Episode 2, Reaching out
PUBLICS Youth Advisory Board is a collaborative position for 18-21 year olds who implement, question and expand the activities of PUBLICS, a contemporary art organisation based in Vallila, Helsinki.
Board members Stella Massa, Emmi Surwillo, and Yu Yue break down the question of inclusion by reflecting on the infrastructures and habits of the creative industry.
Emmi and Stella share their first professional experiences and the struggle with lower salaries and overwork. They call out the risk of tokenism, when institutions use their power to include young voices without working towards real equality and collaboration. Their response is a desire to escape performativity.
Yue addresses that art education and intergenerational learning can do much more to support young art workers in finding their path, without imposing outdated categories and modes of working.
Emmi, Stella and Yue stress that one answer to the question of accessibility is to ensure the visibility of small and grass-root activities, which are often diverse and free-access.
at Nordic Culture Point in November 2023. Credits: Yu Yue.
PUBLICS Youth Advisory Board 2023 are Vitória Fiorella Freitas, Lucas Jordi, Aliina Kemppainen, Aapo Kivivuori, Stella Massa, Gabriella Presnal, Spencer Strachan, Emmi Surwillo, and Yu Yue. The project coordinator is Micol Curatolo.
Follow us on instagram at @publics_youth and read more at publics.fi/youth
The live radio show is part of the project Reaching Out (2023-2026) in collaboration with Index Teen Advisory Board (Stockholm) and PRAKSIS Teen Advisory Board (Oslo). Reaching Out considers how cultural institutions connect and communicate with new young audiences. PUBLICS, Index, and PRAKSIS young boards together constitute the Nordic youth network Future Futures. The project is supported by Erasmus+ Ungdom.
Credits
Producers and Hosts: PUBLICS Youth Advisory Board 2023 and Micol Curatolo
Guests: Stella Massa, Emmi Surwillo, Yu Yue.
Jingle: Gabriella Presnal
Music: Mo Light by 47SOUL
Sound recording, editing and live streaming: Bailey Polkinghorne
*The audio piece was recorded at the Helsinki Open Waves performance & recording room located at Caisa.
**The views expressed in this audio piece and texts are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of Helsinki Open Waves.
***If you have any feedback regarding the content of the podcast, please contact us via helsinkiopenwaves@gmail.com