DiDa - Disability Day Art & Action 2025

Illustration by Väinö Heinonen from Kynnys ry / The Threshold Association.

Theme: “Use Your Voice”

The 2025 DiDa – Disability Day Art & Action – cultural festival will take place in Helsinki and will also be streamed live online! DiDa invites everyone to celebrate the annual UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

DATE: Wednesday, December 3, 2025, from 2 PM to 8 PM

VENUE: Cultural Centre Caisa, Kaikukatu 4 B, Helsinki

You can also follow the festival via live stream.

The festival aims to raise awareness, spark discussion, and showcase the art of disabled and sign language artists.

The event is free and open to all.

Programme

14:00–20:00 Pre-festival: Johanna Mattila: One to one – Inner History, a storage space turned into a performance venue

15:00–16:45 Pre-festival: Artists’ Networking Meeting, Maissi Room

17:00–20:00 DiDa Festival, Caisa Hall

New to this year’s programme are the pre-festival events and the artists’ networking meeting, open to all disabled artists and artists who are sign language users.

The programme offers a rich and diverse mix of national and international disabled performers. Experience ancient soundscapes, thought-provoking humour, inclusive theatre, emotional folk/indie pop music, messages of love and community through dance, and light art in the darkness of December.

DiDa Festival 2025 artists include: Johanna Nonna Mattila, Markus Lohikoski, DuvTeatern, Parkinson Bros StandUp group, Elia Taimen and Olli Laaksonen, and Kaaos Company. International guests include Serbian artists Tanja Đurić and Novak Josić.

The evening culminates in the exciting ceremony of the Vimma Disability Culture Award.

Closer to the event, the full schedule and live stream link will be published on the DiDa website and social media.

Pre-festival: One to one – Sisäinen historia

Johanna Nonna Mattila’s One to one – Sisäinen historia is an intimate 15-minute experience for one or two participants at a time.

In a completely dark, cave-like space, the performer gently guides the participant in and maintains contact while seating them. Through sound, breath, poetry, and song, a world is created where the participant can connect with something ancient and sacred within. Lullabies of ancestral mothers and everyday gestures invite the participant to engage—either through dialogue or quiet observation.

Booking your own slot in advance is possible between 14:00–20:00 by email: johanna@lalunes.com

Pre-festival: Artists’ Networking Meeting

Join us for an inspiring afternoon as part of the DiDa Festival! Discover new networking insights, meet other disabled and sign language artists, and discuss artistic practice in a relaxed atmosphere.

DATE: Wednesday, December 3, 2025, from 3 PM to 4:45 PM

VENUE: Cultural Centre Caisa, Maissi Room, Kaikukatu 4 B, Helsinki

The meeting is open to everyone—whether you’re a visual artist, musician, actor, writer, producer, or otherwise involved in the arts and culture field. The session is facilitated by Riikka Hänninen and Sanni Virta from the Artist’s Magic Wand project.

Some snacks will be served.

Registration

Please register by November 30 via email: info.disabilityday@gmail.com. Please feel free to mention any accessibility needs.

Accessibility

Cultural Centre Caisa has an accessible entrance from Kaikukatu. The venue can also be accessed from the Leipätehdas courtyard. Indoors, there are smooth pathways and clear signage. Caisa Hall is equipped with a hearing loop. Guide and assistance dogs are welcome.

More info on arriving at Caisa: Visit (directs to caisa.fi)

Detailed accessibility info on Service Map: Accessibility - Caisa (directs to service map)

The main language of the festival is Finnish. Finnish Sign Language interpretation will be available throughout the event.

Organisers

The event is organised by The Threshold Association, Tukilinja Foundation, Culture for All Service, and in collaboration with the Cultural Association EUCREA Finland and The Artist’s Magic Wand project, with Cultural Centre Caisa.