JoJo – Oulu Dance Centre is a professional dance production centre operating in Northern Finland’s vibrant dance art field, where the members of the association have the highest authority.
JoJo – Oulu Dance Centre is a professional dance production centre, festival organisation and guest theatre that offers local, national and international dance repertoire, international residency exchange programs and audience work all year round, and produces the international OuDance festival every September. JoJo’s programming includes interdisciplinary dance repertoire mainly focusing on contemporary dance.
JoJo serves as a production centre and visiting theatre for professionals, and offers open activities to the public; participating in audience work does not require previous experience in dance or watching dance performances.
JoJo is a member of Suomen Teatterit ry, the national employer organization in the theater industry.
JoJo is part of the Regional Dance Centre Network. The goal of the network is promoting equal availability and accessibility of dance arts and services, and to increase work opportunities of freelance dance artists.
JoJo – Oulu Dance Centre is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the City of Oulu.
JoJo’s background organization is an association.
The strategy of JoJo – Oulu Dance Centre is valid until 2026. The strategy was processed by JoJo’s board, staff and collaboratiors in five strategy workshops in 2021. The strategy process was led by Janne Marniemi from Beat Next.
JoJo’s mission
JoJo is a professional dance production center, festival organization and visiting theater. JoJo offers local, international and national dance repertoire and audience work all year round and is active participant in dance art field.
JoJo’s vision for 2026
Accessible and sustainable center of northern dance art.
The strategic goal is to develop JoJo as accessible and sustainable center of northern dance art.
The priorities to achieve the vision are developing audience, participant and community base, developing digital services, increasing and expanding visibility, ensuring safe workplace and community, and using ecological methods in all actions.
JoJo’s values
Quality – JoJo is an innovative dance art professional organization whose operation is based on strong expertise. Quality is ensured by goal-oriented, reflective and renewing work. All actions are aiming to transparency, accessibility and reliability.
Cooperation – JoJo is supporting creativity by enabling dialogues and bringing different participants together. JoJo is an interactive and open-minded partner. JoJo creates an easily approachable, appreciative and inclusive platform for cooperation.
Responsibility – JoJo supports equality in all its activities. JoJo’s multidisciplinary and versatile operation increases the diversity of dance art field. All operations are aiming at environmental ecology and the sustainable development of dance art.
Nella Turkki, Chairman
Teemu Tuohimaa, Vice-chairman
Marjo Kiukaanniemi
Ulla Lassila
Vilma Luoma
Vivianna Mäkinen
Elina Tähtelä
The board is elected at the association’s statutory autumn meeting for two years at a time. The task of the board is to supervise that the activities of the association are carried out in the manner prescribed by the regulations of the Associations Act and the association’s own rules. The Board oversees that JoJo’s operations are carried out annually in accordance with the action plan and budget decided at the autumn meeting. The Board acts as the employer of the production centre staff.
Miia Ahonen, Dance teacher (Bachelor of Culture and Arts)
Heta Haanperä, Master of Arts
Jukka Heinänen, Dramatist
Heli Pippinsköld, Dancer, Dance teacher (Bachelor of Culture and Arts)
Jouni Prittinen, Choreographer, Dance teacher
Helena Lindqvist, Managing Director, M.Sc. (Art Research)
The Artistic Select Committee selects JoJo’s annual production and visiting program as well as the program for OuDance Festival. There is an open call for applications for production and program open to all professionals every year.
Helena Lindqvist, Executive Director, M.Sc. (Art Research)
Mira Kolanen, Producer, Dance Teacher (Master’s degree) (in Cultural Production and Creative Economy)
Leea Alatalo, Audience Work Coordinator, Master of Education
The artistic staff working at JoJo comes from the freelance field of dance. JoJo employs more than a hundred dance and performing arts professionals every year.
