In the summer of 2025, the historic factory area of Syvänniemi in Kuopio will be filled with silence, movement, and music. At the same time, it invites visitors to encounter art in the heart of North Savo’s beautiful natural and cultural landscape.
Saastamoinen Foundation and the Kuopio Dance Festival are bringing artist-choreographer Reijo Kela’s powerful The Silent People installation to Kuopio for the first time, as part of the city’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The installation is located near the Syvänniemi manor, where 250 silent figures stand as a striking sight – and an invitation to pause – until the first snow falls.
The piece will be opened on Friday, June 6, 2025, the opening day of the festival. The evening will culminate in a joint performance by Reijo Kela and musician Heikki Laitinen at 9 PM at the Old Spool Mill in Syvänniemi.
Throughout the opening weekend, the main building of the historic spool mill site will host the photography exhibition The Croft, where contemporary photography and the history of the area are combined. Admission to the The Croft exhibition is free.
During the summer, performances will be held in Syvänniemi, with free bus transportation available from Kuopio city center. You can register for the bus here.
The site is also accessible by local bus 76, departing from Kuopio bus station. The installation is open all summer, and the Syvänniemi village association offers guided historical tours of the area. Inquiries: sky.hallituspj@gmail.com
Programme
- Performances in Syvänniemi: June 6–8, with additional performances on June 29 & July 10
- June 6 at 21:00
- June 7 at 15:00
- June 8 at 15:00
- Additional performances:
- June 29 at 13:00
- July 10 at 16:00
- Bus transportation to Syvänniemi:
- For the June 6 performance, departure from in front of door B at Olvi Arena after the PACK performance by Miller de Nobili, around 20:15
- For other performances, departure from behind the City Hall 1 hour before the show
- The bus can accommodate approx. 50 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Read more and reserve your spot here.
- Performances in central Kuopio: June 13–14
- June 13 at 16:00 at the Amphitheatre of Kuopio City Theatre
- June 14, after the performance by the Ballet School of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, around 16:00 in front of Taidelukio Lumit (on the Hallikatu side)
Read more and see the performance schedule here.
Photos: Jan Ahlstedt
