 For those who have been marginalized, othered, bullied, who have been brought up in a multilingual and multicultural family and who are interested in human rights and equality, Ovllá is a must see. The main character is a Finnish man with Sámi roots. Due to his family situation, he had to leave home and go to boarding school. When he returns to Lapland for a music festival, he meets a Sámi woman and they fall in love. Their love story is a catalyst that opens up his history, his trauma, his identities, colonization, socialization and how they, as a couple, want to raise their child. Classic Sámi symbols such as the kuksa, a handcrafted wooden cup, were highlighted. This could be seen as a cliché, but it could also be seen as a method to bluntly show what's in front of you, what is culture, what is important. The play is filled with symbolism that one who is not that familiar with Sámi culture would have to do research. In that sense, the script is catered to those who know nothing about Sámi culture and history and to those who are very well informed. The music is gorgeous. The joiking is a form of story telling in itself! The operatic singing in the school and other scenes, shows not only a distinction between the characters, but also between cultures and hierarchies within institutions. The creative and intuitive flow of joiking as opposed to the strict and unforgiving nature of opera shows these social constructs in a powerful and musical way. I was lucky to have been able to watch this performance twice. Both times showed me different aspects of the story as there is so much to catch. Also, my seat offered me different views of where my attention lands. This was a true gift to see all the details from different angles. The first time I watched the play without subtitles on my phone and the second time with subtitles. Both versions offered me different experiences of understanding and empathising with the story and characters and relating it back to my own life and my own struggles with identity through language, societal norms and location. Over the past few months, I've had heartfelt conversations with many people about Ovllá. It brings out all kinds of reactions, memories and curiosities in us. I went with a friend and this is what she thought: Pidin Ovlan isän näyttelijästä, hän näytteli roolinsa vaikuttavasti. Pidin myös oopperan laulajista - opettaja ja rehtori olivat vaikuttavia. Esityksessä oli kuvattu hyvin sen ajan Suomen yhteiskunnan ilmapiiriä. En pitänyt siitä, että esitteessä luki ooppera, vaikka esityksessä oli hyvin vähän oopperaa. Yleistunnelma oli hyvä ja esityksestä jäi miellyttävä muisto. I’m a member of the Oulu Theatre’s Audience Committee and received tickets to the performance. We aren’t critics; rather, we share the perspectives of ordinary theatregoers on social media at a time when the number of theatre reviews is on the decline.
Kuulun Oulun teatterin Näyttämöraatiin ja sain liput näytökseen. Emme ole kriitikkoja, vaan tuomme maallikkojen näkemystä teatterista someen ajassa, jossa teatteriarvioiden määrä on laskusuunnassa. #Näyttämöraati #OulunTeatteri #PuhettaTaiteesta If you did not get a chance to see Ovllá at Oulu theatre, go visit the Eanangiella - Maan kieli - Voice of the Land exhibition at Oulu Art Museum. It is "a major exhibition of Sámi art and duodji explores the diversity, resilience and sustainability of Sámi culture." This is truly a special and powerful exhibition.
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Uusi julkaisu: Kuntien on tarkasteltava kulttuuritoimintaansa strategisesti ja pitkäjänteisesti12/3/2026 Uudessa Kunnallisalan kehittämissäätiön julkaisussa kulttuuri- ja taidealan asiantuntijat tarkastelevat kuntien kulttuuritoimintaa ajankohtaisista ja monipuolisista näkökulmista.
Mukana on Kulttuuria kaikille -palvelun entisen työntekijän, Arlene Tuckerin artikkeli ”Uteliaisuuden vaaliminen keinona kohti yhdenvertaisuutta: rakenteellisen rasismin kitkeminen vaatii yhteisiä tekoja”. Uudessa Kunnallisalan kehittämissäätiön julkaisussa kulttuuri- ja taidealan asiantuntijat tarkastelevat kuntien kulttuuritoimintaa ajankohtaisista ja monipuolisista näkökulmista. Lue koko artikkeli tältä. Lue julkaisu täältä: Kunnat kulttuuritoiminnan järjestäjänä ja mahdollistajana kiristyvässä taloustilanteess Julkaisun on toimittanut Taina Laitinen. IN ENGLISH In a new publication by The Foundation for Municipal Development (KAKS), experts in the field of culture and art examine the cultural activities of municipalities from current and diverse perspectives. It includes an article by Arlene Tucker, a former employee of the Culture for All Service, “Cultivating Curiosity as a Way to Equity: Eradicating Structural Racism Requires Joint Action”. The publication was edited by Taina Laitinen. The publication is in Finnish. PÅ SVENSKA I en ny publikation från Stiftelsen för kommunal utveckling (KAKS) granskar experter inom kultur och konst kommunernas kulturella aktiviteter ur aktuella och mångsidiga perspektiv. Den innehåller en artikel av Arlene Tucker, en tidigare anställd vid Servicen Kultur för alla: ”Att odla nyfikenhet som en väg till jämlikhet: Att utrota strukturell rasism kräver gemensamma åtgärder”. Publikationen redigerades av Taina Laitinen. Publikationen är på finska. I am privileged to be a part of Oulu Theatre's Audience Committee (Oulun teatterin Näyttämöraati). Our group of diverse individuals go to the theatre and share our views of the performances. Here are my thoughts on Anna Karenina. The stage direction of Oulu theatre’s Anna Karenina, directed by Anne Rautiainen, flowed in a way that kept the audience engaged with the tumultuous love story in a visceral way. The movement between the actors and the shifting of the scenes were choreographed so that the weight of pain as well as intensity of the friction and amour channeled us to a different era. The costumes were a vessel that gave us a glimpse of Imperial Russia and allowed us to touch on societal norms and expectations put upon women, men, and marriage, for example. The set design was also beautiful and strategic with their usage of symbolism. Strong motifs such as the train could be seen as a form of travel, but also a marker of time and class and on an emotional level – escapism. The bed was a visual catalyst used not only as a place of passion, but also as an island to drown oneself in depression and sorrow were used in a magnificent way. While there was a lot to process, I thought that the performance was slightly too long. The last half hour was repeating itself without bringing new light or angles to the story or character development. I would have wanted this version of Anna Karenina to use Tolstoy’s original story to challenge current norms in society. The romance scenes on stage seemed a bit banal as that is what generally what happens on film and tv, but why was it done in the theatre? With great classics such as this one, I think Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina can be an inspiration for us to rethink how to creatively portray and critically engage with important topics such as mental health, classicism, capitalism and relationships. I went with a friend and this is what they thought of the play: Pidin näytelmän visuaalisesta ilmeestä eli lavastuksesta ja puvustuksesta. Näytelmän rakenne oli mietitty taidokkaasti, tanssi toi esitykseen kiinnostavaa rytmillisyyttä ja modernia tuulahdusta muuten niin perinteiseen tarinaan. Nämä kannattelivat väliaikaan asti. Sen jälkeen esitys alkoi pahasti junnaamaan paikallaan ja toistamaan itseään. I’m a member of the Oulu Theatre’s Audience Committee and received tickets to the performance. We aren’t critics; rather, we share the perspectives of ordinary theatregoers on social media at a time when the number of theatre reviews is on the decline. Kuulun Oulun teatterin Näyttämöraatiin ja sain liput näytökseen. Emme ole kriitikkoja, vaan tuomme maallikkojen näkemystä teatterista someen ajassa, jossa teatteriarvioiden määrä on laskusuunnassa. #Näyttämöraati #OulunTeatteri #PuhettaTaiteesta  |
AuthorArlene Tucker is an artist, diversity agent, and educator currently based in Oulu, Finland. Archives
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