#MyCultureVaasa – for students in basic education in the arts

Goals

The aim of #MyCultureVaasa is for the students to

• broaden their knowledge and experience of art and culture in a variety of ways, including venturing beyond their own artistic field.
• become acquainted with the cultural organisations and operators of the City of Vaasa.
• develop their thought process as an art experiencer and acquire the skills to express it verbally.
• gain new perspectives and tools for their own artistic work.
• develop their information search skills.
• practice compassion for different experiences and life situations through art and culture.
• acquire skills to maintain and promote well-being through arts and culture.

Implementation

Students independently attend arts and culture events that are of interest to them. These visits may be free of charge or very affordable, depending on the types of events the student chooses to attend. Four of the events are predefined, while two are optional:

1. A theatre performance
2. A concert
3. A museum or an exhibition
4. An event organised by the library
5. An optional destination or event
6. An optional destination or event

After each visit, the students report on their experience using the reporting form available on this page.

After completing the required visits, the students apply for credit recognition from the rectors of Kuula-opisto or TaiKon. Their contact details can be found at the bottom of this page.

Scope

The estimated scope of the study unit is 27 hours, including preparation, the visits themselves and the completion of the report form. The study unit can be recognised as part of the secondary education studies at the TaiKon Academy, in which case it carries a scope of 2 credits or 2 competence points.

The #MyCultureVaasa project is carried out in cooperation with the organisations and institutions providing cultural services in the City of Vaasa. These include:

• Museums of the City of Vaasa
• Vaasa City Theatre (in Finnish)
• Wasa Teater
• Vaasa City Orchestra
• City of Vaasa Culture Services
• City of Vaasa Library Services
• TaiKon
• Kuula-opisto
• Rokkikoulu rock school (City of Vaasa Youth services; in Finnish and Swedish)

#MyCultureVaasa is an independent study unit, and the students are free to choose the events they want to attend. The unit can be completed free of charge or with minimal cost.

Museums of the City of Vaasa

Museums of the City of Vaasa are free of charge for those under 18 years of age. The museums of the City of Vaasa also offer a student discount. The admission fee also allows visitors to access the Tikanoja Art Museum, the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art, and the Ostrobothnian Museum on the same day. The museums also host free admission days throughout the year.

Vaasa City Theatre

The Vaasa City Theatre offers a student discount. Additionally, TaiKon and Kuula-opisto occasionally receive free tickets for their students to attend theatre rehearsals or specific performances.

Wasa Teater

Wasa Teater offers a student discount. Additionally, TaiKon and Kuula-opisto occasionally receive free tickets for their students to attend theatre rehearsals or specific performances.

Vaasa City Orchestra

Student tickets are available for Vaasa City Orchestra concerts. Tickets for special concerts are also available at discounted student rates.

Basic art education events and performances

The events organised by TaiKon or Kuula-opisto are almost always free of charge.

Rokkikoulu rock school

The events organised by Rokkikoulu, run by the City of Vaasa Youth Services, are mostly free of charge.

Alma Adult Education Centre

The public lectures and events organised by Alma Adult Education Centre are mostly free of charge.

Events at the library

The events organised by the library are mostly free of charge.

Cultural Services

The events organised by the City of Vaasa Cultural Services are mostly free of charge.

Kaikukortti card

Low-income students may also be eligible for a Kaikukortti card, which grants free or reduced admission to arts and cultural events. Find out more about Kaikukortti here.

Below is a list of what you should know when attending an event for the first time.

Museums and exhibitions

• You can visit museums and exhibitions at any time during their opening hours.
• There is no dress code. You can usually leave your outdoor clothing and bags in a coat rack or a locked locker while you tour the exhibition. Do not bring large bags to a museum or exhibition, to avoid accidentally damaging a piece by accidentally bumping into it.
• If you wish, you can buy things in the museum shop. You can also visit the museum shop without paying the museum entrance fee.
• The entrance fee allows visitors to access the Ostrobothnian Museum, the Tikanoja Art Museum, and the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art on the same day.
• The plaques next to the works of art typically include additional information about the artist. Do not touch the artwork unless touching an individual piece is expressly permitted. Photographing the works of art is usually allowed, unless expressly prohibited.
• Visitors to a museum typically proceed calmly at their own pace. Discussing the exhibits quietly is generally permitted in a museum or exhibition, as long as you do not disturb other visitors. Museum staff are happy to answer questions about the exhibits.

Theatre performances

Please note! These guidelines apply only to performances by Vaasa City Theatre and Wasa Teater. For example, TaiKon’s theatre productions are smaller and less formal.

Before the performance 

• You should arrive at the theatre about 30 minutes before the performance starts. If you already have a ticket, you may arrive a little later.
• Check in advance on the theatre’s website to see if the performance is fragrance-free.
• Outerwear and larger bags are left in the cloakroom for the duration of the performance. The cloakroom is free of charge.
• You can wear tidy, regular clothes to the theatre. For evening performances, and especially for premieres, people typically dress a little more formally.

During the performance 

• Videoing or photographing the performance is not allowed, and mobile devices must be kept silent or turned off during the performance.
• Using electronic devices during the performance is also prohibited, as the light from the screen can shine in the dark auditorium and disturb other members of the audience.
• During a theatre performance, you sit in the audience and concentrate on the performance, unless the actors specifically instruct or encourage you to join in. In musicals, the audience may sometimes start clapping along to the songs, either spontaneously or when prompted by the performers.
• In some performances, the actors may walk among the audience and use the side doors.

During the intermission

• Most theatre performances include an intermission of about 25 minutes.
• During the intermission, you can buy something to eat or drink at the theatre café. Water is available free of charge from the café.
• You can also remain seated in the auditorium during the intermission if you like.
• Five and ten minutes before the end of the intermission, an announcement usually informs the audience that the second act is about to begin and that they should return to their seats.
• You can use the toilet before or after the performance, or during the intermission.

After the performance

• At the end of the performance, the actors take a bow on stage and the audience thanks them with a round of applause. Depending on the duration of the applause, the actors may return to the stage to bow several times.
• After the performance, the audience exits the auditorium calmly, mindful of others, and retrieves their outdoor clothing from the cloakroom or coat racks.

Classical music concerts

Please note! These guidelines generally apply to larger, more formal concerts such as classical music concerts and orchestral concerts.

• Please arrive early, preferably 10 to 15 minutes before the concert starts.
• For a classical music concert, wear tidy, regular clothes. Many people dress more formally for orchestral concerts, for example, but there is no official dress code. Outerwear and larger bags are left in the cloakroom or in the lobby. Be prepared to pay a small fee for the cloakroom. A light jacket or a jeans jacket, for example, may be worn in the auditorium.
• Loud talking is not allowed during the concert, as audience members want to concentrate fully on the music. However, you may chat with the person sitting next to you during the applause. Mobile devices should be set to silent mode or turned off during the concert. Using electronic devices during the concert may disturb other audience members, as the light from the screen can be distracting in the dark auditorium.
• At the beginning of a classical music concert, performers typically bow or curtsy to the audience, who responds with a round of applause. In an orchestral concert, applause typically follows the entire work, such as the end of a four-movement symphony. The audience also applauds whenever the musicians, conductor, and possible soloists enter the stage. In classical music, the pieces often have several movements or parts; you can follow the progression by observing the conductor, other audience members or by checking the parts of the work in the programme. In a smaller classical concert, there is usually no applause between different pieces by the same performer, unless it is a diploma recital for an instrument, for example. Sometimes the applause is saved until the very end of the concert; this is usually announced at the beginning of the concert.
• Visit the event’s website in advance to find out whether filming or photographing is permitted. Vaasa City orchestra concerts are generally not permitted to be recorded, except during the applause following the pieces.
• Between performances, a presenter may introduce the performers, or they may remain silent for most of the concert, in which case the order of performances can be followed in the programme. In classical concerts, the audience does not typically start clapping along to the songs.
• Longer concerts usually have an intermission of about 20 minutes. Check the concert website, consult the organiser, or refer to your ticket for details about the intermission. During the intermission, you can buy something from the café or use the toilets. Towards the end of the intermission, an announcement typically informs the audience that the next part of the concert will begin in a few minutes. At this point, you should calmly return to your seat.
• If the audience gives a prolonged round of applause, the performers may return to the stage for an extra piece, known as an encore. After the last piece and the final applause, the audience exits the auditorium calmly, mindful of others, and retrieves their outdoor clothing from the cloakroom. Extra pieces may also be performed during the concert, and you should consider their impact on the overall duration.

Other concerts

Other concerts are usually more informal compared to traditional classical music concerts.

• You should arrive at the venue about 10 minutes before the concert starts.
• There is no dress code and you may wear what you like.
• You can usually film the performances, but if you’re not sure, ask the organiser beforehand.
• Mobile devices should set to silent mode or turned off during the performance. Using electronic devices during the concert may disturb other audience members, as the light from the screen can be distracting in the dark auditorium.
• Applause is typically given after each piece, unless otherwise instructed. Performers’ introductions are also followed by applause. Audiences may sometimes start clapping along to the music, either spontaneously or when prompted by the performers. Performers may also invite the audience to join in by asking them to shout or sing something, for example.
• In addition to the usual applause, at a jazz concert, the audience may also applaud after a solo by an instrumentalist. If you’re enjoying the performance, you may snap your fingers to the rhythm. Snapping is less distracting to others than clapping.
• The concert ends with a round of applause. If the audience gives a prolonged round of applause, the performers may return to the stage for an extra piece, or an encore. After the last piece and the final applause, the audience exits calmly, mindful of others.

Public lectures

• Check the event website to see if you need to register for the lecture in advance.
• It’s a good idea to arrive 5–10 minutes before the start of the lecture and take your seat if the doors are open.
• Public lectures usually do not require any prior preparation from the audience, and there is no dress code.
• There is usually time for questions at the end of the lecture unless the lecturer has indicated that questions can also be asked during the lecture.
• Mobile devices should set to silent mode or turned off during the entire lecture. Using electronic devices during the lecture may disturb other audience members, so you should keep them in your pocket or bag during the lecture.
• At the end of the lecture, the lecturer receives applause and may also be thanked separately.

Dance and circus performances

• You should arrive at the venue about 10 minutes before the performance starts.
• You may wear tidy, regular clothes; there is no dress code. Outerwear may be left in the cloakroom or in coat rack outside the auditorium. Be prepared to pay a small fee for the cloakroom. A light jacket or a jeans jacket, for example, may be worn in the auditorium.
• You can usually film the performances, but if you’re not sure, ask the organiser beforehand. Mobile devices should set to silent mode or turned off during the performance. Using electronic devices during the concert may disturb other audience members, as the light from the screen can be distracting in the dark auditorium.
• Audiences may sometimes start clapping along to the music, either spontaneously or when prompted by the performers.
• After the performance, the audience gives a round of applause, and the performers take a bow. After the applause, the audience exits the auditorium calmly, mindful of others, and retrieves their outdoor clothing from the cloakroom or coat racks.
• Please note! The dress code for ballet performances is typically a little more formal.

Courses and workshops

• Check the event website or consult the organiser to see if you need to register for the course or workshop in advance.
• Check the course or workshop description for at least the participants’ instructions, the time and duration of the event, the dress code (if provided), and whether materials need to be paid for separately.
• If there is a charge for the event, also check whether the participation fee should be paid in advance or on-site, and whether payment is accepted in cash only or by card only, for example.
• In general, mobile devices should be set to silent mode or turned off during a course or workshop, unless they are essential to the programme.
• If you are unsure about anything, do not hesitate to contact the event organiser.

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