Update on What’s Been Happening in the Past Few Months

Last November, I began working with three year grant from Kone Foundation that I was originally awarded already in 2023. I postponed using the funding at the time because I started studying physiotherapy at Laurea University of Applied Sciences.

Now the grant work is in full swing. I’ll keep you posted. February is a busy month for writing project proposals for various institutions…

And yes — I graduated with a BA in Physiotherapy in December 2025.

My plan was never to change fields entirely, but rather to create a so-called “second profession.” During my studies, I became interested in cultural wellbeing and started to realize that, together with my background in art and my knowledge of physiotherapy, I have something valuable to offer in that field. Let’s see what develops.

With this “second profession,” I am focusing on what is called physiotherapy for mental health (psykofyysinen fysioterapia in Finnish). I have already completed several trainings in this area. I am a Certified TRE® Provider and an Asahi instructor, and I am currently studying to become an EFT Tapping Practitioner. I am also participating in a program in multidisciplinary pain management by Kuntotuskouluttajat. I am also interested in adaptive sport, and all sorts of ideas supporting inclusivity in society. My BA thesis is about adaptive skateboarding.

At the moment, my main focus remains on my artistic practice. However, since my Kone funding covers 75% of full-time work, there may be some wellbeing workshops or sessions coming up as well.

Right now, I find myself at the doorstep of new beginnings, curious to see what will grow from all these pieces

Tarinaranta-työpaja Lauritsala-talolla Lappeenrannassa 21.-22.1.2023

Viime viikonloppuna järjestin yhdessä Lappeenrannan taidemuseon kanssa liikkeellisen työpajan, joka on oleellinen osa Tarinaranta-projektia. Projektin ensimmäisessä vaiheessa keräsin Lappeenrantaan liittyviä tarinoita ja muistoja. Minua kiinnostavat ennen kaikkea pienet, henkilökohtaiset tapahtumat ja sattumukset, jotka ovat tapahtuneet nykyisen Lappeenrannan alueella ihan kenelle tahansa kaupungissa asuneelle tai siellä vierailleelle. Projektin toisessa vaiheessa avoimella haulla kutsutut osallistujat kokoontuivat Lauritsala-talolle työstämään näistä tarinoista kehollisia harjoituksia ja tutustumaan mielikuvapohjaiseen liikepraktiikkaan tanssija-koreografi Meri Pajunpään ohjaamana. Seuraavassa vaiheessa työstän yhdessä Merin kanssa saamiini tarinoihin liikettä – siitä sitten lisää myöhemmin.

Suurkiitos kaikille viikonlopun pajalaisille, Meri Pajunpäälle, Lappeenrannan taidemuseolle (erityisesti Sinikka Myyrälle) sekä Suomen Kulttuurirahastolle & Etelä-Karjalan rahastolle.

Spring News

I am very happy to announce I received three year funding from the Finnish Cultural Foundation. In my project funding application, I described my plans with the working title Private body and movement language as a performance (in a public space). It gives some hint of whereabouts my thoughts are, as well as in which direction I am aiming to go.

The original plan was to start to work in the beginning of April. Due to all the stress this weird corona situation has given (including postponing me returning to Belgium from already extended period of time being in my home country Finland, re-organizing my plans), I decided to postpone the start of the project by one month. May it will be!

Saying that, now when we are reaching the middle of April, I realized, I have actually started working. During this social isolation, I have kept myself busy with different online dance classes, movement meditations, physical lectures and alike. I wrote to Cultural Foundation: the ’theory’ of some of the projects I am planning to work with are based on to the different free dance and somatic practises. So indeed all these 5Rhythms sessions, Gaga People classes, Six Viewpoints try-outs, contemporary dance workshops done in a solitude of my temporary home are first steps towards something new.


At the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s annual celebration on 27th February 2020