The travelling club series Tuokio sees a special, one-off outfit Liikemiehet give six concerts around Finland. Tuokio is a concept that combines elements of concert tour and public discussion and is produced by the Sivis Study Centre.
Liikemiehet (The Businessmen in English) are a brand new group that dresses impeccably and conveys a general feeling of up-tightness. In addition to playing musical instruments, this concert concept will also take them out of their comfort zone, to the realm of dance, however. How will they pull off playing music and Hanna Brotherus’s choreography – will this bunch of professional musicians turn out to be pro at dancing, too? The people on the stage and behind the production are:
Jukka Perko - saxophone and play
Felix Zenger - beatbox and play
Esko Järvelä - violin and play
Jouko Kyhälä - harmonica and play
Oskari Mänttäri - hosting, play and production
Hanna Brotherus - choreography
The show came into being when cultural designer Oskari Mänttäri of Adult Learning Centre Sivis tackled the concept of play and playing and how it could be adapted to adult life. To play is to approach everyday phenomena creatively and to throw oneself into something new without the fear of failure or embarrassment. According to some definitions, play lacks a conscious, predetermined goal but it nevertheless tends to result in something positive and beneficial. When on stage, musicians mainly play musical instruments, of course, but with Hanna Brotherus’s choreography, they will be playing in another sense, too. Here, movement has a profound connection to playing in both of its senses: to move, to be playful feeds into music and vice versa. Mänttäri assembled the group from musicians whom he knew to enjoy a good laugh every now and then, and invited choreographer Hanna Brotherus, who has plenty of experience in teaching amateur dancers, to step aboard as a dance instructor.
“Liikemiehet is a physical concert about disciplined playfulness. From breathing comes singing, which evokes laughter, which will be channelled into dancing and playing music. In this concert, life is movement and being a businessman is being grim – thus, being grim is funny. Acting unconventional and weird is a sort of a game, to which everyone, both children and adults, have a right,” Hanna Brotherus sums up.
The show will see musicians Esko Järvelä, Felix Zenger, Jukka Perko and Jouko Kyhälä playing for us alongside Oskari Mänttäri.
“The show will be about enjoying your life on stage without anyone judging or ranking your every move.”
The concert is suitable for all ages, but the target group is especially those adults who have been estranged from the world of play. The aim is to encourage everyone to incorporate play into both working life and leisure time.
Tuokio Club Series
Tuokio is a concept that combines concert tour and socially engaged speech – music and talk with a message, that is. The OK Study Centre plans and produces tuOKio tours around themes that are relevant to its member associations. The key philosophy behind the tours is to spark discussion on topical, universal themes through the means of art.
Study Centre Sivis
Study Centre Sivis is a nationwide institute of adult education. It is supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the majority of its activity consists of providing education and various activities for its member organisations. Annually more than 160 000 people take part in events organised by the Study Centre.
The Centre plans and produces arts and cultural events also on a smaller scale, involving some of Finland’s best artists. Themes for these events are selected from those presented by the member organisations with the aim of engaging people in public debate through the means of arts.
Productions
8 Sep at 19 Tampere, Hällä-näyttämö
10 Sep at 17 Helsinki, Malmitalo
12 Sep at 19 Vaasa, Ritz
13 Sep at 19 Oulu, Valvesali
14 Sep at 19 Kuopio, Satamankulma
20 Sep at 19 Turku, Manilla
Free entry!
www.tuokio-klubi.fi
www.facebook.com/tuokioklubi
www.ok-sivis.fi