“I had the most fantastic time – I came back refreshed and inspired by everything I saw. Thank you all so much!”

“By far the best arts showcase in Europe”

– Feedback from the 2023 edition

“Thank you again for the great Performing HEL experience – I feel I’m again fully updated on excellent Finnish productions and artists. Thank you so much!”

– Feedback from the 2021 edition

The fourth edition of Performing HEL took place on 31st of August – 3rd of September 2023 in Helsinki, Finland, in tandem with Helsinki Festival. The showcase was organised by Circus & Dance Info Finland in cooperation with Helsinki Festival, the Finnish National Theatre, Svenska Teatern (the main Swedish-language theatre in Helsinki), Espoo City Theatre and Theatre Info Finland TINFO.

Performing HEL 2023 was 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.

Photos

Program

PITCH

TSC (Tero Saarinen Company) & TTT (Tampereen Työväen Teatteri): Macbeth
Mikko Niemistö: Wakey-wakey
Milla Koistinen: Breathe
Sinna Virtanen: Asphodel Meadows
Saara Turunen / Turunen Company: Room Trilogy by Saara Turunen: The Phantom of Normality, Medusa’s Room & The Grapes of Reason
Tellervo Kalleinen, Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, Ami Karvonen / Espoo City Theatre: BIASED
Play Rape Working Group: Play Rape
Lumo Company: Fineline
Hands some Feet: Colorsphere
Nuua Company: Meanwhile

DEMO

Recover Laboratory: <3 (Smaller than three)
Milla Jarko: Tiikeri
Risa: GLG
Teemu Mäki & Maija Nurmio: Éliane
Viirus: Whizz, Whirr, Bang, Clang
Wauhaus: sky every day (in collaboration with Espoo City Theatre)

PERFORMANCE

Tiia Kasurinen: ONSTAGE (in collaboration with Helsinki Festival)
Tuomo Rämö: Two Phone Calls (in collaboration with Helsinki Festival)
Company Portmanteau: Perto
Sonya Lindfors: Something like this (in collaboration with Zodiak)

The third edition of the showcase Performing HEL took place in Helsinki and Espoo on September 2-5, 2021. Despite the pandemic, the showcase was successfully organised both as live and online event. In 2021 the main organisers of the event were Dance Info Finland & CircusInfo Finland in cooperation with Helsinki Festival, the Finnish National Theatre, Klockriketeatern, Svenska Teatern (the main Swedish-language theatre in Helsinki), Espoo City Theatre and Theatre Info Finland TINFO.

Performing HEL 2021 was supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Embassy of Finland Moscow, Consulate General of Finland New York, Instituto Iberoamericano de Finlandia, Finnish Institute Benelux, Finland’s institute in Stockholm, Finland’s Culture Institute in Denmark, Finnish Institute in Estonia, Finland’s institut in St.Petersburg, Institut Finlandais, the Finnish Institute in London, Goethe Institut, Finnish-Norwegian Culture Institute and Finnagora.

Photos

Program

PITCH

Circus

Agit-Cirk: Ghost Town
Otava-project: Otava
Blind Gut Company: Transparent Surfaces
Sisus: Split Ends

Theatre

Durnenkov, Rossi, Peretrukhina: Work in progress
Oblivia: Obsessions
Turunen Company: Trilogy of stage productions by Saara Turunen
sadsongskomplex.fi: … and the rest is silence

Dance

Sonya Lindfors: Camouflage
Johanna Nuutinen +CO: SKIN HUNGER
Janina Rajakangas Project: Meadow
Kekäläinen & Company: If I Would Lose My Voice

DEMO

Circus

Race Horse Company: O’DD
Portmanteau: Piste, Piste, Piste
Kallo Collective: The Divine Lie

Theatre

Maija Hirvanen & Juha Valkeapää: Life as we know it

Dance

Mikko Niemistö: Odd Meters
Jenni-Elina von Bagh: A Prologue
Sari Palmgren & Co: Joy Riot

PERFORMANCE

Circus

Nuua: Vaarna
Fheel Concepts: HOLD ON

Theatre

Live Art Society: Listening
Tari Doris, Meri Ekola & Kid Kokko: Disappearing – a passion

Dance

Tiia Kasurinen: I’m not entirely here (cybersad)
Carl Knif Company: A Dream Play | (a dress rehearsal)


Site-spesific
WAUHAUS: A Great Mess
Tuukka Jukola & Kira Riikonen: Cycle City

RECORDED PERFORMANCES PART OF THE PROGRAMME

Tiia Kasurinen: I’m not entirely here (cybersad)
Michael Baran: Hitler & Blondi
August Strindberg & Laura Jäntti: A Ghost Sonata

The second edition of the showcase Performing HEL took place on 29th of August – 1st of September 2019 in Helsinki, Finland, in tandem with Helsinki Festival. The showcase was organised by Dance Info Finland & CircusInfo Finland in cooperation with Helsinki Festival, the Finnish National Theatre, Svenska Teatern (the main Swedish-language theatre in Helsinki), Espoo City Theatre and Theatre Info Finland TINFO.

In 2019 the event was supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Consulate General of Finland New York, Embassies of Finland in Washington D.C, London and Roma, Finland’s institute in Stockholm, Finland’s Culture Institute in Denmark, Finnish Institute in Estonia, Finland’s institut in St.Petersburg, Institut Finlandais and The Finnish Institute in London.

Photos

Program

PITCH

Circus

Agit-Cirk: 2+2+2
Salla Hakanpää: Funis 
Recover Laboratory: 10000000% – Concerto for hoops and drums
Race Horse Company: O’DD

Dance

Johanna Nuutinen +Co: ANON – The Act of Waiting
Liisa Pentti +Co: The Body 
Sari Palmgren: Lame Tamer 
Dance Theatre Minimi: Life 

Theatre

Espoo City Theatre: Flash, Flash
Red Nose Company: Babylon
Oblivia: Verdrängen, Verdrängen, Verdrängen
Other Spaces: Great Barrier Reef 

DEMO

Circus

Circo Aereo: Lion
Sirkum Polaris: Kulovalkea

Dance

Kinetic Orchestra: I’m Liquid 
Raekallio Corp.: Recollections 
Laura Pietiläinen/Michaela-The Queen of Fucking Everything: Blondes
Tero Saarinen Company: Third Practice

Theatre

Turunen Company: Medusa’s Room
Rossi, Holopainen and Riikonen: Johnny Got His Gun
WAUHAUS: Sapiens – The story of a storytelling species 
Wusheng Company: Trog

PERFORMANCE

Circus

Ilmatila: Atlas (Helsinki Festival programme)
Kalle Nio: The Green (Helsinki Festival programme)
Sivuhenkilöt: There’s no room for my wings (Helsinki Festival programme)

Dance

Petri Kekoni Company: Erratic block (Outdoor performance)
Susanna Leinonen Company: Nasty

The first Performing HEL showcase took place in Helsinki on 31 August–2 September 2018. The event was organised by the Finnish National Theatre, Helsinki Festival and Svenska Teatern in cooperation with CircusInfo Finland, Dance Info Finland and Theatre Info Finland Tinfo. The first edition of the showcase was supported by the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, Goethe Institut and Finnish cultural institutes internationally. 

The program was curated by Helsinki Festival Director Topi Lehtipuu and Finnish National Theatre Director Mika Myllyaho. 

Program

PITCH

Circus

Circus Aikamoinen: Circus I love you – an utopian circus
Race Horse Company: Urbotek
WHS & Kalle Nio: Lähtö / Départ
WHS & Kalle Nio: Cutting Edge
Sanna Silvennoinen & Thom Monckton: The Artist
Sivuhenkilöt (working group): There’s no room for my wings

Dance

Maija Hirvanen: Art & Love
Ima Iduozee: This is the title
Ima Iduozee: The Garden of Eden
Sonja Jokiniemi: Blab
Veli Lehtovaara: Conversations / Peltotiekeskustelu
Sonya Lindfors: Cosmic Latte
Sonya Lindfors: Noble Savage
Valtteri Raekallio: Oneiron
Tero Saarinen Company: Breath
Elina Pirinen: Brume de Mer

Theatre

Noora Dadu: My Palestine – a monologue for two actors
Noora Dadu: Fail – a flawed performance
Anna-Mari Karvonen: Amor Fati
Juhani Nuorvala, Juha Siltanen & Erik Söderblom: Flash Flash
Milja Sarkola: I would prefer not (Svenska Teatern)
Carl Knif: Förvandlingen – The Metamorphosis (Svenska Teatern)
Sophia Jupither: Episode (Svenska Teatern)
Minna Leino: Old Masters – a comedy (Finnish National Theatre)
Kristian Smeds: Frozen Images (Finnish National Theatre)
Minna Leino & WAUHAUS: Sapiens (working title – from animal to self-made god (Finnish National Theatre)

DEMO

Theo Clinkard, Maria Nurmela & Ville Oinonen: ”We told you there would be no certainty” (working title)
Davide Giovanza & working group: Lehman trilogy
Kalle Nio: The Green
Anna Paavilainen: Play Rape
Saara Turunen: The phantom of normality

PERFORMANCE

Heini Junkkaala: Axel – solo male vocal
Oblivia: Children and other radicals
Essi Rossi: Tainaron – mail from another city
Tero Saarinen Company: Zimmermann trio
Theatre No99 (Estonia) & Jalostamo2 (FInland): Project No30 ship of fools (livestream from Tallinn)