Sivuhenkilöt is an artist group formed in 2016. It comprises seventeen professionals from the fields of theatre, circus and dance. The group is driven by an urge to make meaningful and multidisciplinary performing art.
The performances by Sivuhenkilöt aim to dismantle the rigid borders of different artistic disciplines, caressing both words and movement, the peripheral and the central, the mundane and the wondrous. Sivuhenkilöt examines the human standing next to the limelight: fragile, contradictory, touchingly incomplete. The group’s acclaimed live shows Sidekicks (2016) and There’s no room for my wings (2019), directed by Alma Lehmuskallio, have been presented at Cirko, the main programmes of Helsinki Festival and the Tampere Theatre Festival, as well as other festivals all around Finland.
The third performance, Bone Chamber which is directed by choreographer Jyrki Karttunen, will have the premiere season at Cirko – Center for Contemporary Circus in November 2023.
COLLECTIVE
Alma Lehmuskallio
Director
Alma is a founding member of the collective.
Eira Virekoski
Writer-Dramaturg
Eira, originally interested in film screenwriting, is a Savonian who transitioned into the world of theatre through the Theatre Academy in Helsinki.
Eira has written one feature film, several plays, and has worked in the fields of contemporary dance, circus, and radio drama. Along the way, she has also written lyrics. In both life and writing, Eira seeks hope, questions without answers, connecting laughter, as well as the enjoyment of the absurdity of everyday life and the corporeality of presence.
Eira worked in the Sivuhenkilöt productions Sidekicks (2016) as well as There’s no room for my wings (2019) and she works in the newest Sivuhenkilöt creation Bone Chamber that will have a premiere season in November 2023.
Eira is a founding member of the collective.
Henna Kaikula
Circus artist, Producer
Henna graduated from the Swedish Cirkus Cirkör’s circus artist education 20 years ago with hand-balancing and contortion as her main disciplines.
She has performed extensively in various performing arts productions in Finland and around the world, with a preference for multidisciplinary and warm-hearted ensembles and events.
Henna has also worked as an artistic director, curator, facilitator, mentor, and in expert roles within the performing arts and circus arts fields.
From the beginning of her career, Henna has been an initiator and producer of projects because she is just too impatient to wait for something to happen.
Henna worked in the Sivuhenkilöt productions Sidekicks (2016) as well as There’s no room for my wings (2019) and she works in the newest Sivuhenkilöt creation Bone Chamber that will have a premiere season in November 2023.
Henna is a founding member of the collective.
Milla Jarko
Circus Artist
Milla, a rascal originally from Lahti, once dreamed of a career as a prima ballerina but sank via theatre into the world of circus and got lifted up onboard in the Sivuhenkilöt ferry. Milla is a free-spirited soul with a circus artist training. They shies away from titles and is both flattered and grateful to be part of this unique and instructive journey.
Milla worked in the Sivuhenkilöt productions Sidekicks (2016) as well as There’s no room for my wings (2019) and they work in the newest Sivuhenkilöt creation Bone Chamber that will have a premiere season in November 2023.
Milla is a founding member of the collective.
Saku Mäkelä
Circus Artist
Saku is a dance and circus artist who graduated from Stockholm Danshögskolan, contemporary circus school in 2008. He has worked extensively in the field of dance, circus, theater and film as a performer and choreographer. Recently, Saku has focused on the artistic work of the RISA company he founded with Riia Kivimäki. He spends all his free time cooking and eating.
Saku worked in the Sivuhenkilöt productions Sidekicks (2016) as well as There’s no room for my wings (2019) and he works in the newest Sivuhenkilöt creation Bone Chamber that will have a premiere season in November 2023.
Saku is a founding member of the collective.
Ainu Palmu
Light Designer
Ainu is a lighting designer who works in the field of contemporary circus and dance in the independent arts scene. Creating lighting for music is also a regularly irregular part of her work life in the small halls of Helsinki Music Center. She also creates animations, other video content and set design for performances. As an independent artist she also makes light art, art films and photography. Ainu is a human being who enjoys creating something by hand initially, which is then refined to fit into the contemporary world. In Ainu’s point of view light signifies small wonders, the opportunity to create a world and en par to comment on it.
Ainu worked in the Sivuhenkilöt productions Sidekicks (2016) as well as There’s no room for my wings (2019) and she works in the newest Sivuhenkilöt creation Bone Chamber that will have a premiere season in November 2023.
Ainu is a founding member of the collective.
Joonas Outakoski
Sound Designer
Joonas is a sound designer, musician and producer from Helsinki. Multidisciplinary working groups that create organic stage creatures are those where Joonas’ spiritual home is. On the other hand, Joonas also enjoys spending time alone in his studio, mixing a new art-pop album or playing the modular synthesizer. In the transhumanistic future Joonas has found his essence in a neural network, where he transforms artistic visions into technical implementations at the speed of light.
Joonas worked in the Sivuhenkilöt productions Sidekicks (2016) as well as There’s no room for my wings (2019) and he works in the newest Sivuhenkilöt creation Bone Chamber that will have a premiere season in November 2023.
Joonas is a founding member of the collective.
Ulla Raitio
Actor
Ulla is an actror who graduated from the Theatre Academy in 2009. She has worked in productions at various theatres, including the National Theatre, Theatre Nirvana, Myllyteatteri, Rakastajat and Espoo Theatre. Additionally, she has been involved in several drama series and films produced by Yle (the Finnish Broadcasting Company). Alongside acting, writing, hands-on creative work, and composing are important parts of Ulla’s life. Currently, Ulla dreams of moving to the wilderness where she can wander endlessly and listen to silence, go far away to be able to long for things again. To escape the technological noise, social media buzz, the roar of highways, and have the courage to be as ordinary and everyday phenomenon as, for example, a perch. And to flow.
Ulla worked in the Sivuhenkilöt productions Sidekicks (2016) as well as There’s no room for my wings (2019) and she works in the newest Sivuhenkilöt creation Bone Chamber that will have a premiere season in November 2023.
Ulla is a founding member of the collective.
Riina Leea Nieminen
Costume Designer
Riina graduated as a costume designer from Aalto University in 2020. She completed her exchange studies at the London College of Fashion in London. She has worked as a freelance costume designer, set designer and performer in various theatres, including Q-theatre, Viirus-theatre, Lahti City Theatre and Theatre Tuike. Important to Riina are new challenges, physical storytelling, the dramaturgy of visual elements, and a gentle and equal working atmosphere.
Riina worked in the Sivuhenkilöt production There’s no room for my wings (2019) and she works in the newest Sivuhenkilöt creation Bone Chamber that will have a premiere season in November 2023.
Oscar Dempsey
Set Designer
Oscar Dempsey is a scenographer, prop maker and visual artist. They are from Northern Ireland, UK and have displayed designs internationally throughout UK, Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic and Finland. Dempsey gained a Bachelor Degree in Fine Art from Newcastle University, England in 2014. They studied Contemporary Art on exchange at Funen Art Academy, Odense, Denmark in 2013. They moved to Finland in 2017, where they gained a Master Degree in Design for the Performing Arts, from Aalto University in 2020. Creating organic and playful objects, whether sculpture, sets or installations, they wish to explore an experience of the sublime and materiality.
Oscar is part of the upcoming production Bone Chamber, which will premiere in November 2023.
Janne Vasama
Set designer
Janne graduated as a scenographer from the Aalto University’s Department of Film, Television and Scenography in 2015. He has formerly studied also design and architecture. Janne has worked as a freelance scenographer, video- and costume designer in theatres in Southern Finland, among others Finnish National Theatre, Viirus Theatre and KOM Theatre. To a deserted island Janne would bring a good roller coaster.
Janne worked in the Sivuhenkilöt productions Sidekicks (2016) as well as There’s no room for my wings (2019).
Juliane Mikkonen
Producer
Juliane majored in Theatre Studies from Munich University. Her minors were Comparative Literature and European Ethnology. Before relocating to Finland, she had been working at Munich Volkstheater, Frankfurt Opera as well as different casting and production companies for TV and film. Juliane is currently working as a producer for the Helsinki-based Myllyteatteri. She is also part of the newly formed Tampere-based theatre collective FinNomads as the artistic producer and dramaturg. In addition, her passion and focus lays in the field of theatre and drama pedagogy. In recent years she has led multilingual theatre groups and workshops for all age groups.
Juliane is part of the upcoming production Bone Chamber, which will premiere in November 2023.
Kaisa Niemi
Dancer
Kaisa graduated in 2003 as a dancer from Helsinki´s Theatre Academy and has since then worked extensively in the performing arts. She has worked as a freelancer for most of her career in productions of G&G, Sivuun Ensemble, Petri Kekoni Company, Sari Palmgren and Myllyteatteri to mention a few. During 2015-2017 she has also had a permanent position at Helsinki Dance Company. Kaisa loves a good laugh with friends, peonies, people-watching in cafes, naps and cliffs.
Kaisa is part of the upcoming production Bone Chamber, which will premiere in November 2023.
Emilia Rantalaiho
Producer
Emilia majored in musicology and has worked in production roles, particularly in the field of classical music festivals, orchestras and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Emilia’s passions include dancing, music and performances that go under the skin.
Emilia was part of There is no room for my wings– production.
Eero Vesterinen
Dancer
Eero has danced professionally since 2003 and joyfully for his own joy even longer. Before settling down to become a dancer Eero dreamed of becoming, among other things, a motorcyclist, puppeteer, actor, linguist, author or paleo-mythologist. These days he dreams of free time, which he would spend playing practically anything with his friends, from throwing blocks of wood at other blocks of wood, to board games and from roleplaying to frisbeegolf. Or finding himself absorbed in a good book in a hammock near a sauna somewhere. Eero has danced in pieces from dozens of choreographers over the years, ranging from physically intense and sweaty contemporary dance pieces to more lighthearted dance theater. Some important people and artists over the years include Tommi Kitti, Tero Saarinen, Carl Knif, Jyrki Karttunen, Jenni Kivelä, Marjo Kuusela and Valtteri Raekallio. Eero was also employed for a time at Skånes Dance Teatre in Malmö (2011-2012) and Helsinki Dance Company (2012-2015) at the Helsinki City Theatre. At heart Eero is probably a freelancer though.
Eero was part of There is no room for my wings– production.
Anne-Mari Alaspää
Actor
Anne-Mari is a 2015 graduate of the Helsinki ‘s Theatre Academy, who immediately after graduating headed to the Jyväskylä City Theatre to enjoy different genres of repertory theatre. Since then, Anne-Mari has returned to her hometown Helsinki as a freelancer and has acted at Kotka City Theatre, Teatteri Takomo and in a few TV series and films. Since 2019 Anne-Mari has been part of the ensemble of Tampere Theatre and is particularly interested in working with physical expression and music. In her free time, Anne-Mari is an active pleasure-seeker who enjoys the company of people and her dog. Her hobbies include impulsively changing physical activities, especially yoga, and she easily gets enthusiastic about many projects that are new to her, with a significantly smaller amount leading to fruition. Currently she wishes she had more time for baking and reading.
Anne-Mari was part of There is no room for my wings– production.
Photos by Ainu Palmu and Janne Vasama