KAAPELI Urban Lab Workshop 2

About the event

Taking place in early November 2019, Kaapeli organised its second Urban Lab Workshop in Helsinki. The workshop was part of a wider programme of events at the annual LIFT Festival 2019 – a large festival for media, arts, and culture organised by Koy Kaapelitalo where ‘participation’ was one of the main festival themes.

In collaboration with Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Kaapeli invited the university’s Cultural Management students to participate in the Urban Lab event.

Objectives

One of the Urban Lab Helsinki aims is to activate the citizens to produce cultural events and content by transforming them from consumers into co-creators. Future cultural managers were chosen to be one of the stakeholders of Koy Kaapelitalo’s Urban Lab, as the task required a level of resources and know-how.

Koy Kaapelitalo invited the whole first year of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences cultural management students to learn about cultural production and to attend the LIFT festival. 

The workshop consisted of three different events: 

1. Introduction and guidance of the principles and practices of event production. On the 20th of September.

• Event spaces and mapping the design
• Technical solutions 
• Audience development
• Basics of service policy

2. LIFT festival on the 24th of October. The works assignments consisted of: 

• Registration 
• Managing the cloakroom 
• Guiding the audience 
• Hosting and liaising with the speakers 
• Technical support on stages 
• General tasks related to the festival 

More about LIFT

LIFT- new dimensions of media, arts & culture was a cross-sectorial, energic event that brought together world-class keynote speakers, critical panel discussions, and stimulating art performances. The event was structured to offer great experiences and inspire participants visually, intellectually, and emotionally. LIFT offered the latest knowledge and new viewpoints both from the media and the arts cultural sectors. 

The main aim of LIFT is to combine media, arts and culture professionals, audiences, and power players. LIFT invites participants to break the barriers between arts and media, encouraging them to find new partners and create networks. LIFT is an event concept that explores the power of cooperation, playful experimentation, diversity, and the ability to challenge. LIFT offers an open forum for anyone with a keen interest in media and culture, be it professional or otherwise. LIFT provides opportunities and possibilities to meet creative arts and media. Domestic and international speakers tested new ideas and explored new views and experiences. LIFT challenges and inspires one to cross borders.  

Results: 

• 60+ speakers/artists involved
• 900+ people attended the festival
• The event brought together an equal amount of media professionals as well as representatives from the Arts and Culture sector 
• Keynote speakers and artists gave new working opportunities
• People felt empowered
• People got useful new ideas they can use in their work