Festival Norpas will be held on August 4–8 2021 in full scale and international touch. During its year-long hiatus the festival’s programme has expanded past yesteryears’ editions, and a majority of the events will be experienced outdoors. Norpas 2021 navigates toward different realities, where, along with an abundance of international arts, one may delve into rye bread baking, swamp preservation or spell poetry in the sauna.

 

In addition to our continued collaboration with Russian and Spanish arts associatons, another set of infuences from abroad will be a series featuring Finnish musicians based in Berlin. From Germany to Taalintehdas comes Die Angel, the duo that is Ilpo Väisänen of Pan Sonic fame and Schneider TM guitarist Dirk Dresselhaus. Just as Berlinized are Islaja and Jimi Tenor. Fully local vibes will be brought by German band 13 Year Cicada with their polyrhythmic and progressive sound.

 

One of this year’s top acts is Ismo Alanko in his long-requested solo incarnation. Ismo Alanko Alone will take the main stage Friday night. Introducing a new initiative will be Club Utopia, a programme curated by artists born in the 21st century: Kemiö’s resident musician Ilmari Turunen – whose composing credits include songs for Ibe and Nelma U – along with Lassi Laakso, a lyricist and poet from Helsinki.

 

Contrary to the summer’s other festival lineups, Norpas’ programme is yet again quite international – roughly half of the artists come from abroad: Spain, Russia, Germany, France and Iran. Particularly noteworthy are Russian dance group Zemli, Belarussian accordionist Yegor Zabelov – who is often compared to Kimmo Pohjonen – and Hassan K, drawing comparisons to previous Norpas guest Mdou Moctari.

 

This year the event kicks off on Wednesday 4 August with exhibitions and workshops. On display are Pentti Sammallahti’s enamouring photographs of animals, hand-crafted visual art by Kristoffer Albrecht, and illustrations by comic book artist Sanna Hukkanen on the subject of forests. Pre-weekend also marks the start of Jenni Tieaho’s willow sculpting workshop, as well as a workshop on improvisational motion in the direction of coreographer Vitaly Kimin and dancer Anna Nikolaeva from St. Petersburg.

 

The Festival will conclude in the middle of nature.  On a sailing voyage to the archipelago sea, Panu Kunttu and Sanna-Mari Kunttu tell the tale of their kayaking trip, which was a re-enactment of fisher-author Pentti Linkola’s 1974 discovery journey. Guitarist Teuvo Taimioja and dancer Sofia Keto-Tokoi will be tuning the spiritual state with their joint-performance and string trio. Following the traditional picnic, the festival reaches its climax in a performance by spanish maestro magician Pere Rafart along with Reality Orchestra, consisting of the festival’s musicians.