“Ii offers space to be humane and develop as a human being. There is plenty of creative space and time here.” Yildiz explains the reasons why the artists wanted to return to Ii. “It is the silence that calls us. In Ii there is much more personal space than in bigger cities,” Tesal adds.
They were taking part in the KK AiC (Artist-in-Community) programme by working together with mental health rehabilitators from Oulunkaari health and social services.
Together with the mental health rehabilitators and other customers of the Oulunkaari health and social services Tesal and Yildiz worked on the project Dream News, which became a printed newspaper. “Usually news is about problems and past events. We want to look into the future to dreams and hopes,” Yildiz explains. Dream News will be distributed widely, from libraries to political leaders, and is also given out at the newly built Lähde! Park.
Tesal and Yildiz also took part in the Valon juhla – Festival of Light on Thursday 21 November in the Lähde! Park in Ii.
“The most important thing is to be together. You don’t need to express yourself all the time,” Tesal concludes.
Photos: Merja Männikkö, Jaani Föhr
