A nationwide theatre campaign in Finland highlighting the experiences of children in Gaza has received this year’s Art and Culture Act recognition from the professional union TAKU ry.
The Kertomuksia Gazasta (Stories from Gaza) initiative was coordinated by Matilda von Weissenberg, director of & Espoon theatre. The campaign brought together over 70 Finnish theatres and cultural institutions.
Each participating organisation created and shared videos on social media, reading texts written by children from Gaza. Several theatres also organised live readings, concerts, poetry events and dance performances. The videos have reached hundreds of thousands of viewers online. Some recordings attracted tens of thousands of views individually.
“Theatres responded immediately and started planning their videos,” von Weissenberg said. “It was important to show these children are real people. They live and they die. Our job is to share their stories.”
TAKU’s selection panel described the campaign as a clear example of collaboration within the cultural field. They stated the work showed professionalism and collective spirit and created a channel for building understanding through artistic expression.
The campaign launched in Finland after a similar project ran in Sweden during spring 2025, organised by Folkteatern and involving over 30 theatres. Inspired by the Swedish version, von Weissenberg initiated the Finnish adaptation.
The campaign’s videos also directed viewers to a fundraising link for Doctors Without Borders. The events held in autumn collected proceeds for the same purpose. Donations have exceeded €10,000 to date.
The Art and Culture Act recognition includes a €1,000 prize, which will also be donated to Doctors Without Borders.
TAKU ry, the Finnish Union for Arts and Culture Professionals, awarded the annual honour on Friday, 28 November. Nominations came through a public form. The final selection was made by a panel of board members from the organisation.
Full list of participating organisations is available on & Espoon theatre’s website.
HT
