The Embassy of Finland in Canberra is planning the following events for Finland 100, a celebration of 100 years of Finnish independence. The theme for the year is TOGETHER / YHDESSÄ and we welcome people of all ages and from all backgrounds to celebrate the centenary with us! Find about more about Finland 100 here. Take a look at our program below; events run by the Finnish Societies throughout Australia are listed afterwards:
If you have any questions about the program, please don't hesitate to email us at rsvp.can@formin.fi.
The Multicultural Festival is one of the biggest celebrations of cultural diversity across Australia and we are very excited to be holding a stall there in the EU Village again. The theme of our stall this year is Lapland. So, come and visit us to find out what you can do in Lapland (husky safaris, reindeer sledding, aurora borealis and much more), pick up some brochures and admire the beautiful scenery through some stunning photos. There'll be giveaways, raffle draws, competitions to enter and some pretty cool prizes as well, so don't miss out!
RSVP on our Facebook event here.
When: Saturday 18 February 2017 10am – 4pm
Where: National Multicultural Festival in Canberra, Bunda Street (EU Village in Section H), Civic.
Who: Everyone is welcome!
This is the 39th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade and the Finnish community in conjunction with the Slovenian community will be participating in the Parade! Its 2017 theme is creating equality and is excitingly apt for Finland. From 1 March 2017, all registered same-sex partnerships will be recognised as marriages in Finland; marriage will be gender neutral in Finland. We'll be celebrating this historic occasion and Finland's centenary.
When: Saturday 4 March 2017, Parade begins at 7:45pm
Where: The Parade starts from Whitlam Square in Sydney (corner of Liverpool and Oxford Streets) and ends at Moore Park.
How to participate: If you would like to join in the parade, please email rsvp.can@formin.fi with your name, contact details and relationship to Finland. Places are capped, so it's first in best dressed!
Paavali Jumppanen is an internationally celebrated Finnish pianist and is touring Australia for the 8th time this March. As a part of his 2017 Australian tour, we are delighted to welcome him here at the Embassy of Finland. He is an exciting and versatile performer and will be performing pieces from Sibelius, Beethoven and more. Please see the following link for more information about the concert program and Paavali Jumppanen.
When: Monday 27 March 2017, 7pm
Tickets: Bookings and enquiries to karen.khoo@formin.fi. Tickets will be priced at $40 (adult) and $35 (concession) and payment is to be made at the door on the night. Bookings essential.
In celebration of the Finnish centenary, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra will be opening and closing their season with a Finnish theme. For their opening concert, they will be showcasing Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara. Jean Sibelius will finish the CSO season in style.
When: Wednesday 29 March 2017
The ANU Film Group in conjunction with the Embassy of Finland will be showing the Finnish film entry to the 88th Academy Awards The Fencer (2015). It was shortlisted in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. It is a compelling film based on the life story of an Estonian fencer in post-war Europe. He gives a group of children hope and something to believe in, but in doing so he puts his life at risk. Moving and emotional, The Fencer is a multiple award winning film not to be missed.
When: Tuesday 16 May 2017, 7:30pm (doors open at 7pm)
Where: Coombs Theatre at the Australian National University, Corner of Fellow and Garran Roads, Acton
Tickets: There are 100 free tickets that we would like to offer the public on a first come, first served basis. If you would like to reserve a ticket, please email rsvp.can@formin.fi with the number of tickets you require and each person's name, which will then be allocated to a ticket number. Tickets must be picked up from reception at the Embassy of Finland in Canberra (12 Darwin Avenue, Yarralumla). Opening hours are from 9am – 12:30pm and 1pm – 5pm Monday to Thursday, 9am – 12:30pm and 1pm – 2:30pm on Fridays.
More information on the film here.
The touring stamp exhibition from the Postal Museum in Tampere, Finland will be coming to the Embassy of Finland in Canberra to celebrate the centenary of an independent Finland. Finnish stamps on envelopes have shown the world a small piece of Finland since 1856 and its history is coming to Canberra. 100 Wishes from Finland is a collection of stamps designed by Finnish award-winning artists and designers of stamps, showcasing Finnish nature, culture, science and skills.
When: 14 August - 13 September 2017, during Embassy hours - 9am - 5pm Monday to Thursday, 9am - 2:30pm Fridays
Where: Embassy of Finland in Canberra, 12 Darwin Avenue, Yarralumla
Who: Everyone is welcome!
As Finland celebrates its centenary of independence during 2017, the Embassy of Finland will organise a number of different events and activities.
The main event is the Finland Centenary Crazy Games and Open Doors for Everything Finnish on September 23–24 inside and outside of the Embassy of Finland in Canberra.
This event will also include an exhibition of Finnish consumer products. More information about the event will be published closer to the event.
When: 23 - 24 September 2017
Where: Embassy of Finland, 12 Darwin Avenue, Yarralumla, Canberra
Website: www.finnishcrazygames.com
Register for the Finnish Crazy Games: Please RSVP your attendance on the following website. Registrations for the Guided Sauna Experience open on 7 August 2017; registrations for the Embassy Tours open on 14 August 2017. It's first in best dressed, so save those dates! www.finnishcrazygames.com
With Kari Ikonen on piano, Olli Rantala on bass and Markku Ounaskari on drums, the Kari Ikonen Trio is a Finnish piano trio with a unique sound. It's undoubtedly Nordic, but upgraded with a wide dynamic range and a vibrant, energetic rhythmic flow. Showcasing an abundance of colours, innovative harmonies, strong melodies and striking rhythms, their two albums have gained international success. We are excited to be having the Trio playing here at the Embassy as part of our Finland 100 program for the year. More information will be released closer to the date.
When: Wednesday 1 November 2017, time TBC
Where: Multifunction Room in the Embassy of Finland in Canberra, 12 Darwin Avenue, Yarralumla
Tickets: TBC
The CSO's end of season concert will be featuring Finnish composer Jean Sibelius' compositions.
Taken from the CSO's website: "The 2017 season concludes with the evocative Symphony No.2 in D major by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, a work as daring and optimistic as it is beloved by audiences since its premiere in 1902. Popularly dubbed ‘the symphony of independenceʼ, Sibelius described the work as a “confession of the soul”, which encompasses pastoral sunshine and icy winds, anguished protests and triumphant resolution."
When: 7:30pm, Wednesday 8 November 2017
Where: Llewellyn Hall, ANU
Tickets: https://cso.org.au/event/violin/
Australian contemporary painter Steve Salo will be exhibiting paintings made during his Artist Residency Program in Haukijärvi, Finland at the Embassy of Finland in Canberra. He is well known for his emotive depictions of the Australian landscape. The exhibition in Canberra will be a series of expressionist landscape paintings portraying the impact of the evocative Finnish landscape on human emotion. You can find out more about Steve and his paintings here.
When: c.a. 20 November 2017 – mid January, times and dates TBC
Where: Embassy of Finland in Canberra, 12 Darwin Avenue, Yarralumla
Who: Everyone is welcome!
By invitation only.
More details to come.
Canberra Finnish Society Inc is celebrating Finland's 100 year of independence with a Gala Dinner Dance.
Contact: Mirja Virenius for bookings and inquiries, 0409 830 831, virenius1@gmail.com
Tickets: $70 for members, $80 for non-members, payable directly to the CFS bank acount (012936 - 3820 13025). Please use your phone number as a reference and advise Mirja of your payment. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
When: Saturday 14 October 2017 from 5:30pm
Where: Southern Cross Club in Woden, 92 - 96 Corinna Street, Phillip, ACT 2606
More detailed information will be posted as it is confirmed, on the Finnish Society of Melbourne's website: https://fsmelbourne.com.au/tapahtumat-events/ and on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/fsmelbourne.
Suomipäivät / Easter Games will once again bring Finns from all over Australia together to compete in sports and cultural competitions, and simply to enjoy good food, drink and company. The opening ceremony of the Games will also be the launch of FSM’s year of celebrating Suomi 100. The dinner dance will have a live band performing music, including Finnish tango.
When: Friday – Sunday 14 – 16 April 2017
Where: Finnish Hall in Altona + surrounds
We will get together to bring some light into the winter solstice. There will be a traditional midsummer barbecue and a grand opening of the newly built sauna at the Finnish Hall. A great opportunity to educate locals about this important Finnish cultural tradition.
When: Saturday 24 June 2017
Where: Finnish Hall in Altona
The 100th celebration of Finland’s independence deserves a grand gala, bringing together Finns and friends of Finland from around Melbourne, Victoria and even Australia. This will be the culmination of our Suomi 100 festivities this year.
When: Saturday 2 December 2017
Where: Melbourne Town Hall
Additionally, the Finnish Society in Melbourne is working on putting together a poster installation of history of Finland and the Finnish people, including some milestones from the 100 years of independence as well as the significance of Finnish migration to Australia. For this purpose, they are fortunate to have the expertise of Dr Tero Anttila (PhD, Post-Doc at University of Oulu, Department of History) within the committee. These posters will be displayed at all their events and possibly semi-permanently at the Finnish Hall.
The Finnish Society of Sydney has a special, elegant gala style evening event in the works. More details to come.
When: Date and time TBC
The West Sydney Finnish Club will be holding an event together with Etelän Ristin Seurakunta to celebrate 100 years of independence. More details to come.
When: Sunday 10 December 2017
Where: Granville Town Hall, Granville
Updated 9/26/2017
