Course: Future Leaders. Changemaking and Challenging Norms

How can one become a changemaker and dismantle discriminatory norms, normative structures and hierarchies within the arts and culture sector? What does leadership mean in different situations and contexts? How can we organize?

The workshop will examine how collective practices considering power and responsibility can shape our understanding of decision-making and reconstruct our own notions of leadership. The aim of the course is to introduce norm critical leadership to students.

The workshop is organized by The Nordic Network of Norm Critical Leadership, Culture for All Service and The University of the Arts Helsinki (UniArts Helsinki). The workshop is connected to the Nordic conference Norm Critical Leadership – Challenging Nordic Exceptionalism and Norms, held at Caisa, from February 8–9^th. Students from the course will prepare a statement/panel for the second day of the conference. The program of the conference will be published by December 2022 on Culture for All Service’s website.

Time: 7.2.2023 from 10–17:00
Venue: UniArts Helsinki, Theatre Academy Main building (Kookos), room 505
Address: Haapaniemenkatu 6, Helsinki.
Teachers: Maija Karhunen & Julian Owusu

How to apply to the workshop

The workshop is free of charge and open to students within different arts and culture fields from all the Nordic countries, recently graduated arts and culture professionals, and for cultural activists. The language of the workshop and the conference is English. The organizers will cover expenses from travel and accommodation (max. 3 nights) for participants from other Nordic countries and from other parts of Finland.

15 persons will be selected for the workshop based on the applicants’ readiness to attend the course and previous studies and/or engagement regarding equity, diversity, and norm critical practices. The applicants are requested to send their CV and a motivation letter (maximum one page) in which they answer the following questions:

1) Why do you want to participate in the course?

2) What is your relationship to issues relating to inclusion, diversity, and accessibility?

We consider the diversity of the group as a part of our selection criteria. We especially encourage applications from BIPOC, people of migrant backgrounds, diverse genders and sexualities and disabled people. The selection is made by the teachers of the workshop, and representatives of Nordic Network of Norm Critical Leadership and UniArts.

Deadline for the course application has been extended - the new deadline is Thursday, December 15^th, 2022. We will inform you of the final selection the following week. Send the application to the event coordinator ruka.toivonen@cultureforall.fi.

Accessibility

The premises of both the workshop on February 7^th (at the UniArts Helsinki Theatre Academy Main building) and following the conference on February 8–9^th (at the Cultural Centre Caisa) are mainly accessible.

Accessibility at Theatre Academy main building

The main entrance is accessible, the building is accessible, and all floors can be reached by a lift. There is no accessible parking. The entrance to the workshop space (room 505) is 808 mm wide (the accessibility standard is 850 mm or more). The room is located on the 5^th floor while the nearest accessible toilet is on the 1^st floor by the main lobby.

Accessibility at the conference in Caisa

Accessible entrance to Caisa is from Kaikukatu 4. The entrance to Caisa is in the courtyard of Leipätehdas. Caisa’s facilities are accessible: no obstacles or height differences exist in rooms or corridors.

There are clear signs at the premises. Wheelchair seats of the auditorium are accessible by elevator via the 3rd floor. The Festivity Hall, gallery and auditorium are equipped with a hearing induction loop. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Other accessibility requests

Let us know in your motivation letter if you have any other requests regarding accessibility issues of the workshop, for example induction loop or Sign Language interpretations. We’ll try our best to answer all possible needs regarding accessibility. If needed, the organizers can also cover the costs of travel and accommodation for assistants / Sign Language interpreters of the course participants.

We are following the progression of the coronavirus situation. If workshop cannot be arranged as contact teaching, we will notify you of any changes.

Data protection

Please read the Culture for All Privacy Statement before sending the application. The information provided by the applicants will not be used for any other purposes besides this selection process and all your information will be destroyed no later than one year after the selection.

Note: when sending your application, please state at the beginning of the application your agreement that your information can be used according to the privacy statement of Culture for All Service. Without your consent, your application cannot be handled. Do not write your social security number or your date of birth in the application or CV, it is not needed.

Contact

Ruka Toivonen (they/them),
Culture for All Service

ruka.toivonen@cultureforall.fi

Logo with the text Uniarts Helsinki

Maija Karhunen

Maija Karhunen. Photo: Minerva Juolahti

Maija Karhunen is the project leader of Making space for artistry - equity for disabled artists and artists who are Sign Language users, a project at Culture for All Service funded by Kone Foundation for 2022–2024. The project focuses on paving career pathways for and with disabled artists. For example, one aspect is having a lens on how one can create equitable access to art education.

Maija has studied dance and choreography in Finland, the Netherlands and Germany and communication and art studies at the University of Helsinki. She has worked as a freelance dancer, performer, art writer and does art administration amongst other things. Maija has also been a member of the National Council for Diversity in the Arts in the Arts Promotion Centre Finland from 2019–2022.

Julian Owusu

Julian Owusu. Photographer: Tuukka Ervasti

Julian Owusu is a dance artist and dance teacher who works actively in the Finnish Hip Hop and dance fields. Julian’s artistic core lies in community building practices, pedagogy, Hip Hop, decolonial practices and reimagining. Alongside his work with Hip hop, Julian has also worked as dancer, choreographer, and actor at, among others, Zodiak – Centre for New Dance, Jojo – Oulu Dance Centre and the Oulu City Theatre.

In addition to direct artistic work Julian sits on the boards of The Nordic House of Reykjavík as well as Taikabox ry and is a member of the working group for Cultural Reconstruction in the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland. Julian Owusu worked as Regional Artist for Youth Culture at the Arts Promotion Centre (Taike) in Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu regions between 2016 and 2021.

Nordic Network of Norm Critical Leadership

A Nordic network involving individuals and institutions joining forces to enable professional and cross-disciplinary discussions on norm critical leadership and practice within the field of art and culture and to share best practices on how to develop the field concerning inclusion, diversity, and equality. The aim with the network is to generate new knowledge and new norm critical practices for the cultural field and to develop a toolkit on norm critical governance.

More info about the network: