together during the evening.
“It takes courage to invite strangers into your home. I’m delighted that there were many interested people and that we can implement the idea of performances at home ,” says Laura Ikonen.
In early 2020, a photo exhibition of the Art for Homes entity will also be carried out in the area, which will show homes, residents, performances and the encounters that have taken place in them. This way, even those who cannot attend the performances themselves can take part in the concept.
Art events in homes
Mon 11.11. 12 noon Daytime dances in Alppikylä style, apartment in Alppikylä
Tue 12.11. 7 p.m. Soundscapes from the Northeast concert, detached house in Puistola
Tue 19.11. At 6 p.m. Home evening with your favorite music, terraced house in Puistola
The curtains are open if there are any – stories from the home
Thu 28.11. 7 p.m. Tapulikaupunki Parish Hall
Tue 3.12. 6 p.m. Tapulikaupunki Library
Sun 8.12. 3 p.m. Housing company’s club room in Tapanila (Rajatie 6, courtyard)
Tue 10.12. 7 p.m. Detached house in Siltamäki
For performances that take place at home, a seat must be booked in advance. In connection with the booking confirmation, the address and more detailed arrival instructions will be provided. Admission to all events is free.
More information and reservations: valokeilassakoillinen@hkt.fi or 050 475 8701.
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In the Spotlight is a three-year joint project of the Helsinki City Theatre, Zodiak Centre for New Dance, North Helsinki Band School and Teatteri Tuike, which aims to increase the range of arts and culture in the districts of Tapulikaupunki, Suutarila, Siltamäki, Puistola and Tapanila in 2019–2021.
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Press photos can be found in the image bank and press releases in the newsroom.
Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests: Helsinki City Theatre, Communications Manager Kaisa Pelkonen, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki