The presenters taking part in the showcase frequently said that in Finland they were looking for performances and cross-artistic productions that deviated from the mainstream. Helsinki featured numerous shows that were unconventional and incorporated innovative technologies rather than adhering to traditional categories.

Performing HEL – a showcase for circus, dance, and theatre made in Finland – was organised in Helsinki for the fourth time, from August 31st to September 3rd.

It presented a curated selection of 20 works from Finland, dealing with social and political issues, club gigs, the world of social media, hip-hop culture, or posthumanist perspective. Many selected works cross between different art forms and seek new movement or expression languages. Performing HEL also included performances for the whole family.

“Amazing curation”

Feedback from a guest

More than 100 international and Finnish festival and theatre directors, curators and other sector professionals came to discover Finnish performing arts, most of them on site in Helsinki, while some followed the event online.

The list of attendees comprised, for example, The Lowry Centre, one of England’s largest performing arts facilities, and the Submerge Festival in the Manchester area. From Germany, there were the Chamäleon, Berlin’s central contemporary circus venue, and the CircusDance Festival in Cologne. The participants list continues with the Spring Performing Arts Festival in Utrecht, the Kyoto Experiment International Festival in Japan, Riksteatern in Sweden, Santarcangelo Festival Italy, Mercat de les Flors Barcelona, and many more.

“By far the best arts showcase in Europe”

Feedback from a guest

The feedback received from guests has been extremely positive, and the showcase has been regarded as a notably successful event for the industry. The limited size of the event makes it easy for participants to get to know and talk to colleagues and artists. Already now it is evident that the Performing HEL event will boost the international touring of Finnish performances.

The 2023 Performing HEL showcase was organised by Circus & Dance Info Finland and Theatre Info Finland TINFO, in cooperation with Helsinki Festival, the Finnish National Theatre, Svenska Teatern and Espoo Theatre.

Supported by the Next Generation EU fund, Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Finland’s Culture Institute in Denmark, Finnish Institute in Estonia, Goethe Institut, Institut Finlandais, the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, Finnish-Norwegian Culture Institute and Finnagora.