The City Theatre’s new art project is implemented in Malmi – already the tenth year of regional projects!
The three-year art project Malmi in the Main Role, launched by the Helsinki City Theatre in January 2022, has begun with walking tours led by local residents and will culminate in a walking tour on the Malmi Paths, which is open to everyone on 23 May. In the autumn season, the programme includes a theatre project aimed at young people. Projects that take place in city districts are an important part of the Helsinki City Theatre’s audience outreach, and residential theatre activities have been carried out for ten years.
With the Malmi in the Main Role project, the City Theatre’s project artists will work together with the residents of the area and explore the phenomena and themes arising from the area through the many means of theatre art. At the heart of the activities is the interaction between the residents of the area and the regional artists of the City Theatre, and the artistic content of the project is inspired by the multi-voiced area. The coming project years will include various performances and events that will be carried out together with the locals.
In the lead role, Malmi is the City Theatre’s fourth regional project entity. The previous projects were implemented in Pasila, Jakomäki and in northeast Helsinki in the areas of Tapulikaupunki, Suutarila and Siltamäki.
“It is important that our operations are equal and accessible. The area projects make it possible for people outside the inner city to participate in cultural events as experiencers and doers. We hope that our art activities will increase regional activity and deepen the relationship between the locals and their living environment,” says Laura Ikonen, the project’s director.
“Malmi is much more than just that station”
The activities at Malmi have begun with walking tours led by local residents, where the artists of the Helsinki City Theatre got to know Malmi and its stories under the guidance of the residents.
In the lead role, Malmi’s spring season will culminate on 23 May with the Malmi Paths walking tour, which is open to everyone, where you will throw yourself into the reality of Malmi for a moment and look at the streets and blocks through local eyes. The artists and local guides of the Helsinki City Theatre will lead the participants on a walk of almost six kilometres, during which they will hear memories, experiences and stories about the destinations along the way in the Malmi area.
The main focus of the autumn 2022 activities is on a theatre project aimed at young people, where a performance is carried out together with young people based on their ideas. The performances will be seen in December at Malmitalo.
In the lead role, Malmi is part of the Helsinki City Theatre’s audience outreach, and it is led by theatre expression directors Laura Ikonen and Janne Puustinen, musician and sound designer Aleksi Kinnunen and audience worker Jenny Jumppanen. In the main role, Malmi is one of the City of Helsinki’s Culture and Leisure Division’s Helsinki Model projects, which aims to balance and diversify the art and cultural offerings of the districts. The aim is to make culture accessible to the everyday lives of all Helsinki residents.
"When people think of Malmi, they often think of just that position. Actually, Malmi is just so much more." (Walking guide 15.3.2022)
Malmi Trails walking tour through local eyes on Monday 23.5.2022 at 6 pm
The event is free of charge and you can join by registering in advance. Places are limited. Further information and registration: paaroolissamalmi@hkt.fi, 040 652 9932
Link to the Malmi Paths Facebook event
Malmi in the lead role on Facebook
@paaroolissamalmi @hktfi
Further information on the Malmi 2022–2024 project:
Audience worker Jenny Jumppanen, jenny.jumppanen@hkt.fi / 0406529932
Director Laura Ikonen, laura.ikonen@hkt.fi
Director Janne Puustinen, janne.puustinen@hkt.fi
Musician and sound designer Aleksi Kinnunen, aleksi.kinnunen@hkt.fi
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki, www.hkt.fi