Over the Barriers: Towards An Inclusive Culture 2024

This year’s event includes accessible gaming and cultural performances. There will be several game stations where attendees can try out accessible game controllers and VR games. The event also features tactile experiences and touch-based art displays. Additionally, there will be a shadow theatre performance of ”Around the World” by Theatre Wärjäämö and a musical performance by the Puuwillaorkesteri.

The Over the Barriers event is free and open to everyone! If you cannot attend in person, you can follow the event on Yle Areena.

Schedule

9.00 AM – 4.00 PM Accessible gaming and observation points, and Vibroacoustic Sensory Experiences open

9.00 AM – 12.00 PM Special eSports – Accessible e-Sports, Paidia Open Tournament Qualifications

12.15 – 1.15   PM Special eSports – Accessible e-Sports, Paidia Open Tournament Finals

1.30 – 2 PM Color shadow theater performance / Wärjäämö

2.15 – 2.45 PM Puuwillaorkesteri’s music performance

2.45 – 4 PM Free time to investigate accessible gaming and observation points, and familiarize with vibroacoustic sensory experiences

Performers

Puuwillaorkesteri

Puuwillaorkesteri is a band of individuals with developmental disabilities, consisting of residents from the Puuwilla Home in Tampere. The orchestra is led by Ritva Venehsalo (community musician, practical nurse) and includes a few supporting background musicians.

Puuwillaorkesteri plays great music that can be signed if one cannot speak, or sung, played, or danced to in one’s own way.

Wärjäämö

Wärjäämö is a daytime activity center for people with developmental disabilities, focusing on artistic creation and creative expression. It is located at the south end of Hämeenpuisto in Tampere. Wärjäämö’s daily activities include theater, music, dance, daily living skills, handicrafts, visual arts, and digital training. The goal is to support the integration of people with developmental disabilities into society through creative expression. Wärjäämö operates based on each individual’s strengths, with clients playing a central role in the activities and their goal-oriented planning. There are 30 client places and a staff of four instructors and a lead instructor.

Vibroacoustic Sensory Experiences

Russ Palmer

Russ Palmer Ph.D. h.c. SRAT(M), music therapist, vibroacoustic therapy practitioner. His main research focuses on how people with hearing impairment are able to feel music through their bodies, that is vibrosensoric experience. He is also a singer-songwriter with two CDs and a DVD. https://www.russpalmer.com/  

Riitta Lahtinen

Riitta Lahtinen, PhD, researches and writes about experiencing communication, the environment, and the arts through multiple senses. Practical experiences are based on touch, movement, and haptic exploration. Lahtinen specializes in areas such as mobility and orientation, multisensory description, and communication possibilities for individuals with dual sensory impairment (deafblindness). 

Stina Ojala

Stina Ojala, PhD, is a speech scientist and a vibroacoustic therapy practitioner. Currently she is affiliated with the Department of Computing, University of Turku, Finland. Her main research interests are the individuality of speech, multimodal communication and vibrosensoric experience in music appreciation. 

Location and Accessibility

The events will take place at Paidia, a spacious research and activity space on the 2nd floor of Nokia Arena. The address of Nokia Arena is Kansikatu 3, 33100 Tampere.

To reach Paidia, use the escalator on the left side of Nokia Arena’s main entrance and proceed to the left (across from gate A3, above the Casino). Paidia can also be accessed via the elevator in the lobby of the arena’s main entrance (3rd floor).

Paidia has ample space for movement and a spacious restroom. The lighting in the space may be slightly dim. We will have a separate ”quiet room” to accommodate individuals who need a break from sensory stimuli.

The railway station and bus station are approximately 600 meters from Nokia Arena. Especially when coming from the railway station, there are several intersections and an uphill walk that may hinder mobility.

Additional information

Markku Turunen (markku.turunen@tuni.fi), 0405339689
Pauliina Baltzar (pauliina.baltzar@tuni.fi), 0504478234

Microsoft is sponsoring the event