Artistic Director – Senior Manager Johanna Tuukkanen to move on after 20 years

Media release 29.9.2021

ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival Association announces that our amazing Artistic Director – Senior Manager Johanna Tuukkanen will step down in November after 20 years at the helm. Johanna has been appointed Head of Cultural Services in the city of Oulu, Finland, where she will lead general cultural services and work as the Director of Cultural Centre Valve. The Finnish Media Release here (link).

This is a wonderful opportunity for Johanna and although we are incredibly sad to see her go, we are all delighted for the next chapter in her illustrious career.

Johanna is one of the founding members of ANTI Festival (2002-) and has had a key role in developing the festival into an internationally acknowledged, award-winning art organisation. Johanna is a multi-skilled director who has been responsible for both programming and managing the finances, staff, and strategic development. She has created a sustainable organisation and she leaves us in a great place.

“The tasks of the City of Oulu’s Head of Cultural Services bring together three of my key interests: the promotion of art, development of the city through the means of culture, and internationality resulting from the appointment of Oulu as the 2026 European Capital of Culture. I am thrilled to get to work to develop my former hometown of Oulu as well as to benefit its cultural life and local residents.

For the past 20 years, I have given my all to developing the ANTI Festival. It is with pride and some bittersweet feelings that I am leaving our success story at a point where the festival is doing better than ever. I feel reassured to leave the festival at the hands of professionals who love it and will look after it with great care. I am thankful that, together with the Festival Manager Elisa Itkonen, Producer Suvi Koivisto and the Chair of the Board Jenni Rissanen, we got to experience the 20th anniversary of the festival and share the unique community it created, the enthusiasm of audiences, and the support of colleagues. ANTI is a one-of-a-kind concept – a gift that I am now passing on. I thank all the numerous partners and artists with whom I’ve had the honour to work with over the years,”

Johanna comments on her new opportunity.

The Board and team of the ANTI Association are undertaking a transition process and a period of rethinking and rearranging the organisation. Festival Manager Elisa Itkonen will be responsible of directing the festival until we will inform about the new staff arrangements. We will proudly continue to develop the festival towards a successful post-pandemic future.

The Association and the staff want to thank Johanna deeply. She has been a passionate, dynamic and dear boss and colleague for us. Good luck with the new challenges!

For more information, contact

Johanna Tuukkanen, johanna@antifestival.com, +358 50 305 2485

Elisa Itkonen, elisa@antifestival.com, +358 50 305 2005