The Meanwhile Use spaces in Tampere and Nokia are filled with creative working groups and interdisciplinary art activities

The actors in the fourth round of applications for the Meanwhile Use spaces for culture have been selected for 2024. A total of 19 cultural operators were selected for the Meanwhile Use spaces that were available for applications, of which eight will be located in Tampere and eleven in Nokia.

In the call for applications of the Meanwhile Use spaces that ended in December 2023, free premises for temporary activities were available in both Tampere and Nokia. By the deadline, 35 applications were received, 11 of which were addressed to the premises in Nokia.

International winds in Pyynikki swimming hall

In the brick-and-mortar commercial premises of the Pyynikki swimming hall (No. 5) the Tampere Intercultural Art, an art collective that supports the activities of the international art field, started already in 2023. The association was granted an extension to the Meanwhile Use space, where they will remain tenants from April onwards as part of the Tampere Welcoming City development programme.

The Pyynikki swimming hall also provided another commercial property (No. 3). ACCAC Finland – Accessible Arts and Culture was selected as the operator to establish a Korean cultural centre at the premises for the period of 1 April to 31 August 2024.

Kaleva industrial hall offers multidisciplinary art activities and urban farming

The Meanwhile Use space of the Kaleva industrial hall is shared by two operators. Between 1 April and 31 October the space will house Blokgarden’s urban farming projectin which a nursery garden and mushroom farm will be established indoors, and an open community farm outside the hall for the city residents to participate.

Phaser Crane Collective, on the other hand, combines art forms we are not used to seeing together in the Kaleva Hall. Space is also offered to other operators looking for a place to organise their own cultural events. At the end of the Meanwhile Use period, the collective organises a multidisciplinary final exhibition for which they curated works already exhibited in the space as well as new works.

The operators in Lielahti Manor, room 205 combine well-being and art

Dance artist Wilhelmina Ojanen was selected for a residence at room 205 at the Lielahti Manor for the period of 1 March to 31 May. She uses the space for artistic work and arranging dance workshops. Ojanen is preparing TIERRA/CURA dance installation in the space.

From September to December, the Meanwhile Use space operator for room 205 is Minna Holopainen, who organises communal workshops based on the empowering photo method. She also organises an exhibition resulting from working in the premises.

Working groups of performing arts gather at Hiedanranta

Gallery Muuntotila located in Lielahti Manor, Hiedanranta, is divided between two operators over the period 1 October 2024 – 1 April 2025. Kärhi working group works on a series of botanical art works that explore the relationship between humans and plants.

Another operator using the Gallery Muuntotila will be Ihmeryhmä, a dance collective from Tampere founded in the beginning of 2023 which aims to create bold art in diverse environments and for various audiences. Ihmeryhmä uses the space not only for artistic work but also for public events.

City of Nokia’s old general upper secondary school and Art House bustling with activities

The old general upper secondary school of the City of Nokia and Nokia Art House will have premises for work, exercise and hobbies.

The artist group TaideRemmi, whose members are Leo Harjapää, Ilmari Immonen, Kari Kaellaan, Riitta-Liisa Oulujärvi, Tomi Tähkävuori and Katriina Viitaniemi, will be on the ground floor of Nokia Art House between 8 January to 15 August 2024. Visual artists Jenni Eskola, Tiina Knuuttila, Kati Vaaranmaa and Steven Gourlay were given working space in Nokia.

Nokia-Seura uses the Meanwhile Use space of the old general upper secondary school to create an environmental artwork. The children’s groups at Education Centre Pirkan opisto will design the concrete figures for the environmental artwork, which will be implemented at the general upper secondary school and placed in a park in the spring.

In addition, Nokia’s Meanwhile Use spaces will house play, dance, choir rehearsals and performances. Furthermore, the Meanwhile Use spaces are used for the hobby activities of the chess club and the early retirees.

More detailed presentations of the actors