Global Fest celebrates the diversity of musical and cultural backgrounds
The annual Global Fest of Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy celebrates cultural diversity and difference in our society, and seeks to promote intercultural dialogue, collaboration, and a sense of global citizenship.
Sibelius Academy’s Global Music department is one of its kind in Finland and the festival is an important output from the department, which is free and accessible for all in our society.
We asked our Global Music department head and professor Nathan Riki Thomson about this year’s festival. What makes it special in the Finnish Music scene? After six festivals, is there already a legacy being built?
Wealth of diversity on our doorstep
According to Thomson, the idea for Global Fest was created for two equally important reasons.
“Firstly, it is a platform to highlight the diversity of artistic work emerging from Sibelius Academy’s Global Music Department. And secondly, the festival celebrates cultural diversity and difference in our society, and seeks to promote intercultural dialogue, collaboration, and a sense of global citizenship.”
‘’Global Fest creates visibility of this wealth of diversity on our doorstep and celebrates the unique artistic identities of the artists, which are often pluralistic and not bound by stereotypical ideas of culture and identity’’ Thomson adds.
Global Music students prepare for the festival as an integrated part of their studies.
‘’This includes creating new music that emerges from ensemble studies, community engagement projects, and our student’s own projects and master’s concerts,’’ says Thomson.
Standing tall with marginalised voices
This year’s festival features performers from many corners of the world, including 28 different countries in total.
’’We hear new music created in collaboration with a youth group, immerse ourselves in spontaneously created group singing, and stand tall with marginalised voices, including the Women of Iran and the Uyghur people,’’ Thomson adds.
Moreover, Global Fest 2022 shows strong solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
”A new version of the work ‘Lullaby for Mariupol’ has been created collaboratively between Global Music students and a group of visiting composers, video artists, and musicians from Ukraine, which will be premiered in our festival. The performance reflects on the tragedy of war and is a way of showing solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The production is a collaboration between Espoo city Theatre, MiklagardArts, Global Music Department, and the Ukrainian company Opera Aperta.
A sense of community and togetherness during the darkest time of the year
Each year Global Fest has generated more visibility, awareness, and discussions on the importance of cultural diversity and the value of difference in our society.
“The festival has also developed a growing core audience and attracted members of our community who don’t normally come to Musiikkitalo,” Thomson says.
’’It continues to create a sense of community and togetherness, which is particularly needed during the darkest time of the year!,’’ rejoices Thomson.
Thomson hopes that festival visitors not only enjoy the musical experiences, but also see the value and positive impacts of intercultural dialogue and collaboration in our society.
’’I also hope festival visitors will simply be inspired by the musical experiences and unique artistic outcomes, as well as meet new members of our society,’’ Thomson sums up.