The Finnish Institute’s staff shares their ideas on how to celebrate the month of the midnight sun.
Jaakko’s Choice: After 8 with @antifestival
After 8 with @antifestival is a series of discussion events on Instagram Live produced by ANTI Contemporary Art Festival. ANTI Festival works with innovative artists on projects that explore urban space. The festival is held annually in Kuopio in the Finnish lake district. Before this year’s festival in September, the ANTI team has invited friends and colleagues to talk online on important topics at this unprecedented time. The series is also inspired by the 2020 festival theme, food.
Schedule of upcoming After 8 with @antifestival discussions can be found on here.
Emilie’s choice: Coffee break with Silja Dögg Gunnarsdóttir on Nordic cooperation 2.6. at 2pm BST
Participation and joint strategies become even more important when the world tries to find ways to open up and continue international collaboration and exchange. Listen to the new president of the Nordic Council, islandic Silja Dögg Gunnarsdóttir during your coffee break. Themes for the discussion are Nordic cooperation and influencing, as well as Nordic Council and Nordic countries during the crisis. The event is organized by the Youth League of the Finnish Norden Association.
Sign up here.
Annika’s Choice: Midnight Sun Film Festival, online version
I’ve never had the chance to visit the annual Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä, even though it would have been only an hour’s drive away from my hometown. Physically I won’t be able to do that this year either, but as so many other events, also this festival will be carried out as an online version in collaboration with the Finnish national broadcasting company Yle. Movies selected by renowned directors will be broadcasted online, accompanied by discussions with the directors. These films will be available for watching every Saturday during the summer. Besides the film screenings, there will be interactive online events during the festival.
Midnight Sun Film Festival from June 10th to 14th. More info available here.
Ninni’s Choice: Rebecca, Seyi, Arundhati and Naomi
Like most things in life at the moment, events with world class thinkers and speakers have moved online. They’re often free to attend, and if you miss the actual date, many are available as recordings. Here are some of my recent favourites:
Women of the World Festival teamed up with the BBC for WoWxBBC, a weekend full of exciting speakers like my favourite essayist Rebecca Solnit and Seyi Akiwowo, founder and director of Glitch, a non-profit campaigning to end online abuse:
The brilliant writers and activists Arundhati Roy and Naomi Klein discussed the topic “The New Green Deal – From Crisis to Justice” organised by the US based publishing house Haymarket Books.
Sara’s Choice: Live @Home with Róisín Murphy
Among the many live performances available online, I feel like the Irish singer song-writer and record producer Róisín Murphy has stepped the game when it comes to visual effects to video performances. Check out her Youtube-channel for some groovy tunes and psychedelic backgrounds from her Live @Home performance.
Rosaliina’s Choice: Bow Down – Women in Art
Jennifer Higgie, editor at Frieze magazine, hosts a podcast to bring to our attention female artists who yet may not have received the recognition they deserve. For each 20-minute episode, Higgie invites guest artists, writers, historians and curators to discuss their chosen female artist from the past. Results include film theorist Laura Mulvey investigating the work of Chantal Akerman and Hayward Gallery curator Zoe Whitley on Kathleen Collins. The podcast can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or other online podcast platforms.
Photo: Sara Aaltio / Midnight Sun Film Festival
