Startup Starters: Jarkko Partanen

Jarkko Partanen interviewed by Inês Carvalho

It was a snowy January afternoon when I stepped into the Cable Factory, Helsinki’s iconic cultural centre and home of the purpose-built dance venue Tanssin Talo. In the spacious foyer, someone was waiting for me, waving like an old friend I hadn’t seen for a while: choreographer and performing arts curator Jarkko Partanen. Over the previous four months, we had been connecting remotely, chatting about his Startup Forum project – and I was very much looking forward to this conversation in person.

As we make our way through the industrial corridors of the Cable Factory, Partanen tells me why this place is so treasured by local artists: “It’s fantastic that we have many other arts organisations sharing this building. We have our office space here, but we can also rent and use the studio spaces downstairs, at Tanssin Talo or Zodiak- Centre for New Dance.” You can immediately tell how strongly this hub for creatives aligns with Jarkko’s professional values of collaboration and sharing: “My whole career has been based on making stuff happen with other artists, working collectively, developing tools for dialogue and sharing.”

We sit comfortably at the headquarters of WAUHAUS, a multidisciplinary arts collective founded in 2016 by six artists, including Partanen. Through WAUHAUS, Partanen develops his work not only as a choreographer, but also as a curator.

It was precisely through his curatorial practice that he learned about Startup Forum, Aerowaves’ programme bringing together emerging presenters during the Spring Forward festival, under the guidance of Betsy Gregory and four Aerowaves partners. After he participated in the 2023 edition in Dublin, Jarkko’s proposal was amongst the three projects awarded a €10K grant. “Luckily, I found a local venue in Helsinki that was open for dialogue, and happy to support my proposal.” he explains.

It was precisely through his curatorial practice that he learned about Startup Forum, through Aerowaves’ Finnish partner, Pirjetta Mulari. However, he only fully realised the benefits of the programme when he arrived at Spring Forward in Dublin, as he recalls: “I enjoyed being surrounded by colleagues and mentors and having the opportunity to openly discuss our work, especially in regard to our shared issues, but also contrasts.” He adds: “Although we are all based in Europe, people come from very different contexts. It was extremely valuable to hear about a wide spectrum of experiences and viewpoints.”

Recapping his time in Dublin, Partanen reinforces how the networking opportunities – both in and out of Startup Forum – were the absolute highlight of this experience: “I’m always happy to meet new people, and it was great to see not only familiar faces but also make new connections. I love this encounter of presenters and artists.” But what about the most challenging part? He replies to me chuckling: “Definitely seeing 21 shows in 3 days!”

While juggling Startup Forum activities, and a tight schedule of performances across several local venues, the emerging presenters were challenged to prepare a proposal – to be submitted within two weeks of Spring Forward – inspired by one of the works, including presenting it in their own countries. As Partanen comments: “I was very lucky that I immediately found a local partner who was keen to collaborate and open for dialogue.”

 Partanen’s proposal started taking shape after seeing the performance Atlas da Boca by Brazilian-born, Lisbon-based choreographer Gaya de Medeiros, and co-directed and co-performed with Ary Zara. This work explores two trans bodies, highlighting the mouth as an intersection between identity and voice, public and private, erotic and political. First premiered in 2021, it was considered one of the best shows of that year by the Portuguese newspaper Expresso.

For Partanen, the personal element of Atlas da Boca caught his attention instantly: “I found the biographical element very moving. Seeing Gaya and Ary Zara together on stage, performing with such openness and vulnerability… You could sense their intimacy from the audience. At the same time, I was very interested in their artistic proposals throughout the performance, with many beautiful moments that worked very well. The piece strongly resonated with me as a queer man, although I also believe that Atlas da Boca can equally speak to a wider range of audiences, as it can be provocative, complex and yet approachable at the same time. I think that’s a beautiful combination that connects strongly with audiences’ emotions.”

After the performance, he bumped into the artists, starting a fruitful conversation that eventually led to Partanen’s Startup Forum proposal. He immediately thought about how to present Atlas da Boca in Finland: when, where and how. And that’s why he decided to reach out to KIASMA Theatre, a contemporary art museum and performing arts venue located in central Helsinki. He explains: “There is a context at KIASMA to present Atlas da Boca because they link the theatre programme with their work in the museum. Kiasma theatre is an important part of the Helsinki performing arts scene, regularly showcasing both Finnish and international works, and supporting more experimental works which fall between genres to reach new audiences.”

Partanen’s Startup Forum project offers three lines of action: a performance at KIASMA theatre, an artistic residency, and community-building for queer artists. He tells me why this is not only about a performance opportunity: “When we met in Dublin, Gaya mentioned that she was working on new projects, so I would like to use this proposal to support her upcoming work. So, alongside the performance at KIASMA, the company will be able to take a two-week residency at the theatre.”

Lastly, he is equally keen to create encounters between BRABA, de Medeiros’s creative platform for trans and non-binary people, and local artists: “As I said before, my work is very aligned with collaboration, so I would like to bring people together during the company’s time in Helsinki.” Although they’re still finalising the details of these meetings, there’s a strong desire to establish meaningful connections and generate new conversations.

Atlas da Boca comes to Helsinki in September 2024, and I am looking forward to chatting again in a few months to find out how the project is taking shape.