Silence organisation
Art Organisation Silence
Art Organisation Silence advances artistic opportunities in Lapland by organising performances, art events, networking and providing a framework for artistic work and building new multidisciplinary partnerships. The organisation's backbone, Taiteilijayhdistys Hiljaisuus ry, was founded in 2012 and currently operates year-round as a regionally and nationally significant platform for artistic work, events and projects. In less than ten years, the association has evolved from a festival background organisation into a broad and diverse platform for the production and development of art and artistic work.
At the heart of the association's activities are the annual multi-artistic annual Silence Festival in early June, the Silence Residency, which supports the realisation of new works in the performing arts, and year-round performance and concert activities, the main events of which are the Hiljaisuuden vieraana ("Guest of Silence") concert series and visits by circus companies to Kittilä. In addition, the association acts as a regionally significant art expert in Lapland, as a voice for Finnish art professionals outside the capital region in art and cultural policy-making, and as an expert in networking at regional, national and international level.
The fundamental tasks guiding the Silence activities are written in 2021
1. We operate as a performing arts environment in the North.
2. We organise and facilitate multidisciplinary experiments, productions, events and residencies, with a particular focus on contemporary circus and music.
3. Highlighting artistic and world phenomena and (inviting) artists to work at the interface between art and art forms.
4. Develop working opportunities and conditions for professional artists and other professionals in the arts.
Silence Festival
The multi-artistic Silence Festival takes place in the village of Kaukonen, Kittilä early June each year. As an event it fills the village with a diverse programme, with festival events spread across Kaukonen village on both sides of the Ounasjoki river.
Silence Festival gathers the most interesting performances and artists from Finland and abroad to Lapland. Contemporary classical music and contemporary circus combined with the unusual surroundings form the essence of Silence Festival. The river Ounasjoki running through the village creates a special atmosphere and most years it also has a role in the festival program.
Kira Riikonen and Heidi Miikki, Kuiskaustarina - The Whisper Story. Silence residency 2024.
Silence Residency
The Silence residency is an international multidisciplinary residency for artists focusing on performing arts since 2015. The Silence residency does not exclude any form of art but primarily supports multidisciplinary work, various performing arts projects, contemporary circus projects, and cooperation of artists from the northern regions. The artists-in-residence are selected on the basis of applications. Open call is held each year in Spring.
The Silence residency provides a working space suitable for performing arts in the community hall of Kaukonen ("Tökäri"). The village of Kaukonen is located amidst the pure and beautiful nature of Kittilä, along the river Ounasjoki. These premises provide a unique setting for creating art, allowing artists to focus on their work and let go of daily stress and the hectic city life.
In 2024 Silence organisation launched the Winter residency that will take place from February until April 2024.
Read more about residency.
Expertise in performing arts
Art Organisation Silence is an expert contributor to the development of the creative scene in Lapland. The expertise of the association's employees in the performing arts, music, networking as well as leading and enabling funding for different projects , has contributed to the association's position as a sought-after partner in national and international projects and networks.
Silence organisation has extensive professional networks with circus, music and other performing arts professionals in Finland, in Europe and especially in the northern regions, including the Nordic countries and northern Canada.
Read more about our current projects:
Festivallinks
Northern Network for performing arts
Lapland art and culture professionals survey project
