The digital literary art piece Ilon kautta, surun kanssa (Through Joy, With Sorrow), created in Oulu, brings local people’s thoughts and reflections on emotions to audiences in both Turku and Oulu.
What does joy feel like? What about sadness, longing, excitement or hope? These emotions will be explored through words in the Ilon kautta, surun kanssa literary art workshops taking place in Oulu in September. The workshops bring together a wide range of groups from different parts of Oulu. No previous experience in literary art is required.
Turunlahden sanaversomo invites participants to put emotions into words
The Ilon kautta, surun kanssa work is created by Turunlahden sanaversomo. The creative team consists of literary art instructor and language specialist Jenni Turunlahti, whose work is inspired by multilingualism, literacy and our relationship with nature, and visual artist and community educator Minttu Turunlahti, who draws inspiration from game worlds as well as wood and recycled materials.
Jenni Turunlahti leads the literary art workshops, while Minttu Turunlahti shapes the texts created in the workshops into the visual form of the digital artwork.
The workshops include easy literary art exercises focusing on exploring and putting feelings into words, either independently or together with the instructor. Participants are invited to try, for example, blackout poetry, creating texts from cut-up words, or a literary art wheel of fortune. Texts can also be created in languages other than Finnish.
Join the literary art workshops
The workshop day on Friday 11 September is for groups from different parts of Oulu. The content and duration of the workshop can be adapted to the needs of each group.
On Saturday 12 September, an open drop-in workshop will be held at the Laituri space in Saari Central Library from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Participants can come and go according to their own schedule. Children are also welcome when accompanied by an adult.
Come and try literary art in a relaxed, low-threshold setting – the workshops are free of charge.
From Oulu to Turku – and back again
Ilon kautta, surun kanssa is an example of how small, personal thoughts created through community-based art can find new audiences and new spaces.
The digital artwork is built from participants’ own texts created in the workshops, taking the work from Oulu to Turku and back again. The approximately 3–4-minute work will be shown on the LED screen at Turku City Theatre from 14 November 2026 for two weeks. In Oulu, the work will be displayed on the digital screens at Saari Central Library.
Ilon kautta, surun kanssa is part of Hyvän mielen talo’s Voice the Taboo project and the official Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme.
