Helsinki City Theatre continues to operate the Contemporary Performance Stage

“Artists in the independent field rarely have the opportunity to work in the Helsinki metropolitan area in a large stage space like Studio Pasila and with such production resources. The continuation of the activities is also significant in the sense that the project will not only remain an experiment that relied on separate funding, but the stage will be able to be developed as part of the permanent operations of the Helsinki City Theatre,” comment curators Tuomas Laitinen, Riikka Thitz and Suvi Tuominen.

From 2024 onwards, the activities of the Contemporary Performance Stage will be divided annually into a premiere that receives production support, a premiere that receives residency support, and performance visits that are invited separately. The aim is to bring different forms of contemporary performance into the theatre’s repertoire.

“With the stage of the contemporary performance, we hope not only to find a new audience for the Helsinki City Theatre, but also to offer our current audience the opportunity to get to know interesting, new forms of performing arts,” says Theatre Director Kari Arffman.

On the stage of a contemporary performance, contemporary forms of performing arts are experienced, in which different art forms are intertwined, that move on the periphery of mainstream theatre and where something new is experimented.

Next year’s programme for the stage of the contemporary performance will be announced in January 2023. The May programme includes one premiere and two guest performances. In August, two interesting premieres will be seen on the stage of the Contemporary Performance.

The Helsinki City Theatre’s Contemporary Performance Stage, which began in 2022 as a two-year pilot project funded by Kone Foundation, brings various forms of contemporary performance into the theatre’s repertoire, increases job opportunities for independent artists and develops cooperation in the performing arts.

The stage design and repertoire of the contemporary performance are the responsibility of a three-person curatorial team, consisting of performance artist and dancer Suvi Tuominen, director, doctoral researcher Tuomas Laitinen and curator Riikka Thitz. At the City Theatre, the project is coordinated by Antti Lahti.

The open call for the 2024 premieres of the Contemporary Performance stage will start on 5 December 2022. Read more about the premiere application here.

Further information and interview requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki