Opera and Ballet is for everyone. In Participation work, we want to engage, inspire, and introduce people of all ages to the world of opera and ballet. Learn more about our projects.
participation spreads the word about opera and ballet
The aim of Participation is to welcome everyone to the world of opera and ballet. We want to spark curiosity, share knowledge and inspire people from all walks of life to explore these art forms.
Most of our work is aimed at children and young people, but we also create programmes for senior citizens, young adults, and our regular audiences. We work closely together with organisations, universities and municipalities across Finland.
The majority of our Participation activities take place at the Opera House in Helsinki, but we also bring the joy of the arts to other parts of the country on our tours. Almost all our events are free of charge, though a small fee may apply to some performances.
participation in numbers
33
Tour localities
301
Performances
284
Workshops
32494
Visitors and participants
*figures from 2024
what we do
For preschoolers
Our programmes for preschoolers introduce the magic of opera and ballet through performances and workshops.
Opera & Ballet in Action sessions introduce 5–6-year-olds to the fascinating world of opera and ballet through hands-on activities like dancing and crafts. Each session is inspired by a work currently in the repertoire.
Mini Operas are cheerful 30-minute performances where two skillful singers and two musicians bring to life a whole opera’s characters and rich orchestral sound.
Daycare and preschool groups in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area can attend the Opera & Ballet in Action sessions and Mini Operas free of charge. Advance registration is required, and detailed instructions and schedules are available on our For preschoolers page.
Opera and ballet are much more than just main stage performances. We provide school-age children and young people a variety of opportunities to get to know our art.
Even though the primary aim of our activities for schools is to offer art experiences, they also help pupils learn to co-operate creatively. Teachers and supervisors, meanwhile, discover new ways of working and possibilities for multidisciplinary teaching within the curriculum.
The last rehearsals before the opening night are called Dress Rehearsals. We provide schoolchildren, students and other special groups the opportunity to visit our Dress Rehearsals as a test audience.
Registration for free Dress Rehearsals takes place in advance according to the published schedule. The timetable and available rehearsals are listed on the Dress Rehearsals page.
Every child born in Helsinki in 2020 or later is invited to become a Culture Kid. Each Culture Kid is sponsored by a cultural organisation, which offers them and their families a personal connection to the arts. The Finnish National Opera and Ballet is the sponsor of all Helsinki children born in 2026.
The Culture Kids and their families will be invited to two events every year until the child starts school. All events are free of charge.
Families can register their child as a Culture Kid via the City of Helsinki website.
The House of the Sun and Carmen were the Finnish National Opera and Ballet’s first inclusive artistic-pedagogical projects within Participation. They were implemented together with students from Sibelius Academy, part of the University of the Arts Helsinki, artists from the London Sinfonietta, as well as schools in the Greater Helsinki region. This project was the first of its kind in Finland.
Over the years, we have worked with audience groups of all ages, making music, composing and moving together with prisoners, the homeless, and people in drug rehabilitation. We have also organised sign language and voice interpretation of performances and won an international award for the best children’s opera of the year in 2017.
contact us
Producer Kirsi Järvinen +358 50 590 9930 Producer and project coordinator Kerttu Riihimaa +358 50 445 0118 Producer Inka Hulkko +358 50 328 6090 Customer service representative, dress rehearsals and culture companions, Malla Vanhanen +358 9 4030 2330, yleisotyo[at]opera.fi Customer service representative, ticket send outs for Art Testers, Minna Pehkonen
firstname.lastname[at]opera.fi Participation Finnish National Opera and Ballet Street address: Helsinginkatu 58, 00260 Helsinki, Finland Postal address: PL 176, 00251 Helsinki, Finland
