May 4, 2023
You are invited to the Cultural Diversity Seminar being held at Cultural Centre Valve, on 16th May. This event is being offered in celebration of The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
In this seminar we will learn about and discuss opportunities for promotion of cultural diversity and cooperation, to improve Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Oulu’s cultural and creative sectors. The program will include expert presentations, breakout discussions, in addition to traditional networking opportunities. This event has been cooperatively organized by The City of Oulu General Cultural Services, the Immigrant Council of the City of Oulu, and Oulu2026.
Sign up by 14 May at Lyyti: I will register for the seminar.
Program
Culture House Valve, Valvesali, Hallituskatu 7, Oulu
8:45 Morning coffee
9:00 Seminar opening: Johanna Tuukkanen, Head of Cultural Services & Director of Cultural Centre Valve
9:15 Keynote: Anthony Rice-Perttunen, Immigrant Council of the City of Oulu
9:45–11:15 Presentations on diversity
Ville-Mikko Sikiö, Head of Production, Cultural Centre Valve.
Selina Väliheikki, Curator, Museum and Science Centre Luuppi.
Pia Alatorvinen, Executive Director, Oulu Culture Events Association.
Anna Litewka-Anttolainen and Henrik Skarevik, Equal Oulu2026, Oulu Culture Foundation
11:15–12:00 lunch (self-paid)
12:00–13:45 Group (breakout) discussions
13:45–14:00 Summary and conclusion
We warmly welcome you to join us!
More information: Anna Litewka-Anttolainen, Equal Oulu2026 Project Manager, 040 538 8121, anna.litewka-anttolainen(at)oulu2026.eu.
Feb 23, 2023
Frozen People, a festival of electronic music and northern art and style, takes over Oulu’s iconic Nallikari in early March. Braving the elements, the unique winter festival will be staged on sea ice. Taking place on 4th March, the festival features a headline act from Tarto, a 2024 European Capital of Culture. In the future, the call for the festival’s artistic programme will be extended internationally and feature even more international top names of electronic music.
The festival is inspired by the Burning Man Festival held in the Nevada Desert in the US.
“Like the Burning Man, Frozen People will be held at a surprising location braving the elements. The event brings together free-thinking artists and trendy revellers to celebrate art, creativity and self-expression,” says Heikki Myllylahti.
The event organisers have their eye on the European Capital of Culture year 2026
The Frozen People is now organised for the second time: organised at a challenging location, it takes long-term planning, experimenting and learning to make it work. The event will be further perfected in 2024 and 2025, leading up to March 2026, when the festival will be one of the key events in the Oulu 2026 programme. In 2026, Oulu’s Nallikari and the frozen seafront will be transformed into a gigantic stage for art and music.
“We have seen how Finns have embraced the various light festivals and how they have changed our view of culture and art in the middle of the dark winter. The role of Oulu Urban Culture and the Frozen People festival is to do the same and create a new Arctic art and culture identity for Oulu,” says Myllylahti.
This year’s festival programme is a versatile feast of electronic music. During the day, audiences can enjoy more light-hearted house rhythms, and at dusk the mood will turn more magical with some live performance, until the darkness descends and the more intense techno beat takes over. The festival will feature both new and familiar names from Oulu together with guest acts from Helsinki, Turku, and Estonia.
In addition to music, the festival site features several art works. The frozen Nallikari landscape will serve as a backdrop for inviting installations and performance art, soft spaces, encounters and interactive light art.
The event is produced by an extensive collaborative network. The food and drink will be provided the Oulu2026 Arctic Food Lab, the LUMO light festival produces Niko Tiainen’s light installation and the Estonian Merimelli act is generously sponsored by the Tartu2024 European Capital of Culture organisation. The event is also sponsored by Nallikari Holiday Village, Oulun Energia, and Hongisto Oy.
The admission-free festival is part of the Oulu2026 cultural programme and cultural climate change. The festival is organised by Oulu Urban Culture ry.
Jan 23, 2023
Café – Restaurant Valve Paljetti
Hallituskatu 7, Oulu
17th Feb 2023 (13:00) – 12th March 2023 (20:00)
How do children envision the Peace Machine? How does it work? What does it do?
In Spring 2022 Oulu Culture Foundation invited schools in the area to make their own Peace Machine Prototypes. The construction of the prototypes was offered to teachers as one way to deal the feelings brought up by the war in Ukraine with the students. Children built their own Peace Machines and wrote user manuals for them. This exhibition features Peace Machines created in schools and kindergartens in Northern Ostrobothnia.
Peace Machine is part of Oulu2026 Cultural Programme and it presents a new way to resolve conflicts and promote dialogue. Peace Machine is based on the life work of artificial intelligence researcher Timo Honkela (1962–2020). His dream was to develop a machine based on artificial intelligence that could be used to solve conflicts and promote world peace.
During the years 2022–2026, communities are invited to take part in the co-creation of the Peace Machine. The immersive Peace Machine will rely on artificial intelligence, and it will be open for public in 2026.
Taking part in the exhibition: Frosterus school, Haapajärvi school, Hiukkavaara school, Kiviniemi school, Käpytikka kindergarten, K.J. Ståhlberg school, Kuivasjärvi school, Lauri Haikola school, Pöllönkangas school, Rajakylä school and Teuvo Pakkala school.
The exhibition is open to everyone and free of charge. The space is accessible.
The opening of the exhibition is held on February 17 at 1 p.m. The event includes programme by children who created Peace Machines and music by Soiva Siili duo. We kindly ask groups to register for the event through the following link by February 12. Due to limited amount of space, the group spots are filled in the order of registration. Warmly welcome!
