Animal beings is a non-verbal and verbal performance by artist Juha Valkeapää. It invites the audience to reflect on, imagine, and experiment with what it means to exist in the world from the perspective of nonhuman animals. The performance spreads around multiple spaces turning the entire theatre into a stage.

With a light and playful touch, Animal Beings shifts our gaze toward other animals and explores how all living and non-living beings are interconnected and interdependent. The core of the work is formed by vocalizations — both wordless and with words — and performance instructions that are carried out together with the audience. Most of the poems featured are from Eeva Kilpi’s Animalia, alongside texts by Anni Kytömäki, Sirpa Kyyrönen, Henriikka Tavi, and excerpts from Eva Meijer’s Animal Languages. 

Performed in Finnish and/or English, the piece is suitable for all ages.

Age limit: G
Duration: 1 h
Language: English / Finnish

Tickets: 23€/21€/16€
I support the local artist! -support ticket 35€ 

Script, direction, performance Juha Valkeapää

Lighting and spatial design Jenni Pystynen 

Dramaturgical assistance and English translation of poems Heidi Soidinsalo

Costume Tero Nauha and JV

Fictional texts Eeva Kilpi, Matsuo Bashõ, William Blake, Anni Kytömäki, Sirpa Kyyrönen, W. S. Merwin, Maila Pylkkönen, Henriikka Tavi, Suomen kansan vanhat runot (The Ancient Runo-songs of the Finnish People)

Other texts Eva Meijer, JV

Production Juha Valkeapää’s Voice

Support Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Finnish Cultural Foundation