Uusimaa Award to the municipalities of Nurmijärvi and Tuusula for the "I am alive!" anniversary year

The aim of the anniversary year was to highlight the importance of art and culture as a source of well-being and resilience and to provide building blocks for mental well-being through events. In addition, the municipalities wanted to raise awareness of current issues and phenomena affecting wellbeing and to refresh perceptions of Kivi’s literary persona by examining it from new perspectives.

“In this anniversary year of Aleksis Kivi’s death, we wanted to focus on life and highlight themes that are important in our own time, such as mental well-being. We invited everyone to take action to promote well-being,” says Teemu Siltanen, Communications Manager for the municipality of Nurmijärvi.

“As the anniversary of the national author’s death approaches, we wanted to highlight the well-being that art and culture can bring. In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, it was necessary to encourage people to return to culture and participation, says Ulla Kinnunen, Director of Culture and Museums in the municipality of Tuusula.

10 October, Aleksis Kivi Day, is also World Mental Health Day, as declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The artist’s later life was marked by mental health problems, financial worries and public criticism. Despite everything, Kivi wrote Seven Brothers, which achieved the status of a national novel, and produced numerous other artistic achievements.

– Together with Tuusula and Nurmijärvi, we created a mental wellbeing fitness card that promoted the anniversary year and its events, but also highlighted the everyday actions that each of us should take to promote our physical and mental wellbeing every single day, says Jaana Hopeakoski, cultural producer at the municipality of Tuusula.

An anniversary year to get excited about 

Local residents, associations and artists joined in the celebrations when municipalities offered cultural and arts grants for projects related to Kivi. With the help of these grants, a huge number of wonderful things were produced, such as a Kivi drama tour, a community art project, short films, concerts, theatre performances and the Makeasti oravainen children’s cultural performance.

Museums, libraries, youth and leisure services, and communications departments were among those involved in the anniversary celebrations in the municipalities. The programme was also visible in some daycare centres and schools, and neighbouring municipalities also got their share of the cooperation through Keski-Uudenmaan Pride. Thank you all for participating!

In this milestone year, Nurmijärvi Cultural Services launched a series of lectures entitled Minä elän (I Live) in collaboration with Nurmijärvi Adult Education Centre, which is still ongoing. The opening lecture was given by philosopher Esa Saarinen, who spoke on the topic “The Finnish spirit is a good spirit”.

The “I am alive!” events were extremely popular. We have continued our work on mental wellbeing in Nurmijärvi even after the anniversary year ended, Siltanen explains. 

Tuusula Cultural Services produced Minä elän! (I Live!) clubs, which focused on the power of words and music to give hope. A Spotify playlist has been compiled of songs from the anniversary year’s performers and other songs based on Kivi’s lyrics or inspired by him, which can still be listened to as background music while out walking, for example. The Minä elän! clubs continue at the museums in Tuusula.

For many, the highlight of the anniversary year was the Minä elän (I Live) hike, which symbolised the connection and cooperation between municipalities and combined relaxed outdoor activities, exercise and culture. Author Juha Hurme wrote a podcast on the theme of Kivi for the event, which premiered during the hike. Participants had the opportunity to listen to the podcast as they followed in Kivi’s footsteps from his birthplace in Palojo, Nurmijärvi, to his death cottage in Tuusula. More than a hundred participants set off from Taaborinvuori and walked 13 km to the cottage where he died, where live folk music was performed.

“The success of this anniversary year is based on fruitful cooperation. We would like to thank everyone who participated in the Minä elän! anniversary year,” say Kinnunen, Hopeakoski and Siltanen. 

The award will be celebrated at an open concert at Kiven juurilla on 18 December.

The municipality of Tuusula is organising a concert open to all in honour of the award on Monday, 18 December 2023, at 6 p.m. in the lobby of Monio at Pataljoonantie 6, Tuusula. The concert will feature Aleksis Kivi’s texts interpreted by Juha Poikela (vocals) and Aila Hettula (piano). Christmas carols Arkihuolesi kaikki heitä and En etsi valtaa loistoa will also be performed. Duration approx. 45 min. Free admission. Café open.

Further information

Nurmijärvi Municipality, Communications Manager Teemu Siltanen, +358 40 3172020, teemu.siltanen@nurmijarvi.fi

Tuusula Municipality, Director of Culture and Museums Ulla Kinnunen, +358 40 314 3456, ulla.kinnunen@tuusula.fi

This content has been translated using AI