This spring, Off/Balance kicks off a two-year project supported by the Regional Council of Central Finland (Keski-Suomen liitto). Our goal is to create a new participatory art model for school environments, bringing art experiences to children and young people across the region.
The project has two key objectives: To maintain and expand children’s and young people’s access to contemporary art through art visits and workshops and to develop practical and easy-to-use tools for schools to integrate and sustain art content beyond the actual visits.
The working model will be developed in close collaboration with selected schools in Central Finland. A resource bank will be created to support the continuity of artistic activities. Our aim is to identify the most engaging and relevant content for schools, as well as the tools and exercises that best serve their daily routines. This way, we provide opportunities for experiencing art through active participation and hands-on engagement.
In 2025, the model will be developed for both primary and secondary school environments in collaboration with Koskenpää School (Jämsä) and Nisulanmäki School (Muurame). The following year, we will pilot the art visit concept and resource bank in multiple schools across Central Finland.
The project is led by Jukka Tarvainen, an experienced workshop facilitator for children and youth, and a long-time dancer-choreographer with Off/Balance.
We are excited and ready to start the first school visits in March!
