Institutions Depowered: Schools, Hospitals and Prisons
[Discussion, 150 min] [Audio with captions streamed online]
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Studio 1, Theatre Academy of Uniarts Helsinki
7 October from 10.00 – 12.30

Birgit Ærenlund Bundesen & Anna Rieder
Prison Outside / Free Translation (Anastasia Artemeva & Arlene Tucker)
Anissa R. Lewis
Eva Koťátková 
Hosted by Frame Contemporary Art Finland

Penal and care Institutions control and reproduce human life throughout its growth, from its birth to the ageing body-mind. Schools, hospitals and prisons are ubiquitous institutions, they directly or indirectly affect a large number of individuals all over the world. Through institutional control and care, individuals and communities learn to recognise behaviour that is not approved and that is considered productive. 

However, these institutions are also a part of racist, patriarchal and capitalist structures that ban care–as well as direct control–for certain individuals and communities in order to regulate their possibilities to live off common wealth and prosperity. The power of penal, care and educational institutions lies in the reproduction of certain kinds of normalised body-mind and economic orders that benefit the ruling elite. De-powering institutions means to act and live through practices that repair and replace the effects of institutional control and hierarchies within the institution and beyond that. 

Institutions Depowered: Schools, Hospitals and Prisons presents artistic practices situated within and outside of penal, education and care institutions. The conversation brings together artists, researchers, a psychiatrist and a poet to unpack their practices and collectively explore potential de-powering tactics. 

Anissa R. Lewis’ practice departs from arts-based women empowerment classes for a Philadelphia County prison’s drug and alcohol abuse unit. She will open up about how these experiences have helped her work to address matters of identity, civic engagement, and neighbourhood relationships in her home town Covington, KY. 

Artists Anastasia Artemeva and Arlene Tucker have collaborated in the context of the Prison Outside / Free Translation project showcasing international works by currently and formerly incarcerated people as well as anyone affected by imprisonment. They aim to promote self-expression, solidarity and communication between people of all walks of life. 

Psychiatrist Birgit Ærenlund Bundesen & poet Anna Rieder use poetry to engage clinicians and artists in a constructive dialogue. They are presenting poems from the collection March, March again that will be published by the Danish publishing House Gyldendal in the spring of 2023. 

Artist Eva Koťátková presents Futuropolis: School of Emancipation which aims to renew the possibilities of education as societal power for the future by bringing together educators, artists and activists to renew the curriculum. 

Event Schedule 
10  Intro and welcome Jussi Koitela 
10.10  Presentation by Anissa Lewis + Q&A  (20 min)
10.30  Presentation by Anastasia Artemeva & Arlene Tucker + Q&A (20 min)
10.50  short break 
10.55  Presentation Birgit Ærenlund Bundesen &  Anna Rieder  + Q&A  (20 min)
11.15  Presentation by Eva Kotatkova + short Q&A  (20 min)
11.35  short break 
11.45  – 12.30 conversation 

How to attend
This event requires registration using this form. The event takes place at the Theatre Academy of Uniarts Helsinki. An audio stream from the event will be broadcast live on Frame’s website and YouTube channel and available to watch after the event. 

For the whole programme, click here.

​See you there!!

Welcome to Nonviolent Communication Practice Sessions. Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is for people who are interested in active listening and who seek clarity on their needs and feelings. We will use NVC as proposed by Marshall Rosenberg and Meenadchi who teaches Non-Violent Communication with a decolonial and transformative justice lens (DNVC).

The virtual NVC practise sessions are on:
September 20 from 16-18:00 EEST
October 11 from 16-18:00 EEST
November 8 from 16-18:00 EEST 

These practise sessions are for people familiar and not so familiar with NVC. By doing so we figure out how to be heard in the way intended, how to communicate clearly and how to listen empathetically.
Register to the sessions by emailing me at arlene@pixelache.ac. I will then send you the ZOOM link. Please specify which session(s) you will be attending.

The main language of the meetings will be in English. Other languages are highly recommended as multilingualism is celebrated. This is dependent on participants.

Feel free to reach out with any questions.

​Thank you and hope to see you there!

XX arlene