On Monday 30 March at 14.00–19.00 and Tuesday 31 March at 11.00–17.00, the foyers of the Helsinki City Theatre at Eläintarhantie 5 will be filled with the joy of performing arts and encounters. The free-of-charge and accessible Aika loistaa (‘Time to Shine’) festival is aimed at everyone over the age of 65, featuring a range of attractions such as theatre, dance, circus, various workshops and shared experiences.
Held now for the first time, the event aims to address the loneliness of seniors while also challenging some preconceived notions that people often have about ageing. The free festival gives participants an opportunity not only to watch performing arts, but to also take part in various workshops, experiencing and doing things themselves.
“The Aika loistaa festival is part of the Art for the Elderly project, which has been implemented as part of the Helsinki City Theatre’s audience outreach work since 2021. Over the years, we have heard repeatedly from seniors about how they have been brought up to think that they should not be seen or heard. However, the people whom we meet in the project are full of life experience, wisdom and creativity, so our aim with this event is to allow this age group to be prominently seen and heard – now is their time to shine,” comments Project Coordinator and producer of the Aika loistaa festival Reetta Kankare from the Helsinki City Theatre.
“We are organising the festival in cooperation with cultural operators in Helsinki. A total of nearly 20 different operators are involved, and the programme includes almost 30 different performances and workshops,” Kankare continues.
The City supports the wellbeing and functional capacity of seniors through grants
Supporting the wellbeing and functional capacity of seniors is a strong area of focus in the Helsinki City Strategy and the City’s Welfare Plan. Every year, the City awards grants to promote opportunities for seniors to participate in arts and culture.
“The funded projects have provided people with new experiences and enabled them to learn new skills and enjoy leisure activities. According to the feedback that we have received, the loneliness of participating seniors has decreased and their willingness to be more active has increased,” says Special Planning Officer Sara Kuusi from the City of Helsinki Culture and Leisure Division.
The Aika loistaa festival is a great opportunity to learn more about the art-related and cultural activities for seniors funded by the City, as much of the performance content has received grants from the City of Helsinki in recent years.
Up to 2,000 visitors are expected to attend the event, and around 1,500 people have already signed up. Secure your place and sign up in advance on the Helsinki City Theatre website (link below). Please note that the number of seats at performances in the small stage foyer is limited, and seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The number of participants in the workshops is also limited. You can sign up for the workshops at the information desk on the days of the event.
