A production coordinator gets to work with a diverse range of people and projects
The ‘Working at Uniarts Helsinki’ series presents employees who enable the growth of students and help them become highly skilled and broadminded artists and changemakers.
Who are you and what do you do at Uniarts Helsinki?
“I’m Pauli Raitakari, I work as a coordinator in the production team at Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy. My work involves coordinating master classes and the international visitor programme at the Faculty of Classical Music as well as providing support with planning and execution for SibaRecords, which is the Sibelius Academy’s own record label.”
Why did you apply to work at Uniarts Helsinki?
“In 2015, I was looking for a traineeship that would match my musicology studies, and I contacted Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy, because someone I knew said that they might have use for a trainee. It turned out that they weren’t able to hire a trainee at the time, but later I got a call saying that SibaFest was in need of a trainee. I was invited to an interview and got the job. So it pays off to be active and reach out to an organisation that you find interesting if you’re looking for a traineeship or a job.
After my traineeship, I got to work as a part-time concert hall attendant alongside my studies. In 2017, I was hired as an assistant for a fixed term and later got a permanent contract. My job description has evolved over the years, and I’ve been in charge of various interesting projects.”
What is the best part of your job?
“Definitely nice colleagues and being able to meet incredibly interesting people – students, teachers and visitors from both Finland and abroad. For me, it’s important that I get to work in the field of music and take advantage of my musicology expertise. With SibaRecords, for example, I’ve had the chance to reflect on concept design and deal with related communications.”
What is the best aspect of working at Uniarts Helsinki?
“Even though Uniarts Helsinki is a big organisation in the cultural sector and employees have their own established roles, we still get to work on a diverse range of tasks. I get to meet a lot of people and contribute to various interesting projects. There is no danger of falling into a rut in this job.”
Which Uniarts Helsinki performance or exhibition did you visit most recently?
“During the Helsinki Harp Festival at Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy, I went to a harp concert titled Elegia that showed a slide show of nature photos by Pekka Ovaskainen playing in the background. Anni Kuusimäki played the harp and Jani Lehtonen played the violin. The concert was beautiful, and I think it’s great how Anni had created an entire concept for the performance, along with merchandise.
In all aspects, the Harp Festival was a wonderful event that I was glad I got to experience. It was interesting to see how the production team and the musicians put their whole effort in the event and that it attracted a good-sized crowd. I think it’s valuable that Uniarts Helsinki showcases even the slightly more marginal musical phenomena and instruments.”
About Uniarts Helsinki
Uniarts Helsinki is an open meeting place for the arts – an ambitious university community for bold reformers and experts in tradition. We cultivate a unique environment that helps artists grow and strengthens the power of art as a driver of change. Uniarts Helsinki is among the leading performing arts universities in the world, and it is comprised of the Academy of Fine Arts, Sibelius Academy and Theatre Academy. We have about 2,000 students and about 700 full-time equivalent employees.
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