Busy week ahead. I have finished all the premieres in Helsinki finally and I will be focusing to the northern region projects from now on. Arctic Art Summit is the first in line. I am participating two different performances, one in Korundi art museum and the other one in restaurant Valdemar. I am collaborating with Piste Collective artists. Piste is Rovaniemi based union of artists producing contemporary circus, dance and theatre performances. Last but not least I will do the lights for a concert by Solju. Solju provides a dialogue of traditional and modern Sámi culture.

​I am very exited to be part of Hiljaisuus-festivaali. I have collaborated with musician Mikko Perkola (in Licking things 2016) who is an artistic director of the festival with a circus artist Henna Kaikula. I contacted Mikko with this idea and he welcomed me to be artist at the festival. I will be creating an installation to a really old horse stall. This work will continue my work in site specific experiments with haze (f.e. Secret Garden 2018).

Premiere
MUISTIKUVIA – RECOLLECTIONS
Artistic concept and realization: Valtteri Raekallio
Dance: Annamari Keskinen ja Valtteri Raekallio
Composing of the music and performance: Meriheini Luoto (violin, nyckelharpa, vocals, electronics)
Coding of the live electronics: Kaj Mäki-Ullakko
Set design: Aino Koski
Lighting design: Jukka Huitila
Diary texts and archive photos: Valtteri Raekallio
Cinefilms and projections: Thomas Freundlich
Realization of the puppet: Saima Lahtinen
Puppetry consultant: Aati Saarva
Production assistant: Riikka Laurilehto
Production: Raekallio Corp., Zodiak – Center for New Dance

​The second concert of Pekka Kuusisto´s Residency at Wigmore Hall 1st of May. 

Pekka Kuusisto violin
Prof Dr Erik Scherder neuropsychologist
Jukka Huitila visual designer 

​MUSIC+
Performers: Krista-Julia Arppo, Jenni-Elina von Bagh, Hanna Heino, Heini Hermunen, Soili Huhtakallio, Minna Karttunen, Anne-Maarit Kinnunen, Anni Koskinen, Meeri Lempiäinen, Mirva Mäkinen, Satu Rekola, Tuuli Vahtola, Soile Voima 
Artistic working team: Liisa Risu, Mirva Mäkinen, Sonja Jokiniemi
together with
Sound designer: Jussi Saivo
Lighting designer: Jukka Huitila
Production: Zodiak – Center for New Dance, Stoa, Circus Maximus, Liisa Risu
Supported by: Jenny ja Antti Wihuri Foundation, Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland
In collaboration with: Outokumpu Riveria, Vocational Programme for Dance
Residency: Bioart Society's Ars Bioarctica Residency Program (Kilpisjärvi)

​STOA (Teatterisali)
Turunlinnantie 1, Itäkeskus

review (FI)​
Tickets

​Titta Court, Pirjo Yli-Maunula: [mute] 

Existing amidst things that cannot be spoken of is like living next to an active volcano. Refusing to see the risk does not shield one from it.

[mute], the latest performance by Flow Productions, focuses on silence, the avoidance of conflict, shame and the fear of losing one's face. Choreographed for one adult and one child performer, [mute] explores the subject matter in an unhesitating style toned with surreal elements and black humour.

[mute] is performed with a rotating cast of actors that changes from one performance to the next. The structure of the performance is the same for all performers, but each performer brings their own personality, ways of moving and expression to it.

The choreography, made by adults, approaches the refusal to speak from the perspective of children: the figure dressed in furs is unable to utter a single word, while the child inhabits a fantasy forest made of floating plastic firs. However, [mute] is not a made for children, stresses Pirjo Yli-Maunula​, one of the two choreographers and adult performers. 

The makers of [mute] want to show what the behavior of adults looks like through the eyes of the children, who can often only survive through use of imagination. Even though a child performer is seen on the stage with the adult, the themes and the various layers of [mute] belong firmly to the realm of adults.

The adult performers and choreographers of [mute] are Titta Court and Pirjo Yli-Maunula, while the child roles are performed by the 12-year-old Pinja​ ​Palosaari​ and the 8-year-old Marona​ ​Awdishou​. In the performances in Helsinki, the roles are played by Yli-Maunula and Palosaari.

The child performers have been involved in the process as fearlessly and unhesitatingly as the adults. Although the subject matter is serious, it also has an absurd and playful side to it, which the child performers bring to life.

​”On the stage, the open and good-natured child meets a damaged and reckless adult whose actions are strange, unpredictable and questionable. -- [mute] is a deeply thought, dense and very beautiful performance.” – Eeva Kauppinen, Teatteri & Tanssi + Sirkus

”It is consoling to watch a performance that does not offer a single truth, allowing the viewer to read the rich variety of different narrative signals instead.” – Petri Kauppinen, Kaleva

[mute] premiered at Cultural Centre Valve in Oulu on November 4, 2017.

Choreography: Titta Court & Pirjo Yli-Maunula
Rotating cast:
Titta Court/Pirjo Yli-Maunula & Pinja Palosaari/Marona Awdishou
Sound Director: Aake Otsala
Light Designer: Jukka Huitila
Dress and set designer: Heidi Kesti
Composers: George Bandoek Apostolakis & Aake Otsala
Producers: Flow Productions & Titta Court
Trailer and video documentation: Double Deuce Productions
​
Tickets

“Vieras – Främling – Stranger is a polyphonic work which envisages the meaning of strange and uncanny in our time.
The work – an event – is a manifesto of uncertainty, fragility, queerness, drifting, uncanny and love.
More info & tickets

Script, concept, choreography, text, space: Sanna Kekäläinen
Performers: Jonna Eiskonen, Sanna Kekäläinen and Janne Marja-aho
Prologue: Jamie MacDonald
Part 1. Stranger: Sanna Kekäläinen
Part 2. Witness Version 24.2., 28.2., 5.3. ja 9.3.: Jonna Eiskonen, Sanna Kekäläinen and Janne Marja-aho
Part 2. Feminist Version 26.2., 2.3. ja 7.3.: Jonna Eiskonen and Sanna Kekäläinen
Sound design: Jussi Matikainen
Light design: Jukka Huitila
Sculptures and graphic design: Aku Korhonen
Photos: Kristiina Männikkö
Essay: Riikka Laakso

Premiere: 24th Feb 2019 at 3pm
Other performances: 26th | 28th Feb | 2nd | 5th | 7th | 9th Mar at 7pm
Cirko -Center for New Circus, Kaasutehtaankatu 1 (building 8)

 I´m Liquid premiere in STOA 12.12.2018.
Review in Finnish by HS

Choreography: Jarkko Mandelin with dancers
Dancers: Sanni Giordani, Anni Koskinen, Iiro Näkki and Oskari Turpeinen
Sound design: Janne Hast
Lighting design: Jukka Huitila
Costume design: Kirsi Gum
​Photos: Jussi Ulkuniemi

One of the biggest projects in my life so far completed. I am based in Rovaniemi for good. Feel free to contact me if in a need for the light.

Choreography Jyrki Karttunen
Dance Jyrki Karttunen, Jyrki Kasper, Heidi Naakka, Mikko Paloniemi, Johannes Purovaara
Lighting & Set design Jukka Huitila
Costume design Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila
Sound design Aleksi Saura
Production Helsinki Dance Company 
Photos Marko Mäkinen

Tickets & more info

​Quebec author Jennifer Tremblay´s award-winning and internationally successful play the list opens in 14th of September, directed by Irene Aho and performed by Pirjo Määttä.  A woman whose perfectionism is reflected in her carefully organised to-do lists, is bereft at the unexpected death of her neighbour. The List is a gently humorous and perceptive study of how the mundane and the meaningful are inextricably linked.

Set design and lighting: Jukka Huitila
Costume design: Auli Turtiainen
Photos: Tuomo Manninen

THE SECRET GARDEN is created by dancers Pirjo Yli-Maunula, Milla Virtanen and Maria Littow, acrobats Ilona Jäntti and Milla Järvinen, sound designer Anssi Laiho, assistant Nikke Launonen, light designer Jukka Huitila and wardrobe designer Heidi Kesti. Set design by the team in co-operation with students and teacher, master florist Pasi Kivilompolo from the OSAO Kempele-Liminka Unit. Photography, texts by Janne-Pekka Manninen.

THE SECRET GARDEN is something you should experience, not explain. 
​
"First it is the insects that disappear. Then birds run out of things to eat. THE SECRET GARDEN is the depiction of a future we are making for ourselves right now."

More about the performance and tickets!
www.flowprod.fi/en/ohjelmistossa/the-secret-garden/

I met Pekka Kuusisto in Tavastia club Helsinki for the first time. I think it might had been around 2004. I was collaborating visuals with Vesa Ellilä for Rinneradio. Pekka came as a guest for the show and he had a place for strong atmospheric violin solo in the middle of the concert. I had first generation camera phone in my pocket and when he arrived, last minute off course, I took a photo of his face. Vesa had designed white sphere light set up that covered the stage from left to right. I used Photoshop and created masks for the balls and when the solo came I made Pekka´s face travelling around those balls. It was fun, weird but fun. 

We are creating series of three concerts in Wigmore Hall London now. We had a work in progress concert opening day of the Our Festival in Järvenpää. First concert is titled Syöpä (cancer) and the premiere will be in London 13.9. 

Pekka is playing and Suvi Savola speaking briefly about cancer studies along the concert. Maija Tammi´s stunning videos and Perttu Haapanen as a composer for the concert finale In Vitro. My role travels between curator, director and lighting designer.

Mute travels in time and space. Extremely hot performance since the venue temperature in Pyhäjärvi Full Moon was + 30. Titta Court was performing the 40 min piece wearing a fur coat, imagine that. This piece will be in Helsinki spring 2019. Don't miss it!

​Licking things (2016) is a ride through emotions. This performance is about licking life, you taste something. The piece keeps going, unstoppable. Such a reward working with Sari, Katri, Tumppi, Mikko and Karoliina. Next show in Kittilä maybe or maybe not ;) Definitely not buryed yet.

Choreography Carl Knif
Dance Jonna Aaltonen, Terhi Vaimala, Eero Vesterinen, Riku Lehtopolku, Annika Hyvärinen, Satu Halttunen,
Pekka Louhio, Tom Rejström & Misa Lommi
Scenography Jukka Huitila
Sound design Janne Hast
Costume design Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila
Production Ona Sandberg
Co-production Carl Knif Company & Dance Theatre Raatikko
Premiere 2018, Kuopio Dance Festival

Press photos by Yoshi Omori

Helsinki 6.-8.6.,Tampere 8.8., Oulu 15.9.,  Jyväskylä 29.9.
​

It´s Eastern and we are performing last shows for Anna Karenina in Suvilahti, Helsinki.Great reviews in the media and on top lots of loving feedback from the audience. Five shows remaining and we´ve been fully booked so far. Magnificent company musicians lead by Roni Martin and flamenco stars Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro are putting their hearts in to this triangle drama. Kaari Martin and Atro Kahiluoto are butlers in the show like me but responsible of directing the brave vision of the performance. In the middle of the collapsing tables and melting ice decorations Jorma Uotinen is a vivid artists, twisting his role in Anna Karenina into a russian bear. Its a privilege to get to perform with him. Photo of Jorma by Minna Hatinen.

Another bear I met this week was hanging on the wall of the Finnish National Theatre. I made a venue check for the upcoming project with a drama director Irene Aho. I will do the scenography for Jennifer Tremblay´s play The List. This will be my third collaboration with Irene. The play itself is a powerful monolog.. 

At Once, in Helsinki is the latest work by Carl Knif Company, and it will be premiered in Kuopio Dance Festival 14.6.2018. I look forward to this project since we have lots of great dancers on the stage. This will be a big production in the free field of the contemporary dance in Finland.  
​Photo: Yoshi Omori

WELCOME TO COUNT KARENIN’S BALL! 

​Why is all this done? We will all be put to our graves, and there will be nothing left of us. And it will be the same with me. Why? 
-ANNA KARENINA

​Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin is pleased to invite You to share a dinner at Count Karenin’s festive table! A doomsday orchestra plays the last waltz under the gleam of crystal chandeliers. Ice sculptures melt away on trays. A bear dances. Love will not be our saving grace.

On stage: 
Mariana Collado, Carlos Chamorro, Jorma Uotinen, Erno Haukkala, Roni Martin, Sanna Salmenkallio, Eppu Helle, Miguel Kolliander, Jukka Huitila
Choreography: Kaari Martin together whit dancers
Music: Roni Martin
Dramaturgy: Atro Kahiluoto
Direction: Martin-Martin-Kahiluoto
Light design and scenography: Jukka Huitila
Costume design: Erika Turunen
Make up and hair: Kaisu Hölttä
Photography: Janne Mikkilä
Livesound: Eppu Helle
Stagemanager: Miguel Kolliander
Costume production: Johanna Vehmas ja Ilkka Salakari, Atelje Hurma
Production: Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin
 Tickets: Helsinki / Cirko, Suvilahti 22.3–2.4.2018. Tickets: 25-39 €, ticketmaster.fi

It has been a nice collaboration with Valtteri Raekallio the director and Aino Koski the scenographer. We have created a space where dancers are disappearing to a mist just to being pulled back due to the bright light of life. Valtteri had an ambitious idea about a bright light from outside that´s travelling around the building. This idea is known from the ancient Greek theatre plays performed during the sunset. Instead of the sun we have a full control of the led fixtures travelling in a trolley... like a movie style. We actually had to build a custom trolley to make it move smoothly on an asphalt, slalom a containers, downhill, manpower and all. Aino painted the windows with sour milk, a good old smelly method as well. Then we just add some mist and voilà: we have a hazy ambient feeling. This is working perfectly with the glorious dancers. Oneiron is one to feel! We will have a premiere 18th of January 2018, really next Thursday. The premiere is sold out and the rest of the performances are selling fast!! Tickets from Holvi ​