An art and culture group for children and young people will be launched at the Jalasjärvi Jokipii Youth Club in early September. The idea of the activity, intended for schoolchildren, is to introduce participants to the world of expressive arts and theatre in a fun way. The theatre group is part of the South Ostrobothnia Youth Club's Kulttuuriboumi! projects, which operate in the Leader Liiveri and Leader Suupohja areas.
Elli Koskinen and Niko Luokkakallio bring a touch of theatre to the Jokipi Youth Club. They believe it is important that children and young people living in the surrounding villages also have equal opportunities for hobbies.
-The future activities of the Jokipii Youth Club's cultural group will largely be shaped by the kind of children and young people who sign up. The aim is to get to do different things and learn new things ourselves. The most important thing is that we all have fun together, say the group leaders. Elli Koskinen and Niko Luokkakallio.
According to the duo, the main focus of the group, which will meet once a week, will be acting, supplemented by music and dance. The orientation towards these activities is natural for both leaders due to their own backgrounds and interests.
-I have been acting for about six years, and I have also directed and written scripts. Theatre fell by the wayside as other studies and working life took their toll, but in the background it has always been a burning desire that one day I would like to continue working in theatre, especially as a director. Now that the opportunity to get involved in this activity arose, I had to take it, says Koskinen.
Even though Niko Luokkakallio is only in ninth grade, he already has experience as a director.
"I have been a director in the Jokipii Youth Association's family club drama group. In addition to directing, I am interested in acting and music," he explains.
A story from my own village
The leadership team works on a voluntary basis.
"Volunteering brings balance to work and family life. It helps you meet new people, and in this case, you get to influence the hobby opportunities of young people. I think it's important that people have the energy and the inclination to give their time to this type of activity," Koskinen emphasizes. The pair of directors echo the previous sentences.
"For me, I think it's important that my everyday life includes more than just school and home," Luokkakallio nods. Koskinen and Luokkakallio emphasize that securing recreational opportunities for children and young people in the surrounding villages is of paramount importance.
-Parents don't always have the time or opportunity to drive their children downtown to do their hobbies. They believe that the villages' own hobbies also help to foster teamwork and create a good atmosphere.
The team warmly welcomes group members coming to Jokipi to their new hobby.
-Feel free to join the adventure, explore and gain new experiences. We don't have to create a perfect play. What's important is that we meet and do things together.
The youth center is a popular meeting and hobby place for villagers.
The Jokipii Youth Association's theatre group is part of the South Ostrobothnia Youth Association's Kulttuuribuumi! projects, which operate in the Leader Liiveri and Leader Suupohja areas. Kulttuuribuumi! offers rural children and young people the opportunity to engage in regular and supervised art and cultural activities in their own home region. The projects are active from 1 January 2016 to 31 August 2018. More information about the projects can be found at http://www.epns.fi/kulttuuribuumi