Crisis-time feelings on stage on the Night of the Arts

The virtual Museum of Contemporary Emotions was established to support the emotions experienced during the pandemic and coping with the crisis in Finland. Almost 30,000 people have already visited the museum and hundreds have processed their feelings by writing a letter to their future selves. At the Night of the Arts event in Helsinki on 18 August, these emotions will be brought on stage.

Time: 18 August 2022, performances at 17 and 19:30 (duration 75 min)
Place: Bio Rex Lasipalatsi, Mannerheimintie 22-24, Helsinki

***
Remember how you felt when the pandemic closed Finland and transformed everyday life? How did you feel when the state of emergency was declared, events were cancelled or while you were awaiting the results of your first Covid-19 test. When you are looking back now, how do the worst times of the Covid-19 pandemic feel to you? And how have you felt, as in addition to the long-spanning pandemic new crises have challenged our sense of security?
***

The Museum of Contemporary Emotions, launched in October 2021, is part of the Finland Forward communications package coordinated by the Prime Minister’s Office, the aim of which is to strengthen psychological resilience during a crisis. The museum, encouraging people to self-reflection, offers visitors a chance to go through phenomena experienced during the emergency and feelings behind them.

At the Night of the Arts event arranged by the Museum of Contemporary Emotions actors express their own and shared feelings about the exceptional times by using the methods of playback theatre. In two performances, Playback Theatre Vox will lead us back to the phenomena and emotions felt during the time of the crisis as well as personal experiences of the audience with the help of letters written at the Museum of Contemporary Emotions. Almost 700 people have already written an anonymous letter to their future selves at the museum, where they are published with the author’s consent.

Write yourself a letter here

***

The creative design for the domestically and internationally awarded museum was made by hasan & partners oy and the technical implementation by Into Digital. The project has involved more than 150 experts from different fields and a large number of people from creative and cultural sectors.

Playback Theatre Vox is a playback theatre group made up of professionals. The playback theatre is a communal form of applied theatre based on improvisation, which brings true stories told by the audience to the stage.

The performances are in Finnish language, but the museum content can also be accessed in English.

Entrance to performances is free of charge. Coffee served at the event.

More information

Evening with stories of emotions elsewhere in Finland

The event will mark the beginning of a tour, to be seen also in:

• 28 September Turku, Raatihuone
• 24 November Joensuu, Carelicum
• 30 November Rovaniemi, Arktikum

The tour will be announced separately.

KULTA ry – the Central Organisation for Finnish Culture and Arts Associations as well as event agency TAPAUS are also partners involved in the event tour.

More information: suomitoimii.vnk@gov.fi

Tel. 050 516 5590