Join us for Tango Therapy on the European Day of Foundations

On the European Day of Foundations and Donors, celebrated on 1 October, performance artist Heidi Kilpeläinen will hold a Tango Therapy, sponsored by Kone Foundation, on the Narinkkatori Square in Helsinki. During the event, she will sing Finnish tangos and other songs to one person at a time. The European Day of Foundations and Donors is celebrated now for the fourth time. Its purpose is to raise awareness regarding the support provided by various foundations to arts and sciences.

The European Day of Foundations and Donors festival offers all kinds of art- and science-related experiences. The winner of the Builders of the Century challenge will also be announced during the event. The purpose of the challenge was to find solutions that promote young people’s well-being, as well as their inclusion in the society, today and in years to come. The challenge was arranged by 40 Finnish funds and foundations in celebration of Finland’s 100 years of independence.

Anyone who wishes to experience a personal music performance is welcome to Heidi Kilpeläinen’s Tango Therapy. Kilpeläinen will sing facing one listener at a time, encircled by the audience. She has chosen to perform mainly Finnish tangos, and she will sing without amplification. Human presence and eye contact are the key components of the performance. You don’t need to understand Finnish – the melody and mood of the songs will carry across language boundaries.

Living in London, Heidi Kilpeläinen graduated from the Central Saint Martins centre for art and design education with a Master of Arts degree in 2004. Since then, she has examined the crossing points of music and visual arts through pieces that mix video, installation and performance arts. The starting point for her work is often the relationship between people and machines, as well as social and global issues, such as inequality. Kilpeläinen has also designed clothing for her own brand, HK119 Imaginature Collection, and published music through the One Little Indian Records using the stage name HK119.

Other performers at the free event include Lihamyrsky + SOFA – se on fakin aitoo, Petteri Sariola, young musicians from Sibelius Academy, Arja Tiili Dance Company – Break the Fight! and Aarne Alligaattori and the Viidakkorumpu band. You can also learn about sea rescue, familiarise yourself with oil spill prevention and response equipment, have a turn on a merry-go-round, play with colours in a painting workshop or dive into a ball pool.

The event is organised by Helsingin Sanomat Foundation, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Kone Foundation, Kunnallisalan kehittämissäätiö, Mannerheimin Lastensuojeluliiton tutkimussäätiö, the Finnish Music Foundation, Orionin Tutkimussäätiö, Patricia Seppälän säätiö, Paulo Foundation, Reijo Rautauoman säätiö, Saastamoinen Foundation, Signe och Ane Gyllenbergs stiftelse, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Svenska kulturfonden, Svenska litteraturskällskapet i Finland and the Council of Finnish Foundations.

The European Day of Foundations and Donors is celebrated on the Narinkkatori Square in Kamppi on Sunday, 1 October from 11 am to 3 pm.

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