At the core of the OAF events are new encounters, in which the audience meets special groups as specialists and festival guides. A vast network collaborates in the production of the festival events. It includes artists, art communities, companies and organizations from the cultural and social field, organizations that provide education, city instances, venues, and responsible company collaborators. The companies are joined by a wish to enhance socially sustainable development and to create new, inclusive operating models for the cultural and event field.
Pertti’s Choice and Kyrö Distillery launched the True Equality impact campaign in 2019. The starting point for the campaign is that everyone can equally take part in rebuilding the cultural and restaurant fields. The True Equality campaign challenges companies to participate in equality work, and the funds are directed to support the employment of groups that need special support.
This year the campaign is growing and solidifying its action. It can already be called a program, and it has been joined by new partners that support the movement in many different ways. In addition to Kyrö, also WSOY is joining as well as Klaus K, Genelec, Radio Helsinki, Kuluttajaosuustoiminnan säätiö, Koolmat, Tarkett and Artek 2nd Cycle, Grafia, and Uniarts Helsinki. In addition to its employment actions, the True Equality program highlights statements and pioneers in the OAF Talks program. It can be followed on Radio Helsinki and live at the HAM Corner.
The 2022 campaign aims to employ 100 people as a part of the events produced by Pertti’s Choice. Out of these, OAF is the most significant production of the year. The OAF employs, in addition to the curation of the program, also festival guides, backstage managers and catering staff in Musiikkitalo, HAM, Oodi, Pertti’s Choice and G Livelab. Special groups from the Autism Foundation Finland, Kukunori and Pertti’s Choice are participating. Additionally, Helsinki-based adolescents are employed through the Job’d service. These groups are forming small festival teams for the event venues. OAF also offers internships for media and business students of Luovi vocational school and student projects for students of the Arts Management program of Uniarts.
This year the True Equality program creates new openings in the literature field through the mentor program that WSOY supports. The program brings together outsiders from the literature field and writers from WSOY. The yield of the program can be heard in the OAF Talks events on the radio and at HAM Corner. Read more about these new projects in the interview (in Finnish) with executive director Heini Merkkiniemi, published in the Creative Finland web media in June.
HOW CAN YOU JOIN?
OAF 2022 opening ceremony is bringing together all of the network members in Musiikkitalo on the 12th of August 2022 in a joint party. You can join the event by buying a True Equality Support Plus Ticket. At the same time, you support the True Equality campaign and the activities of the Outsider Art Festival. Get your tickets here.
Image: Markus Kemppi, Klaus Welp.
