Shadow Club (Varjo Klubi) – State of Alarm (Hälytystila)

The Shadow Club examined psychological overload, prolonged states of emergency and the spread of substance use among ever younger people.

At the heart of the evening was the question of how personal distress is connected to the surrounding society and its structures. Can art help us recognise the roots of these phenomena and find alternative ways of coping?

1

Performing art – when body and mind are in a state of alarm

Mamia Company's contemporary dance piece K I R K U I dealt with the effects of long-term psychological strain and distress on the body and mind.

The piece raised the question of what happens to a person when personal and societal crises follow one another and the body cannot recover from a constant state of alarm.

2

Lived experience – from a cycle of crime to helping others

Stefan Kulmala shared his personal story of a life change. His experiences include 25 years of crime, violence, imprisonment and drug use.

Kulmala described how the direction of his life changed and how he now helps people suffering from substance addiction to find work at the Suojapirtti housing unit. His story opened a discussion about survival, the possibility of change and the value of lived experience.

3

Expert knowledge – substance use as a social phenomenon

Suvi Vanamo Helle, an expert in substance abuse and mental health work, examined the phenomenon from the perspectives of social structures, preventive work and the wellbeing of young people.

Vanamo Helle brought insights into the discussion from street work that prevents youth crime cycles and gang involvement, and on the importance of social work and substance abuse work.

The expert interviews broadened the discussion from individual experience to the role of society and its opportunities to prevent problems from arising.

Art, lived experience, research-based expert work and open audience discussion formed a whole in which substance use and psychological strain were examined as both individual and social questions.

The Shadow Club was a collaboration between Shadow Room ry and Mamia Company, with support from the City of Vantaa. The discussion was moderated by Kasperi Nordman of Mamia Company.