YELLOWCAKE

YELLOWCAKE is a participatory performance that invites participants to explore the possibilities of collaboration and togetherness through the memory of the anti-uranium mining movement of the late 1970s in Alta Val Seriana, the valley where Tea Andreletti comes from. It interweaves the history of uranium mining in Italy and Finland and creates a dialogue between the past stories of resilience from the mountains of Northern Italy and the present stories of the Elokapina Kuopio activists.

The four-hour performance includes a shared lunch and fosters a space for sharing knowledge, stories, care, food and different ways of being together.

Polenta, the ‘yellow cake’, provides the framework for the performance. It is a corn porridge from Northern Italy. It has accompanied the demonstrators in their successful five-year struggle against uranium mining. In a twist of fate, ‘yellowcake’ is also the name of the product of uranium mining, a radioactive powder that is processed into fuel used in nuclear power plants.

YELLOWCAKE premiered at Baltic Circle in 2022 and evolves throughout its journey in response to the different festival contexts, environments and communities. It raises awareness of environmental issues, from mining to forestry.

For ANTI Festival, Tea Andreoletti collaborates with Iida Tukeva, Laura Siponmaa, Matti Karhunen, Kalle Rissanen, Arto Konttinen activists from Elokapina, Emma Sähäkkä, activist from the Finnish Forest Movement Metsäliike, and archaeologist Marko Mikael Marila.

YELLOWCAKE is a part of Kulkue project. Kulkue is a joint project of three major art festivals. ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival (Kuopio), HangöTeaterträff(Hanko) and Baltic Circle Festival (Helsinki) are carrying out an exceptionally broad series of joint productions from Finland and a tour built around the works. The key goal of the project is to promote the accessibility of festivals and extend the artwork lifecycle. The project is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.