In the open Voice the Taboo workshops, mental health taboos are explored through art and community. May’s artist, Verna Häyrynen, reflects on the “Rage Knitting” workshops held during May Day week.
The first workshop went very smoothly and in its own rhythm. Walking around Oulu has been calming. I wish I had had a bicycle with me! In the middle of the city, I even found a blooming mezereum. The crayfish hut also warmed my heart.
Oulu2026 is visible everywhere in the city, and I hope it also becomes a long-term part of residents’ everyday lives. Not just as carnival-like excitement or tourist fanfare, but as something lasting and meaningful that creates connections and opportunities.
Oulu felt inviting and gentle. Its pedestrian streets encouraged a kind of conversation with the urban space. I even enjoyed the windy hail showers, when the sun turned into a distant glowing orb somewhere behind the mist.
I noticed my own, somewhat Helsinki-typical sense of hurry—in both my steps and my actions. It was surprising, since I don’t usually think of myself as someone in a rush. I kept asking myself: “What are you in such a hurry for?” and then calming my body back down to the ground.
“Raivovirkkaus” is an important way for me to release everyday emotions and process feelings that don’t yet have words—things that get stuck somewhere in the body.
After the workshops, I received feedback that they had created similar experiences for participants, along with wishes for new workshops or for tailoring them toward more specific uses. I am very delighted by the reception and would gladly come to Oulu again for similar work.
In the workshops, community, spontaneity, and slowing down to work with one’s hands stood out. Sometimes it is easier to talk about emotions without eye contact, while focusing on loops and knots. Sometimes it is easier to face them while getting frustrated with an unsolved tangle of yarn. And sometimes they remain just out of reach, somewhere under a little toe.
Now I am heading joyfully and wholeheartedly toward May Day celebrations, carrying these meaningful new “rage-knitting” experiences in my heart. Many thanks to Hyvän mielen talo and the Oulu2026 project, and especially to Anni Paalanen, who embraced all the new ideas with a creative fire. Thank you, Oulu!
Verna Häyrynen (b. 1999) is a Helsinki-based artist and event producer currently exploring difficult emotions and places through crochet as her main technique. She organizes various textile workshops such as Rage Knitting and Yarnstorming, as well as the Sonic Knots event.
A collage of works created in Verna Häyrynen’s Rage Knitting workshops will be on display at the KURE store in Pekuri Shopping Centre from 15–30 June 2026.
The Voice the Taboo project invites people in Oulu to take part in open events and workshops.
Next up: Manifesto for Courage and Open-Mindedness – a performance creating space for everyone’s right to be seen as their authentic selves.
More information:
https://www.hyvanmielentalo.fi/toiminta/voice-the-taboo.html
Contact:
Anni Paalanen
anni.paalanen@hyvanmielentalo.fi
+358 44 334 6144
Oulu is the European Capital of Culture 2026 – Voice the Taboo is part of the Oulu2026 programme.
