HKT’s diverse audience outreach events attracted a record audience in 2022

“During the coronavirus pandemic, we developed our audience outreach activities and organised several successful remote events. Remote events serve the elderly excellently, for example, and we intend to continue organising events remotely in the future as well. After the coronavirus eased, the audience clearly wanted to return to on-site activities, and in 2022, 415 of the audience outreach events were held on-site and 43 were carried out remotely. A total of 565 people participated in remote events and 20,763 people in other events or public events, which is more than ever before,” says Mirja Neuvonen, who is in charge of audience outreach.

Helsinki City Theatre’s audience outreach employs three permanent staff and several project workers. HKT’s audience outreach team is the largest in the country and at the same time one of the trendsetters and most important developers in the field.

Some of the City Theatre’s audience outreach events are open to all audiences and some are aimed at specific groups of participants, such as daycare and school groups, work communities, the elderly or residents of a certain residential area. Larger projects are carried out together with partners and various networks. HKT’s audience outreach works in close cooperation with e.g. with the City of Helsinki and nationally, for example. Art Testers and the Young Stage projects.

The largest audience outreach projects and events of 2022

Malmi in the Main Role is a three-year regional art project, the main event of which in 2022 was the performance WHO DIS?, made with local young people aged 14–19, which was seen four times at Malmitalo. The performance was seen by 213 spectators. The Pääroolissa Malmi project, co-funded by the City of Helsinki, plans and implements area- and community-based theatre activities together with residents and groups in Malmi. So far, the project has carried out various workshops, e.g. at regional events, and organised open city walks guided by locals. @paaroolissamalmi www.facebook.com/paaroolissamalmi

HKT is one of the actors in the Culture Sponsors project and one of the cultural sponsors of children born in Helsinki in 2021. In spring 2022 Have a nice trip! baby theatre performance toured playgrounds in Helsinki. In the autumn of 2022, we organised the Open Doors for Toddlers event for culture sponsors and their immediate adults on 12.9.–13.9. The day and night-themed event, which took over the theatre’s foyers, included a night-time fairytale forest, morning musical performances and a presentation stand for the theatre’s various departments. https://kummilapset.hel.fi/

In 2022, almost 80 young theatre members participated in the Shed musical theatre activities for children and young people. At the end of the year, the group had the opportunity to make the musical A Miser’s Christmas together with the professionals of the Helsinki City Theatre. There were a total of 13 performances and 3552 spectators. @shedhelsinki

The Art in the Homes of the Elderly project produced a photo exhibition entitled Light Draws the Furrows of Your Face, which presented nine elderly people and their stories. The exhibition was on display at the Redi shopping centre and at the Cable Factory in connection with the Armas Festival, in addition to which it toured service centres in Helsinki. The project also carried out Art Card performances in the homes of the elderly, collected stories and organised remote experiences.

What is in store for spring 2023?

During the spring of 2023, audience outreach will organise behind-the-scenes tours, workshops and events at the City Theatre, such as the Coffee with a Writer event. In addition, theatre workshops and performance and workshop packages are organised for school and educational institution groups, and learning materials are offered to support performance visits. The theatre will also be visited by more than 2000 eighth-graders during the spring.

The main event of the Malmi in the Main Role project in 2023 is the preparation of a touring performance in Malmi’s outdoor spaces, the performers of which are sought from local residents of different ages or those living in nearby areas. The performance will premiere in June.

The Art in the Homes of the Elderly project will produce a play called Elonsiivous – a story of a tenacious friendship, which will tour service centres in Helsinki, among other places. The script for the performance is based on interviews with the elderly. In addition, the project will implement a live broadcast series during the spring of 2023, where you can get to know the everyday life of theatre employees remotely.

The fourth season of the Young Stage project has started, and in March, youth groups are being sought to join the project to produce new plays written for young people. The application period is open 1.3.-31.3., and the Helsinki City Theatre is one of the professional theatres that act as a mentor for the groups.

@hkt_yleisotyo

Further information:
Mirja Neuvonen, Audience Outreach Coordinator
mirja.neuvonen@hkt.fi
040 352 3969