Music, culture and community

Music has the capacity to cross borders and build bridges. During the Cold War, the Estonian-Finnish radio programme Helisild – Sävelsilta (Melody Bridge) sought to prove that this idea was not merely a slogan but a practical example of musical diplomacy in action.

Queer folk music is emerging in many parts of Finland. Folk singers Kuisma Asikainen and Paula Raitanen tell us about surprises they’ve discovered in archive materials – and why their queer folk songs have happy endings.

Can you hear the composer’s gender in their music? What does it actually mean to be a woman composer? Philosopher Hélène Cixous identified the concept of écriture feminine referring to the way women write – is there a similar thing in the way women write music?

What happens when a crisis term escapes its usual domain and enters the heart of a nation’s cultural conversation? This text traces how huoltovarmuus moved from warehouses and energy grids to theatres and artist studios, reshaping public discourse and raising urgent questions about the future of culture in a security-focused society.

What is the difference between a demonstration and an opera performance? The question arose as I sat in Helsinki’s Kansalaistori (Citizens’ Square) watching an opera performance and a demonstration vying to be heard.