KASSANDRA MULTICULTURAL ARTS CENTRE

10 YEARS OF CREATIVITY ACROSS CULTURE BOUNDARIES

2010 marks the tenth anniversary of our multicultural arts project, which started when the Raging Roses Theatre formed part of the Helsinki celebrations as European City of Culture in 2000. Kassandra grew out of this experience, and it has since developed into a forum for all kinds of cultural activities with women at its centre.

Kassandra today is a centre for a wide range of artistic work. New and native Finnish artists in the visual arts, theatre, dance and music perform, teach, lecture and create multiform productions. We have over fifty artists, most of whom are new Finns. The key idea is that they work together with native Finns. This is what makes Kassandra different, and what gives us our special strength – something we can be proud of on the European stage.

Kassandra’s artistic work is helping to build a new Finnish identity. We enter into dialogue with people from different backgrounds and work with them to produce art which reflects the increasing variety of cultures in contemporary Finland.

The art workshops we run in schools and daycare homes are among our leading products, together with our drama performances. Kassandra creates innovative projects within different social contexts, and offers unusual opportunities to explore a range of artistic experiences which open doors to cultures from many parts of the world.

During the past ten years nearly 10 000 people have attended Kassandra’s art workshops, and about 50 000 have experienced our artistic programmes. The TV series ”Woman’s limits” reached a million viewers, and our theatre productions have had a total audience of nearly 20 000. Kassandra has administered three EU projects, with a combined participation of 17 000 people. Our social impact has been extensive; the publc response has been enthusiastic and the significance of our work is evident.

Artistic work creates wellbeing. Culture is a supreme value, both in Finland and in the world at large. This is a widely recognised truth. Finland needs art and its artists, all of us. Through art, people from different backgrounds can find each other. Support for this kind of preventive artistic work is far more economical than trying to patch up a fragmented society when it is too late.

Last year brought some wonderful surprises. Kassandra was nominated for a special award by the Jenni and Antti Wihuri foundation, and we also received a Finland prize from the Ministry of Education. This meant not only glory but also money, for which we are grateful. We are also always grateful to the Kassandra Friends, whose encouragement and financial support have rescued us from many a crisis.

2010 opens a new phase in Kassandra’s progress. We have moved to the Korjaamo Culture Factory, a new and exciting environment. We are in excellent company there, and are making our own contribution to the Korjaamo’s multiple activities, with new art forms. I believe that we are needed. And I believe that Kassandra was born ten years ago to live a strong and radiant life – and a long one.

Ritva Siikala