Language

Finnish.

Participation

You must register for the event in advance. Read more information (in Finnish).

Working Group

Heidi Backström is a curator, producer, and writer working in the fields of literature, performance art, and contemporary art. Teatterin Uusi Alkukirjasto is a small press founded by Heidi and critic Maria Säkö, dedicated to texts on the performing arts.

Even Minn works in writing, performance, and trans and fat activism. Community, play, and rest are central to Minn’s practice. Minn serves as the house dramaturg at Ehkä-production, and is interested in mapping continuities, and frequently explores themes of parenthood and ancestry in their art. Minn has facilitated creative writing groups for mental health recoverees through Helmi ry, the online writing group Queer Writing Group, and co-led recovery workshops for text workers together with Aurora Ala-Hakula.

Saara Tamminen is the coordinator of literary field development project at Tekstin talo, who has worked, among other things, in documentary film and as a curator of audio essays.

Tekstin talo (House of Text) is a cultural centre that opened in Helsinki in 2023, bringing together key players in the literary field under one roof. The mission of Tekstin talo is to support creators of textual art, to foster the emergence of new types of text-based content and productions, and to attract new audiences to literature and textual art.

Learning Lab for Text Workers

Partner Programme: Tekstin talo (FI)

Fri 18.9.

At 11:00-16:00

Language

Finnish.

Participation

You must register for the event in advance. Read more information (in Finnish).

Textworker’s Day provides writers, artists, researchers, and others working with text a shared space in which to meet, learn, and support one another. The program will be held in Finnish.

Learning Lab includes a discussion and two workshops. Participants will also enjoy lunch together, and enhance peer support. The event is part of Tekstin talo’s nationwide literary field development project, supported by Kone Foundation.

11.00 – Text-based art: A discussion with curator, producer and writer Heidi Backström. We’ll explore curating texts and pathways for realizing text-based art projects. We’ll also reflect on what collaborative methods could entail, and look at models for small-scale publishing.

12.00 – Lunch

13.00 – Source materials and archives: Attendees will explore how archives operate and learn about working with source material. In critical archival practice, it is essential to clarify what gets preserved, what is left out, and whose voices remain central. We’ll explore writing approaches based on documentary material, and learn what kind of expertise and responsibility the use of such material requires. The workshop will be led by coordinator Saara Tamminen.

14.30 – Recovery practices: Dramaturg Even Minn invites us to try out practices that help us recover from writing and other artistic work. To begin with, we’ll look at tarot cards together in relation to our own writing. Finally, Minn will lead a bodily listening exercise designed to help us ground ourselves and listen to our inner selves. The exercise is based on touch and somatosensory methods.

Supported by: Koneen Säätiö, Kopiosto

Fri 18.9.

At 11:00-16:00

Language

Finnish.

Participation

You must register for the event in advance. Read more information (in Finnish).

Working Group

Saara Tamminen is the coordinator of literary field development project at Tekstin talo, who has worked, among other things, in documentary film and as a curator of audio essays.