I'm a theatre pedagog and artist living in Helsinki, Finland. I'm also a parent, traveller and dance enthusiast. I'm interested in interdisciplinary, site-specific and material inspired approaches in art. I consider art and art pedagogy as a space and possibility to explore together what it is and could be to be human. I have experience in directing and teaching kids, young and adults in various contexts.
MA in theatre pedagogy, University of the arts Helsinki
studies in dance pedagogy, 40 ECTS, open university of the arts Helsinki
theatre instructor, Centria AMK
Thesis workshops / 2024
Open workshops in the spring 2024: collective improvisation, material as a starting point, site-specific workshop and aesthetics as an impulse. These workshops are part of Master's thesis focusing on art pedagogy as a collective practice.
DREAMING / 2024
The performance was made as an art pedagogy project for Bravo! International performing arts festival for young audiences. It was made with a group of 13 to 17 year olds during a workshop focusing on how to make a performance from materials and public performance site as starting points.
art pedagogs Hilla Hanhela & Riikka Niemistö
bravofestivaali.fi
THIS PERFORMANCE HAPPENS INSIDE YOUR HEAD / 2023
Site-specific audio guided participatory performance
What divides the audience and the performer?
What happens within the space?
What happens in your own mind?
How to soften in cold and concrete?
How do you experience?
How does the other experience?
How is an experience defined?
Why and for whom do we perform?
Where are your limits?
What is stopping you?
Where does this experience happen?
How does this experience happen?
Where does this performance happen?
Who are you in this performance?
Are you experiencing this alone?
Who is the performer?
What invites you?
working group: Hilla Hanhela, Nella Kaartinen, Katariina Kannisto
Ihminen oikeesti! / 2023
Community theatre project which started with visits and workshops in a primary school class. The working group created a performance based on their experiences and observations in the school. The performance was made especially for the class and was performed at the school to the pupils. Ihminen oikeesti! handled the emotional every day life through objects at school. How does the locker or basket ball experience and observe the life at school? What hardships does the sink witness inside the bathroom walls?
Idea, script writing, directing and acting: working group
Working group: Hilla Hanhela, Niina Rajaniemi, Karim Rapatti and Anna Väisänen
METSÄHENKI (forest spirit) / ongoing 2021-
Site-specific performative processWhat would we be without nature? Where does something stop being nature? How are we supposed to be in connection with nature? Metsähenki is a group studying our relationship to nature and especially the unique urban nature of Helsinki under the constant threat of human existence.
working group: METSÄHENKI
Lomakuvia / 2018
Documenting almost one year lasting journey through Europe with three kids and two tandem bicycles.
writings, pictures and drawings
Kertomus miesten hengistä / 2017
Performance based on the novel by writer Pentti Haanpää. The performance was made through balancing with the written script and movement based methods. What are words needed for in story telling? What is it that movement and the bodily expression can reach that the text cannot?
dramatization, script writing and directing
hilla.hanhela@hix.fi