Some basic information of Finnish theatre life, and links to theatres, theatre organisations and festivals you can find from our website www.teatteri.org/english/index.html
In this issue:
Mobile.home Conference
Workshop for drama translators
Recently translated plays
New theatre books
New institute for development and education
Finland in Infr'Action 06
DramAgora discussions
Successful dance groups and dancers
Upcoming festivals
Helsinki 9.-12. November 2006
The Finnish Theatre Information Centre organises in close cooperation with IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts) and other international partners the MOBILE.HOME Conference, a major cross-sectorial meeting in Helsinki 9-12 November 2006. It will look at successes and obstacles to the movement of arts and artists across European borders. It will also look at the phenomenon of “mobility” from technical, philosophical and artistic perspectives. It aims to highlight good practice and to federate the public, private and social actors.
The MOBILE.HOME Conference is inviting arts organisations, employers, public administrations, networks and others to discuss and debate key topics, look at good practice models and propose practical solutions to existing obstacles.
The conference will coincide with the IETM Annual Autumn Meeting and include working groups, training sessions, presentations, and information points moderated by esteemed experts on artists’ mobility.
The conference will deal with topics such as:
- Causes and consequences of mobility
- Mobility for cultural operators
- The aftermath of cultural exchange – artists’ residencies
- Mobility and diversity
- Mobility of plays and playwrights
- Mobility and site specific work
- Social security, visa, work permit
- Mobility in Asia
and offer training for cultural mobility.
The dark time of the year is the best time for culture in Finland. Life has moved indoors: theatres, concerts, exhibitions are full of audiences. We invite you to share that in the framework of a showcase of Finnish theatre, dance and contemporary performing arts. The programme will be ready in September for advanced booking.
Registration is possible now on http://register.ietm.org . Note that the early bird rate is valid until 2nd October!
For more information: http://www.ietm.org
The MOBILE.HOME project is part of the European Year of Workers’ Mobility 2006 which aims to raise awareness and increase understanding of the benefits of both working abroad and in a new occupation. MOBILE.HOME is a year-long project. Besides the conference in Helsinki, it includes
- a HELPDESK which offers effective and accessible information related to administrative, legal and social aspects of performing artists’ mobility in Europe. Questions related to mobility in the fields of social security, VAT, copyright, taxation, visa and work permits can be sent to mobile.home(at)vdponline.be until 16th October. The Helpdesk will answer questions within 10 days.
- DIGITAL PORTRAITS, stories from artists who live and make their work in different EU countries. Young professionals seeking mobility but facing obstacles as well as successful mobility experiences will feature in these portraits. 15 artists will be digitally presented with their stories – the first five portraits can already be read on Goethe-Institut Brussels http://www.goethe.de/ins/be/prj/mob/enindex.htm !
- MOBILITY RESEARCH & RECOMMENDATION REPORT, a final recommendation report which will be made for the European Commission and the Member States in the form of a strategic proposal.
Mobile Home Partners:
IETM (international network for contemporary performing arts): http://www.ietm.org
Finnish Theatre Information Centre: http://www.teatteri.org
Goethe-Institut (Brussels): http://www.goethe.de/bruessel
Pearle* (Performing Arts Employers Associations League Europe) : http://www.pearle.ws/
Visiting Arts (UK ): http://www.visitingarts.org.uk
On The Move aisbl: http://www.on-the-move.org
Mobile Home Associated Partners:
Fondazione Fitzcarraldo: http://www.fitzcarraldo.it
European Music Council: http://www.emc-imc.org
European Culture Foundation: http://www.eurocult.org
Trans-Europe-Halles: http://www.teh.net
Relais-Culture-Europe: http://www.relais-culture-europe.org
Centre Dramatico Aragon: http://www.centrodramaticoaragon.com
ELIA: http://www.elia.ahk.nl
EFAH : http://www.efah.org
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The Finnish Theatre Information Centre and the Finnish Literature Information Centre will organize the 5th workshop for translators of Finnish drama. The workshop will take place in Helsinki October 23-29 2006. The workshop will be run by Jukka-Pekka Pajunen, who is known for his excellent translations of German drama. He is also a member of the Artistic Team of the Tampere International Festival.
Twelve translators from twelve countries are going to participate. They are going to work with Mika Myllyaho’s play Panic and Maria Peura’s novel Valon reunalla. The workshop schedule also includes five performances of new Finnish drama, all premiered this autumn.
More information: tinfo(at)teatteri.org
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Finnish plays which are translated into other languages can easily be found on TINFO’s dramasearch http://www.teatteri.org/english/drama/dramasearch.html
Some examples of the recently translated plays:
The latest translation is Juha Jokela’s The Fundamentalist (Fundamentalisti) into English. It is a play about a clergyman who questions accepted truths, and who has been christened as controversial by the media, and about his friend, who has gone for fundamentalism. The play had its premiere in the beginning of this year, and it has been a success since. An article on The Fundamentalist: "And suddenly, you're part of some religion boom"
Arto Salminen’s Stockroom (Varasto) has been translated into English and German (Das Warenlager). It is a story of an underpaid storeroom worker who tries to better his pay by handling in stolen goods, until a cashier girl claims she is pregnant with his child. Her subsequent attempt to blackmail him with his embezzlement forces his tower of lies to totter. With a good sense of humor, Arto Salminen describes the ever-changing nature of the working world.
“It shines like a poor man’s heaven, like a hundred black stars in a pair of working gloves.” (Helsingin Sanomat)
“There is not much hope and light in my books, but mischievous humour says it all, that’s what is essential. And I’m damned sure that it is conveyed in this play, too”, wrote Salminen who died suddenly three weeks before the premiere of his play.
The premiere of the play was 9th December 2005 at the Finnish National Theatre. The Stockroom was invited to the Wiesbaden International May Theatre Festival, where the Neue Stücke aus Europa 2006 Festival introduces contemporary European literature.
A Finnish theatre classic, Minna Canth’s Papin perhe (The Vicar’s Family) from 1891 has been translated to French, La Famille du pasteur. Mrs Minna Canth (1844-1897) was the most prominent Finnish writer of the 1880s. In her plays she depicts the striving of young women for independence. Centre stage, however, is given over to the personal conflict of the main characters, which is the result of the moral doctrines of church and society, which restrict individual freedom. Papin perhe depicts a young woman who clashes with her father in his attempt to prevent her from adopting an artistic career.
Minna Canth’s plays has been translated to English, Swedish, Spanish, Estonian, French, Hungarian, Russian and German.
For information on the plays or the playwrights, please contact us by e-mail tinfo(at)teatteri.org
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Theatre People – People’s Theatre. Finnish Theatre and Dance 2006
Kaisa Korhonen & Katri Tanskanen (eds.)
20 EUR
The book concerns itself with current events in the world of Finnish theatre and dance. It takes a look at various productions, going behind the scenes to find out how they were conceived and hear from the people behind them. The authors of the articles are top-level Finnish theatre artists and academics.
Teatteritilastot – Finnish Theatre Statistics 2005
30 EUR
The annual covers statistics on all the regularly operating professional theatres and dance theatres. Statistics of income and expenditure, personnel, performances, spectators and repertories can be found in the book.
These books can be ordered from tinfo(at)teatteri.org
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Other books
Humour and Humanity. Contemporary Plays from Finland
S.E. Wilmer & Pirkko Koski (eds.)
Includes plays Border Crossing by Kari Hotakainen (Nordic Drama Award 2006), Mobile Horror by Juha Jokela, Can You Hear the Howling? by Reko Lundan, Panic by Mika Myllyaho and Queen C by Laura Ruohonen.
The Dynamic World of Finnish Theatre
S.E. Wilmer & Pirkko Koski (eds.)
Finnish theatre history in English.
If you want to order these books, please contact Like Publishing Ltd., like(at)like.fi
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IADE, Institute for Art, Development and Education is founded by the University of Art and Design Helsinki, The Theatre Academy of Finland and the Academy of Fine Arts. IADE emerged from the fusion of the three departments of Continuing Education at these arts universities.
The institute offers development services and continuing education in Finland and internationally in design, performing arts, media, music and business. IADE opens officially on 1st January 2007.
http://www.iade.fi
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The second edition of Infr’Action – Festival International d’Art Performance will take place in Sète, France, from September 20 to 24. This year the invited country of honour is Finland. An important delegation of Finnish artists will occupy the different public spaces that will be used by the festival: Pekka Kainulainen, Pekka Luhta, Irma Optimisti, Mimosa Pale, Erkki Pirtola, Roi Vaara and Willem Wilhelmus.
No less than 44 artists coming from 18 different countries will present all together more than 60 performances in the streets, squares and markets of the city of Sète.
http://www.infraction.info/frame.htm
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Every year discussions on the festivals on the Baltic region can be read on DramAgora debate forum after the festival is over. After BaltoScandal, Rakvere, Estonia (28 June to 2 July) you can read e.g. what does Priit Raud mean by comparing the BaltoScandal festival to the happy hippy camp.
Read more from Baltoscandal discussions and previous discusions on
http://www.q-teatteri.fi/baltic_circle/dramagora/
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Tero Saarinen Company a success in Germany
Dance theatre Tero Saarinen Company is an internationally well-known group, and the company gets good critics wherever they perform. At the end of August Tero Saarinen Company toured in Berlin and Hamburg, and the main newspapers praised its’ performance Borrowed Light.
Tero Saarinen Company and choreographer Tero Saarinen are well presented in the annual of a German magazine Ballet – Tanz. They are mentioned in the categories “important production”, “prominent choreographer” and “remarkable group”.
http://www.terosaarinen.com
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Frans Valkama world champion of modern and jazz dance
Frans Valkama, a dancer at the Finnish National Ballet, has won the world championships of modern dance and jazz dance in Boston. Valkama won the modern dance category with his solo performance and the jazz dance duo category with his dance partner Markku Haussila.
The competition, organised by International Dance Organisation IDO, was held in July. Valkama, 20, has danced in the Finnish National Ballet since 2005 when he graduated from the National Ballet's ballet school.
http://www.ido-dance.com/
http://operafin.fi
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Flamenco group Compañía Kaari Martin awarded in Spain
Kerro minulle sade (Tell me rain), a work of choreographer Kaari Martin and composer Roni Martin, has got 3rd prize in XV Certamen de Coreografía de Danza Española y Flamenco, in Madrid in June. It is the first time a foreign choreography has been awarded in the competition.
Certamen de Coreografía de Danza Española y Flamenco is the most esteemed choreography competition of dance and flamenco in Spain. Kerro minulle sade is the sixth work of Compañía Kaari Martin, a distinguished group of contemporary flamenco with a unique style.
http://www.certamenflamenco.com
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theatre.now!
Helsinki 13-24. September
Cirko. Helsinki Contemporary Circus Festival
Helsinki, 18-20 October
Moving in November
Helsinki 28. Oct - 5. Nov
More festivals: www.teatteri.org/english/festivals/index.html or www.festivals.fi
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Meritullinkatu 33
00170 Helsinki
tel. +358-9-2511 2120, fax +358-9-2511 2125
tinfo(at)teatteri.org
www.teatteri.org
Director: Riitta Seppälä, Information Officer: Anneli Kurki
Information Secretaries: Piia Kivinen and Nina Jääskeläinen
