COMPANY
The Center for Everything is a Finnish pioneer in relational art, immersive theatre, and game performance. Tomorrow, it will be something else.
The Center for Everything has realized works that envelop the audience in spaces as vast as a 30,000 cubic meter protected gasometer and as small as the palm of a player’s hand. It has founded a political party led by artificial intelligence.
At the core of its activities is an ever-expanding inclusion. This applies both to the universe of relationships that exist between art and audience and to the ever-changing ways to question what is the place of art at the center of all of this.
The audience has said the following about our art:
“Here I found love. What else could I wish for?”
“By far the most interesting performance, game, or artwork I have ever experienced.”
“Because consent and boundaries were also negotiated within the work, I felt safe. As the instructions of the work stated, I could adjust the level of participation. I was not required to participate in anything, I was not forced into anything, and in such freedom, I can and want to play.”
The Center for Everything is supported by the City of Helsinki. It’s a part of IETM – International network for contemporary performing arts, Eskus – Performance Centre and Theatre Centre.
Samee Haapa is a producer, director, performer, artistic researcher and a dj. In addition to having degrees in both acting (FIA) and dance they also hold a BA in Cultural Anthropology.
They have also completed leadership training in independent performing arts at University of the Arts Helsinki as well as training in facilitating sex-positive spaces.
They have worked over 20 years as a producer, director and performer both in Finland and internationally, both in institutions and as a freelancer.
They are also a doctoral candidate in artistic research at the Performing Arts Research Centre Tutke in the University of the Arts Helsinki. The focus of their doctoral research is performing in immersive and game performances.
They are the artistic director of The Center for Everything.
Terhi Vaimala is artist in dance (MA), physiotherapist (Metropolia UAS) and pilates instructor (PilatesHealth/PhysioPilates).
Terhi has extensive working experience as a dancer with several independent companies and Helsinki City Theatre Dance Company HDC. In addition to that she has worked as choreographer, choreographer ́s assistant, dance educator and pilates instructor.
Krista-Julia Arppo is a Helsinki-based dance artist and performer that has graduated from Theatre Academy Helsinki in 2018. She writes poems, and is fired by text, voice and corporeality – the poetry of the body. Krista has studied creative writing and stage poetry in Stage Poetry Academy (Lavarunoakatemia) during 2019-2021.
Her first collaboration as a performer with The Center for Everything was in ‘Upotapia’ (2023). Krista gets easily inspired and fired. She’s a curious dancer that is especially inspired by emotions.
Marko Mäkinen has worked as a photographer and graphic designer in the field of performing arts for 20 years.
Harold Hejazi is an artist from Vancouver Island, Canada whose practice involves being a performer, a game designer, and an educator—all at the same time!
He encourages alternative ways of engaging with art by creating games and participatory performances in collaboration with museums and art galleries. His practice inspires critical thinking around issues and ideas that span a broad spectrum of social life: from race and class to social memory and interpersonal dynamics.
He moved to Finland in 2017 to pursue an MA in Live Art and Performance Studies at the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki.
Arttu Nieminen is a director and media artist based in Rovaniemi. The starting point for his work is arctic nature. Sometimes nature shows itself to Arttu as its own conscious being, sometimes as a mystical interface between seen and unseen. Surrealism, intuition and chance guide his work.
The experimental short films and short fictions of Arttu have been shown on several festivals nationally and internationally. Video installations, performances and happenings all combine into his language of creativity.
Living in the surroundings of Lappish nature has an indisputable impact on all of his works. The serenity, freedom, feeling of space and force of nature is perpetually present. When the weather whips its cold blows, the intimacy of a tiny cabin on a fjell or by a lake extracts such strong feeling of presence that it is hard – or at least much different to aim to reach within a city habitat. To this feeling of now, Arttu leans his work.
There are also seven associate members.