DESCRIPTION OF PREMISE OPERATIONS

Cultural centre and art residence Kanttila will be built into Minna Canth’s former home which is going to be a meeting place for culture, art and sciences. Kanttila will focus on visual, literary and performative arts and journalism. They will work on furthering the relations of freedom of speech, human rights, equality, democracy, arts and society.

Cultural centre Kanttila tells stories of

  • Minna Canth’s life work and more broadly about topics related to equality, freedom of speech and democracy, now and in the future.
  • Peasant Petter Väänänen’s life from 1820s as the first bookseller in inland of Finland
  • Minna Canth’s entrepreneurship and the time when Kuopio was growing as a city.

Cultural centre Kanttila creates a story

  • Through Minna’s Salon and art residency Kanttila will act as a operator, developer, conversation starter and pioneer

KANTTILA – Cultural centre for artists and other art operatives

Kanttila offers art residency and work spaces in Kanttila and elsewhere in Kuopio and Northern Savonia for all arts and science operators. Stunning nature, Saimaa, woodlands and rural areas provide unique possibilities for working. 

Cultural centres high-quality and constantly changing year round cultural programs support professionals’ work. There will be a community pedagogue who will work together with art organisations of the area, and provide and connect networks beforehand according to the wishes of researchers and artists.

Kanttila will have a science café, showroom and live as well as digital stage which provides space for different productions. Cultural centre Kanttila will also coordinate other residency housing, work and display spaces. Their ownership and administration can be under other operators besides the Association of Minna Canth’s House. 

Kanttila has their own residency program and will possibly collaborate together with other foundations and operators on different residency programs. 

Application to residency programs needs to happen ahead of time and after receiving the place applicants housing, travels and upkeep will be provided according to each of the residency programs. In addition to this, residency spaces can be applied to all year round in which case the applicant will cover the costs by themselves. Separate committee will be in charge of the selection of the residents. 

KANTTILA – Culture centre for the general public 

Famous Minna’s Salon will work as a place to explore Minna Canth’s life and extensive productions as an author and societal influencer.

There is going to be something new and interesting in Kanttila every week. International atmosphere creates a meeting place for international operators which has been long awaited. Kanttila is a meeting place for everyone where science and arts become a part of everyday life while enjoying a cup of coffee.

Cultural centre creates a platform to discuss important and challenging global topics.

Kanttila innovates. It offers space for various different uses and aims for improvement.

Finland ranks high globally in equality, freedom of speech, democracy and societal work. Kuopio area was important since many prominent figures (Minna Canth, Juhani Aho, J.V. Snellman) have ties to Kuopio.

There will be a year-round travel info, café, and cultural service development unit in Kanttila. 

Goal for the cultural travel destination is to get 25 000 visitors a year.

KATTILA – For developers/ development organisations

Kanttila offers a new attractive year-round cultural travel destination. Minna Canth and her legacy is immeasurably valuable.

Kanttila aims to improve cost-effectively Kuopio area’s and more broadly Lakeland’s cultural services, especially international and foreign-language offerings. Cultural centre Kanttila offers spaces not only to arts and science operators but also to other organisations, which would like to have a creative work space. 

There will be a café and exhibition and accommodation spaces which will financially support Kanttila’s overall operations and residency work while creating more services. 

The café will attract more visitors, create an ambiance and offer continuity for those participating in the science café. Minna’s Salon is a space for ideas and discussion. 

Weekly discussions, events and changing group of residents will make Kuopio more lively. There will be something happening everyday in Kanttila.

HOME OF MINNA

PREMISES

  • 7 apartments (7 x 1 room + bathroom)
  • 5 common working spaces
  • 3 integrated exhibition space 

FUNCTION

Accommodation spaces 

There will be seven calm and smart apartments. Every room will have a kitchenette (sink, fridge, microwave and coffee maker) and a bathroom. The rooms will also work as individual work spaces. Residents will be artists and scientists, and also associations and businesses. When accommodation spaces aren’t in residency use they will be offered for the public. 

Rooms are suitable for longer term accommodations for office, arts and research work. This can include writing, multidisciplinary art and science work on computers or small croupworks. Rooms are not suitable for working with hard materials, or projects that cause strong scents or loud noises.  

Common spaces

There are going to be two common spaces for residents and those who need temporary working space. Rooms can be changed with room dividers to smaller units, event and office spaces. They can be rented by yearly, weekly or daily contracts. Storage and social spaces will be located in the basement. 

Exhibition rooms 

Part of the rooms on the Kuninkaankatu side of the building will be used as an exhibition space as well as the digital theater space in the attic.

RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Minna’s residency programs will operate in Kanttila as well as in other spaces. Kanttila will be the central space of the programs where some of the operators work and accommodate. Some will carry out their work in various locations while others work in changing residency spaces which Kanttila has organised. 

Residency program will strengthen and diversify cultural activities in the area. Minna’s residency is going to be international and bring tens of artists and researchers to Kuopio year-round while working together with different networks. Some of the residents will be invited to Kanttila through the residency program and some will come through the residency applications. 

TARGET GROUP

Artists, scientists, associations and travelers. 

OPERATOR

Activities: Minna Canth Academy, which is in charge of the residency and cultural program with their associates

Facilities: The Association of Minna Canth’s House’s service-sector business is in charge of the café, accommodation and renting out the event spaces 

FUNDING OF OPERATIONS

  • Residency program funding
  • Rental income and ticket sales (co-working spaces, faires, events, meetings)
  • Accommodation

MINNA’S SALON

PREMISES

  • Minna’s Salon
  • Dining room

FUNCTION

Minna’s Salon will be Kanttila’s heart. Minna’s Salon is a staged museum space which tells Minna Cath’s achievements and the issues important to her interactively with augmented reality. Minna’s Salon will act as an active operator, developer, conversation starter and pioneer. Kanttila aims to be an interesting destination year-round that connects to the Old Kuopio concept. Salon can be rented out for meetings, small concerts and events.

TARGET GROUP

Target group is tourists and locals as well as associations and businesses. Everyone who is interested in culture, arts, sciences and society.

OPERATOR

Activities: Minna Canth academy which is in charge of residency and culture program with their associates 

Facilities: The Association of Minna Canth’s House’s service-sector business is in charge of the café, accommodation and renting out the event spaces

FUNDING OF OPERATIONS

  • Ticket sales
  • Rental income
  • Subsidies

MINNA’S STAGE

PREMISES

  • Attic
  • Stage in cafe, the stage in terrace during summer, Minna’s Salon and dining room 
  • social media platforms 

FUNCTION

The performance space in the attic has seating, sound system, lighting equipment and it has digital capabilities to produce content online. Other performance spaces are the café, Minna’s Salon, dining room and during summer in the courtyard. 

The spaces can be adjusted so that traditional theatre, concerts, seminars and performances can be held. Operators can be residency program artists and scientists. The spaces can be also rented out for businesses and associations.

The new digital stage that develops, produces and implements new ways to create content into the internet and other different medias, works as the most important platform. Through the digital space Kanttila aims to develop digital performance productions to be experiences conveyed through different channels. 

TARGET GROUP 

Artists and scientists will create content and performances. Associations and businesses can organize their own events or can visit as a group. Tourists and others interested in culture are the target audience for the events.

OPERATOR 

Activities: Minna Canth Academy, which is in charge of the residency and cultural program with their associates

Facilities: The Association of Minna Canth’s House’s service-sector business is in charge of the café, accommodation and renting out the event spaces 

FUNDING OF OPERATIONS

  • Rental income
  • Production and project income 
  • Ticket sales
  • Funding

MINNA’S NETWORK

PREMISES

  • Whole premise

FUNCTION

Kanttila offers space to create networks. Examples of this could be the University of Eastern Finland’s science cafe, small festivals on the internet, Christmas fairs or weddings.

Future long-time renters could be the University of Eastern Finland’s science cafe, city of Kuopio and other companies and education providers. Some examples of organized events could be seminars, festivals, fairs, parties, concerts and performances. Kanttila aims to be a commonplace space for like-minded people to come together to network.

OPERATOR

Activities: Minna Canth academy which is in charge of residency and culture program with their associates 

Facilities: The Association of Minna Canth’s House’s service-sector business is in charge of the café, accommodation and renting out the event spaces 

FUNDING OF OPERATIONS

  • Rental income
  • Production and project income 
  • Ticket sales
  • Funding

Changes are possible. This page was updated on 1.12.2021.