Horror themed art workshop sparks controversy in Helsinki
Questions raised about mutilation of soft toys
By Jyrki Räikkä
Helsinki City Cultural Director Pekka Timonen urged the Annantalo art centre, which organises culture courses for children and young people, to show more consideration in linking the topics and implementation of art courses that it arranges.
“I believe that in handling the theme of horror, the use of soft toys in the manner that was chosen was not quite appropriate.”
The administrative board of the city’s Cultural Affairs Office discussed the content of the art workshops arranged by Annantalo at its weekly meeting on Tuesday last week. Annantalo was urged to go through its course activities and to assess which methods are appropriate to the various themes.
“Annantalo remains a respected developer of art education methods, and the feedback from this year’s courses has been very positive”, Timonen added.
An art workshop method involving soft toys sparked debate after Helsingin Sanomat published an article on an art workshop with a horror theme on November 1st. At the workshop, young people cut and manipulated disused soft animal toys. One of the pupils turned a teddy bear into the victim of a rape.
The workshop was part of a broader cultural course, which also included horror-themed dance, theatre, and film exhibitions. Courses with a horror theme have been organised this autumn for a total of four classes in upper secondary school. the same kinds of courses have also been arranged during the autumn with several other themes, including Finland clichés and the plays of William Shakespeare.
The Cultural Affairs Office does not want to impose an outright ban on the use of soft toys in art workshops, and no detailed instructions are being given on how toys should be used. Nevertheless, Timonen takes a guarded view of cutting up animal toys.
“Naturally, it must be understood as part of a whole, but slashing as such does not sound very nice.”
Timonen emphasises that the methods of art education need to be seen apart from the methods of art or therapy. He also does not want to take a stand on how art workshops should be implemented. “I don’t know, I’m not an expert in art education.”
The culture courses have received good feedback from both participants and teachers, but Timonen says that the city also needs to take into consideration the reactions that come out in public.
“The activities of Annantalo need to have the confidence of children and adults. It is a serious situation for us if some call this confidence into question.”
Minister of Culture Stefan Wallin (Swedish People’s Party) has asked Annantalo for a clarification of whether or not money used for the national Taikalamppu (“Magic Lamp”) project provided by the ministry has been used to support the horror workshops.
In its answer Annantalo said that the subsidies have been used for the development of workshop methods, and the education of teachers, but not for the costs of individual workshops.
Wallin did not immediately comment on the teaching at the horror workshop. He is preparing a statement on the matter together with Minister of Education Sarí Sarkomaa (Nat. Coalition Party).
Art education expert Anne Rossi-Horto, who has developed the workshop method which makes use of soft toys, stands by the method. She feels that she has been made a scapegoat.
“If I had to hold the same workshops now, I would do them in the same way. This has hit one of the nation’s sore spots with respect to malaise among youth, for which most adults have no tolerance at all.”
The themes of the Cultural Affairs Office change every six months. The horror courses are over for the year, and courses will be continued with new themes.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 5.11.2008
JYRKI RÄIKKÄ / Helsingin Sanomat
jyrki.raikka@hs.fi
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| 11.11.2008 - THIS WEEK |
 Horror themed art workshop sparks controversy in Helsinki |
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