Future Narratives
– how art can help us recreate stories of the future
Art is often considered a reflection of society. Yet it also proves to be a force in transforming the world, providing narratives that help us imagine what lies ahead. The era we are living in is full of rapid changes, some of which are posing huge challenges to our future. However, do previous narratives of the future always keep up with the changing world? Do they help us solve the challenges we are facing today or tomorrow? In this event we explore what kind of new and different stories about the future we need, and which role art can play in actively recreating the stories of our future.
This event is part of Centriphery, a collaborative project between nine partner organisations based across Europe, including Espoo City Theatre. The project runs from 2019 to 2023 and the objective is to foster collaborations between European artists and citizens, in regions, cities or neighbourhoods in peripheral situations and facing difficult social and economic contexts. The project brings together cultural structures from the European Union on the outskirts of cities or regions. The program proposes to set up residences on the theme of oral transmission in these territories. Read more about the Centriphery project
Future Narratives Event
Time: Thursday 19 May 2022, 14:00-17:00
Venue: Revontuli Hall, Espoo City Theatre, Revontulentie 8, Espoo.
The full recording of the event can be viewed HERE.
Programme
14:00-14:05 Welcome and practicalities
Erik Söderblom, Artistic Director, Espoo City Theatre
14:05-14:35 Keynote presentation: Can art fill the imagination gap?
Roope Mokka, futurist, urbanist, artist, founder of Demos Helsinki
14:35-14:50 Q&A
14:50-15:00 Coffee break
15:00-16:30 Panel discussion
Moderator:
Sean Ricks, Journalist
Panellists:
Outi Kuittinen, Lead, Untitled Alliance
Roope Mokka, futurist, urbanist, artist, founder of Demos Helsinki
Erik Söderblom, Artistic Director, Espoo City Theatre
Susanna Tommila, Cultural Director, City of Espoo
16:30-17:00 Coffee & mingling
17:00 End of the event
About the guests
Outi Kuittinen leads the work of Untitled, a global, cross-sectoral alliance for social imagination and experimentation. It aims to create unlikely allies, transformative experiments and new narratives of fair, sustainable and joyful social transformation. The red thread of Outi’s work of 15 years at Demos Helsinki has been to change how people and organizations collaborate in the 21st century. Her special expertise is in building communities and partnerships of action. She has also been a Fulbright scholar at The Education Redesign Lab at Harvard University and taught in Parsons School of Design in The New School. She likes to adventure in participatory cultures and Finnish nature.
Roope Mokka is an adviser and practitioner of social transformation. Currently, Mokka shares his time between building alliances and working as an artist. He is specialised in helping organisations, communities, cities, and states to become members of transformative alliances and in setting those alliances in motion. Mokka has built alliances with and comprising of cities, corporations, central governments, political parties, civic groups, foundations, news and media, cultural and science institutions, start-ups, artists, performers, technologists, and events.
Sean Ricks is a Finnish journalist based in Tampere. He is the host of the prime time talk show Perjantai which airs on the Finnish Broadcasting Company. A big believer in free speech and open discussion, Sean also hosts and moderates a variety of discussions around Finnish society.
Erik Söderblom is a theatre and opera director as well as a pedagogue. He took over the artistic leadership of Espoo City Theatre in 2017. Before this, Söderblom worked as Director at Turku City Theatre, Director and Chairman of the Board of Q-teatteri, Founding Partner and Artistic Director and of the Baltic Circle Festival, Professor of Acting and Vice-Rector at Helsinki Theatre Academy, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Helsinki Festival and as a member of the Artistic Committee at Tampere Theatre Festival. He is a Founding Partner of MiklagardArts. Söderblom has directed theatre both in Finland and abroad. He has been awarded a Chevalier de Ordre des Art et des Lettres by the government of France.
Susanna Tommila (MA, eMBA) is the Cultural Director in the City of Espoo since 2014. She has been working in the Helsinki Metropolitan area in public administration for different employers for more than 20 years. Her special competence and interests are in strategic development and leadership. She holds cultural policy and cultural strategies in the core of her work, with a special focus on diversity, collaboration, and sustainability. She also has a strong belief in the European community and in the international collaboration. Susanna Tommila is an experienced speaker, mentor, and coach in several European cities as well as in Finland.
