On the Difficulties of Developing the Structures of Dance Art – and Other Reflections on the History of the Regional Dance Centre Network from the Artists’ Perspective
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In these times that are difficult for art (and perhaps for appreciation as well), it is sometimes important to see the good around us. When I was asked to write about the history of the regional dance centre network, I thought it would be an empowering task. After all, the network is a unique structure that has had an undeniable impact on the accessibility of dance art throughout Finland. I thought that, for once, I could list “achievements” and demonstrate the triumphs of dance art.
However, after interviewing artists from each of the regional centres, I have to say that history always has many sides. In a chronically under-resourced field, it is challenging to perceive larger developments when the basic issues remain unsolved. The income of dance artists is still too low, employment contracts are too short, there is no proper touring system, there are too few working spaces and production supports, and so on. I feel that, under economic pressure, even the full potential of the regional centres has remained unrealized. Still, that does not mean that the centres are not an important part of the field’s development or that they are not extremely meaningful support networks for artists. In fact, the history contains quite a few heroic stories.
When I asked about the founding of the centres, it became clear that even though the time was right and the political atmosphere was favourable, the establishment of the centres always required some dedicated “doer” or a group of people who had the perseverance to negotiate and push things forward concretely.
Negotiations and cooperation
“I was terribly nervous when I was going to an audience with the officials. Luckily, for example, the mayor of Kajaani was very supportive of culture. He said that if such money were coming to the city, of course we should be involved. But the application needed more weight, so we got JoJo and Rimpparemmi to join, and Pyhäsalmi came later. The Ministry of Culture required that the area already had high-level expertise and activity in the field. At Routa, we already had enthusiasm and interest in community art, which was also on the ministry’s wish list,” recalls Kirsi Törmi, who participated in founding the Northern Dance Centre (Pohjoinen tanssin aluekeskus).
“I remember that quite a bit of diplomacy was needed in the early stages to get all the dance actors behind a single joint application,” says Satu Tuittila, who was involved in establishing the Western Dance Centre (Läntinen tanssin aluekeskus).
“I don’t remember anything about the application itself, but I remember that it was difficult to find things that benefited all parties equally. There were so many different kinds of actors involved. But enabling employment was certainly one of the things we all wanted. And we hoped that dance would become more visible and accessible. For example, I have performed at all sorts of small events, in villages and schools, and the regional centre definitely made it possible for works to be performed much more widely,” says Johanna Tuukkanen about the establishment of the Eastern Finland Dance Centre (Itä-Suomen tanssin aluekeskus). “Savon Sanomat even published a photo of us when we ceremoniously dropped the application into the mailbox!”
Helena Ratinen describes the origin of the Central Finland Dance Centre (Keski-Suomen tanssin keskus) as follows: “Pirkanmaa applied for membership in the regional dance centre network, but it would not have been accepted alone. So Anniina Kumpuniemi contacted us and suggested that Central Finland join as part of Pirkanmaa. Of course we wanted to be part of such a wonderful national network. Since we would also have been too small on our own, we had a shared interest and motivation for an alliance. At first, we operated as an autonomous part of Pirkanmaa, but I think it was in the next application round that we gained independence.”
It is difficult to trace the very first idea of the regional centre network, but the concept appears, for example, in the final report Askel tulevaisuuteen – tanssin vapaan kentän kehittämishanke, published in 2003. One of the report’s main proposals was the establishment of regional centres, and it also outlined operational models inspired by similar centres elsewhere in Europe.
In the early 2000s, Finland was in an upswing after the recession, and the Minister of Culture was Tanja Karpela from the Centre Party. The government had ambitious employment goals, and regional policy has traditionally appealed to the Centre Party. Thus, in 2004, when the first regional centres were established, the political climate was favourable for a new nationwide initiative.
“It really was a stroke of luck when the regional centre was founded.”
Pirjo Viitanen, who participated in founding the Regional Dance Centre in Ostrobothnia (Regionala danscentret i Österbotten), sums up her hopes as follows: “One always hopes for everything – that dance artists could come to the region, that there would be jobs all over Finland, that dance would reach people better, that everyone could see and experience dance. The regional centre has made it possible to organize workshops and events, and thanks to that, more dance professionals have settled in the region. The centre has operated commendably well considering the limited circumstances. It is so important that there are practitioners all over Finland! I used to be terribly annoyed that dance existed only in Helsinki! I thought, it can’t be like this – and that’s why we moved to my mother’s birthplace, Kokkola.”
“I think very warmly of the regional centre. It has been a background support and a mental support. It really was a stroke of luck when the centre was founded! It offered everything that an individual freelance artist could possibly get from professionals in the field. It also affected my personal finances when the centre started pricing my work. I’m hopeless at talking about money, but at the centre they had that know-how. I’ll always remember one situation, about pay issues. Nokia was in its heyday and money was flowing. I got a call asking if I would lead a recreation day. When I stated my fee, there was a long silence on the other end. The landline slipped from my hand and I thought I had ruined it – I’d asked for far too much. Then, from the other end of the line came: ‘Couldn’t you ask for a bit more?’ After the regional centre, that kind of thing didn’t happen anymore. My professionalism and my thinking were strengthened,” says Marjo Hämäläinen about the impact of the centre on the Pirkanmaa region and on her own career.
“The expanding job descriptions of dance artists are certainly one thing that the regional centres have strongly influenced. At first, community dance was done with project funding, but gradually it became established, and now dance artists can be seen working in hospitals, mental health services, and immigrant communities. Without the regional centres, this would hardly have become so systematic and continually expanding. I also want to highlight one simple but important thing: the provision of rehearsal space, that is, the centre’s support for everyday work. And that has a really great impact – having a mental support structure, an entity that is genuinely interested in what you do,” says Satu Tuittila.
“We freelancers had nothing, nothing at all! We did everything on our own! There were no spaces, nothing. In that sense, the regional centre has brought a lot, even if it hasn’t created such a pull that artists would move to the area because of the opportunities it offers. However, diversity has increased, and various dance practices have gained more visibility. The centres have strengthened production expertise and created permanent jobs on the production side, though not so much for dance artists. And that’s often how it goes – organizations need people to function,” reflects Johanna Tuukkanen.
“Without the regional centre, I don’t know how many times Routa would have been shut down. It’s true that money attracts money, and with the regional centre status, it’s been easier to get other project funding as well. It strengthened the professional profile. Touring within the Kainuu region became possible thanks to the regional centre, and performances reached wider audiences,” lists Kirsi Törmi when describing the centre’s impact on Routa Company’s activities.
“The wide-ranging mission of the regional centre was well suited to bringing dance professionals together,” says Helena Ratinen from the Central Finland Dance Centre. “It has created cooperation networks both within Central Finland and nationally. The regional centres have adapted to the needs of their regions and function as important hubs of dance expertise. They implement their mandate – improving the availability and accessibility of dance and creating employment – through the persistent energy of capable people.”
How to measure the immeasurable?
All the interviewees point out, directly or between the lines, how the regional centres’ support for everyday work has been mentally significant for artists. Even small resources often have great value. Simply gaining access to a workspace or receiving help in salary negotiations is a gesture of support that makes work possible. This aligns with the message of the report Turvaa ja pysyvyyttä sirpaletyön tekijöille – tanssitaiteilijoiden kokemuksia tanssin aluekeskustoiminnan vaikuttavuudesta alan työllisyyteen ja työoloihin, published last year.
Although the regional centres have not solved the major problems of our field, they have significantly strengthened and diversified it. But how can this be measured?
I am reminded of the recent basic income experiment, which did not produce financial savings but increased people’s sense of happiness. Did the lack of financial results make the experiment a failure? In the arts, many things seem difficult to measure. I believe that the impact of the regional centres cannot be measured solely in money or in the number of employed artists. Over these twenty years, there have been countless encounters that have touched individual artists or audience members in unforgettable ways.
In the end, I did feel empowered. It is wonderful to understand concretely that the regional dance centre network, too, was created by people who believed in their cause – it did not arise from nothing. We need a better political climate, but even so, influencing and changing things is possible. Through cooperation, we can hopefully continue to build a better future together.
Veera Lamberg
Artistic Director, Eastern Finland Dance Centre
Dance artist
Interviewees:
Eastern Finland Dance Centre – Johanna Tuukkanen
Central Finland Dance Centre – Helena Ratinen
Western Dance Centre – Satu Tuittila
Regional Dance Centre in Ostrobothnia – Pirjo Viitanen
Northern Dance Centre – Kirsi Törmi
Pirkanmaa Dance Centre – Marjo Hämäläinen
Also consulted:
Sanna Rekola, Director of the Circus and Dance Information Centre, who co-authored Askel tulevaisuuteen;
and Anniina Kumpuniemi, co-founder of the Pirkanmaa Dance Centre.
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