The full World Village Festival programme has now been released. The festival will provide a host of inspiring things to do, new issues to think about and delicious flavours to sample for the entire family. The Kids’ Corner will be brimmed with activity-packed workshops, while YMCA Peace & Sport is the place to go for games and ideas for young people, and the talks and discussions programme includes a laid-back MEP election panel.
Four more talks and discussions items and a documentary film are now added to the festival factual programme. You will hear where activist Aja Daffeh finds the courage to turn the personal into the political and whether young people’s everyday lives really are more violent and unsafe than they used to be. In their talk-show-cum-discussion, journalist Maryan Abdulkarim and comedian Eeva Vekki will explore why it is important to laugh at power.
What do European Parliament election candidates need courage for? Sitting and aspiring MEPs will be interviewed and challenged in a laid-back mini-election panel. The show hosted by Gogi Mavromichalis will feature Eero Heinäluoma (Social Democratic Party), Eija-Riitta Korhola (Christian Democrats), Merja Kyllönen (Left Alliance), Maria Miala (National Coalition Party), Maria Ohisalo (Greens), Petri Roininen (Centre Party) and Sebastian Tynkkynen (Finns Party).
Passu (2024), a documentary film by Jussi Lehtomäki and Mete Sasioglu, follows the life of 18-year-old Uyghur Pazilaiti Simayijiang in Helsinki. The film is a portrait of a charismatic young person and a depiction of a search for identity and meaning.
Art arising from tragic fates
The Seed Rises exhibition honours the memory two human rights and environmental activists, Bety Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola, who were assassinated in Mexico. Previously seen in Oaxaca, Mexico, and at the European Parliament, Strasbourg, the artwork for the exhibition was selected from the Semillas que florecen / The Seed Rises competition.
Mexican artist Elina Chauvet has created the Red Shoes (Zapatos Rojos) art project to remind us about women who were murdered or who disappeared because of their gender. The installation combines the personal and the shared experience and reflects notions of the normalisation of violence against women. A communal red-shoe painting workshop will be organised before the festival.
Peace action and sports
YMCA Peace & Sport will provide things to do and experience for young people. The area will feature energetic entertainment with street football and rap workshops, sustainable development bingo and hanging out in the lounge. The youngest festivalgoers will get to have fun with baby football and face painting.
Between the live shows on the main stage, you will be able to enjoy Funky Amigos DJs and their special guests playing exciting sounds and world rhythms on the terrace of Peloton restaurant. The Street Art Area will be your destination for things to see from song and dance to performance art or to take part in from salsa party to yoga.
Festival for the entire family
The Kids’ Corner will offer programme for those who have courage, who would like some encouragement, who are up for a nice snack and who love nature. The encouragement card workshop will set in motion a chain of encouragement and create encouraging messages to unknown people. At the barn tent’s functional story and music sessions, you will get to know the adventures of Mauno the Calf and learn how to have more courage to connect with others.
The Guides and Scouts of Finland will set up the Courage Trail, an activity trail for children on the festival site. The Manga Workshop, Stoori Mobile Library, Vihis pasty workshop, pop-up nature club, Pinskut activities, Arabian board games, story sessions and Thai dance performances will guarantee people of all ages will have a great time at the festival.
Parties into the night
Maailman Kuvalehti magazine pre-festival club: Ramithawi, Susani Mahadura, Thu 23 May, 19.00, Tanner, over-18s only, free admission
Uptown Friday presents: World Village Festival Pre-Party, Fri 24 May, 22.00, Maxine, over-20s only, admission €12 + cloakroom service charge
Fiesta Latina & Mint present: World Village Festival Afterparty, Sat 25 May, 21.00, Mint Bar & Club, over-18s only, €12, cloakroom service charge included
Afro Sunday: World Village Festival Afterparty, Sun 26 May, 22.00, over-18s only, €10, cloakroom service charge included
Exhibitors and food vendors will be released on 3 May. Festival site map will be released on 22 April. For the full festival programme, see worldvillage.fi. World Village Festival in Suvilahti, Helsinki, 25–26 May 2024 themed on Courage.
More information, media accreditation and interviews
Communications: Nelli Korpi, nelli.korpi@fingo.fi, +358 50 317 6698
Programme: Johanna Eurakoski, johanna.eurakoski@fingo.fi, +358 50 317 6696
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Press photos at Flickr
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World Village Festival is Finland’s leading event for global action for the whole family, an admission free cultural festival, and a trade fair for sustainable development. The event will be organised in the Suvilahti event venue, Helsinki, in 25–26 May 2024 with Courage as the theme. Festival’s core values are diversity, equality, responsibility, and communality. The event is expected to attract around 50,000 festivalgoers. Admission to all events is free. The festival organiser is Finnish Development NGOs Fingo and the main partners are Finn Church Aid, the European Commission Representation in Finland, the European Parliament Liaison Office in Finland, Radio Helsinki and Maailman Kuvalehti -magazine.