SOUND & VISION

SOUND & VISION
Thursday, 12.11.2026 • 13:00-16:00
Restaurant Kerubi, Sali (Main Hall)
Free admission • Advance registration required: Register here

Sound & Vision is Rokumentti’s new platform for dialogue and exchange, bringing people together to challenge established ways of thinking and explore the significance of art, culture, and creative work in a changing world.

What role does culture play in shaping identity, local communities, and society's resilience in times of crisis? Who gets to tell our collective stories? And what happens to creativity as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly involved in artistic creation? Who creates, who owns, and who decides what the future of our culture will look like?

Throughout the day, talks and panel discussions will explore cultural identity, local roots, comprehensive security, and the impact of artificial intelligence on creativity and authorship. The event offers fresh perspectives, thought-provoking encounters, and engaging conversations about the power, responsibility, and future of art.

The event will be hosted by Hanna Vienonen, Lecturer at Karelia University of Applied Sciences. The panel discussions will be moderated by Perttu Mutka, Film Commissioner at the Eastern Finland Film Commission.

The event will be held primarily in Finnish.

SCHEDULE AND PROGRAMME
12:00–13:00 – Lunch at Restaurant Kerubi
Lunch available at participants' own expense.

13:00 – Welcome!
Tiia-Mari Mäkinen, Executive Director, Joensuun Popmuusikot ry

13:15 – From Underestimation to Empowerment – No One Left Behind
Virpi Rautsiala, Actress, Member of the Arts and Culture Council, Board Member of WIFT

13:35 – The Role of Culture in Building Societal Resilience
Simo Häyrynen, Senior University Lecturer, University of Eastern Finland

13:55 – Exploring Cultural Originality
Ulla-Maaria Koivula, CEO, ThingLink Oy

14:15 – Cultural Forces: Countering Attempts to Influence Worldviews and Identities – The Cultural Sector's Role in Strengthening Society's Psychological Resilience
Mikko-Pekka Hanski, Investor, Entrepreneur and Board Professional

14:30 – Panel 1
What Keeps Us Here? – Culture, Local Identity and Belonging in a Changing World
What role do art and culture play in making us feel that we belong somewhere, recognise our own stories, and imagine a future for the places we call home?
The panel explores culture as a source of vitality, identity, and belonging – from the future of Eastern Finland to the Kalevala and Ukraine.

Panellists:
* Mikko-Pekka Hanski, Founder of Solovey Cultures
* Simo Häyrynen, Senior University Lecturer, University of Eastern Finland
*Antti Jokinen, Film Director and Screenwriter
* Virpi Rautsiala, Actress, Member of the Arts and Culture Council, Board Member of WIFT
* Tiia Turunen, Community Musician

15:15 – Break

15:30 – My Voice Speaks 25 Languages – and I Have No Idea What It's Saying
Christoffer Weiss, Actor and Voice Actor

15:55 – Who Creates, Who Owns? Creativity and AI from a Legal Perspective
Perttu Isohanni, Doctoral Researcher, Aalto University

16:15 – Perspective
Oona Airola, Actress and Singer

16:25 – Cyborg, Avatar, Virtual – Embodied Performing Practices in a Digital Environment (Keynote delivered in English)
Davide Giovanzana, Senior University Lecturer and Researcher, Tampere University

16:45 – AI in Audio Production – Today and Tomorrow
Jone Väänänen, Sound Designer, Producer and Sound Artist

17:00 – Panel 2
Whose Voice, Whose Work? – Creativity and Authorship in an Era of Technological Transformation
Where is the line between tool and creator? Who has the right to decide how an artist's work, voice, or expression may be altered? And what do we want to keep in human hands, even as technology becomes capable of doing more and more on our behalf?

The panel explores the opportunities opened up by artificial intelligence, alongside the questions it raises about authorship, originality, consent, and responsibility.

Panellists:
* Oona Airola, Actress and Singer
* Jari Kupiainen, Principal Lecturer in Media, Karelia University of Applied Sciences
* Janne Tanskanen, Director and Cinematographer, Movage Films Oy
* Perttu Isohanni, Doctoral Researcher, Aalto University
* Christoffer Weiss, Actor and Voice Actor

17:45 –Closing Remarks

18:00 – Event Concludes – Join Us Afterwards at the Music Video Club!

Sound & Vision is organised in collaboration with Genelec Oy, Karelia University of Applied Sciences, and the Eastern Finland Film Commission.

SPEAKERS

OONA AIROLA
Oona Airola is a Finnish actress and singer. She has appeared in numerous films, television series, and theatre productions. Her recent film credits include Miia Tervo’s The Missile, Selma Vilhunen’s Kaunis rietas onnellinen, and Klaus Härö’s Never Alone.

As a singer and songwriter, Airola is a member of the Ykspihlaja Kino Orchestra, which, among other projects, composes and performs music for silent films. She studied at the Theatre Academy in Helsinki from 2010 to 2015. Prior to that, she studied pop/jazz vocals and folk singing in the music programme at the Central Ostrobothnia Conservatory.

Airola has released her own music under the artist name Oona and has performed as a vocal soloist in a wide range of productions. In recent years, she has also appeared as a soloist in symphony orchestra programmes, including Jos Rakastat – Kaj Chydenius and Myrskyluodolta Napapiirille, a concert featuring Finnish film music. Both programmes have also been performed with the Joensuu City Orchestra. Airola is currently working on her solo album, for which she serves as executive producer, with Kalle Chydenius as artistic producer. In October, the album Siedettäviä lauluja by Veljekset Chydenius & Oona Airola will also be released. Airola lives in Helsinki and is originally from Ykspihlaja, Kokkola.

DAVIDE GIOVANZANA
Davide Giovanzana is a theatre director, theatre pedagogue, and researcher based in Helsinki. His work draws on physical theatre, mask performance, and object theatre. His most recent book, Performing Violence (Routledge), reconsiders the possibilities and limits of representing violence on stage. He is Honorary Professor at the Latvian Culture Academy, former Visiting Professor of Artistic Research at the Theatre Academy of Helsinki, and currently University Lecturer in Acting at Tampere University. His current research, Cyborg, Avatar, Virtual (embodied performing practices in a digital environment), examines to what extend digital technologies transform theatre. He serves as Artistic Director of the Finnish theatre company Teatteri Metamorfoosi, which has performed widely in Finland and internationally.

MIKKO-PEKKA HANSKI
Mikko-Pekka is the founder of the Finnish Cultural Forces concept and an independent professional working at the intersection of culture, business and security. He was a co-founder of the global design studio Idean, which expanded into Silicon Valley. Following the acquisition of Idean, Mikko-Pekka has spent the past several years working between Finland and Ukraine. He founded Solovey Music, a Finnish-Ukrainian cultural platform, and is involved with Double Tap Investments, which brings Ukrainian defence technology to Finland.

Mikko-Pekka serves as Chair of the Board of YTK Unemployment Fund and as a board member of Kovanen Capital. He holds a degree in primary education from the University of Jyväskylä.

SIMO HÄYRYNEN
Simo Häyrynen, Doctor of Social Sciences, is a Senior University Lecturer in Environmental Policy at the University of Eastern Finland and an Adjunct Professor of Cultural Policy at the University of Turku. His recent research projects have focused on cultural justice in the sustainability transition, particularly in Europe's peripheral regions and declining industrial communities.

He has been a member of the Finnish Nature Panel since 2023 and previously served as both Chair and Member of the North Karelia Arts Council.

PERTTU ISOHANNI
Perttu Isohanni is a doctoral researcher at Aalto University School of Business, specialising in artificial intelligence and intellectual property law. His research examines the legal implications of AI-generated imitations of artists and performers, including their style, voice, appearance, manner of performance, and even their entire artistic persona.

Isohanni investigates the protection offered in such cases by copyright law, performers’ related rights, and other legal protections relating to personal identity, as well as the limits of these protections. He is particularly interested in how the identity, autonomy, and livelihoods of artists and other creative professionals can be safeguarded in the age of artificial intelligence.

ANTTI J. JOKINEN
Antti J. Jokinen is an award-winning director and writer with an international career in film and music videos. His feature films include The Resident, Purge, The Midwife, Flowers of Evil and Helene. His work has been recognized at major international film festivals, including Shanghai International Film Festival and Camerimage, where his films have received several awards.

Purge was selected as Finland’s official entry for the Academy Awards, while Flowers of Evil earned Jokinen the Best Director award at the Shanghai International Film Festival. His films have achieved both critical acclaim and strong box office success in Finland and internationally.

Jokinen is also an internationally acclaimed music video director. Over his career, he has worked with some of the world’s biggest artists, including Beyoncé, Eminem, Celine Dion, Will Smith, Missy Elliott, Korn and Kelly Clarkson.

ULLA-MAARIA KOIVULA
Ulla-Maaria Koivula is the founder of Kosmos Spaces and CEO of the technology company ThingLink Oy. Originally from Kontiolahti, Finland, her work brings together culture, creativity, entrepreneurship and technology, driven by an interest in how local strengths and distinctive cultural identities can inspire new initiatives and opportunities for the future.

Founded by Koivula, Kosmos Spaces is located in Kontiolahti. It reflects her ambition to create spaces for creativity, meaningful encounters and new ideas beyond major urban centres.

JARI KUPIAINEN
Jari Kupiainen is a university lecturer in media, Adjunct Professor of Cultural Studies, cultural anthropologist, multidisciplinary cultural professional, and rock musician.

PERTTU MUTKA
Perttu Mutka is the Eastern Finland Film Commissioner and an experienced audiovisual industry professional. Now in his eighth year as Film Commissioner, he has over two decades of experience in the audiovisual sector and has worked on more than 600 productions throughout his career.

As the Eastern Finland Film Commissioner, Mutka works to attract domestic and international film and television productions to North Karelia. His role involves assisting production companies in finding filming locations, local professionals, partners and production services. He also builds connections between the international film industry and the expertise and talent of Eastern Finland.

VIRPI RAUTSIALA
Virpi Rautsiala (MA in Theatre Arts, FIA) is a performing arts professional, actress, and part-time entrepreneur. She works across Finland and has founded numerous collectives and working groups throughout her career. Alongside her artistic work, Rautsiala works as a part-time lecturer, serves as Chair of Minna Canth Kuopio Association, and is a board member of WIFT (Women in Film and Television) Finland. She has also held several leadership positions in regional and national arts councils.

Her diverse professional background includes work as a cultural planner, hospital clown, arts educator, opera director, performance coach, and member of various writing teams. From 2023 to 2026, Rautsiala focused on regional development in Eastern Finland through the Sillanrakentajat project. In 2026, the Finnish Government appointed Rautsiala to the Arts and Culture Council for the 2026–2029 term.

JANNE TANSKANEN
Janne Tanskanen is a director and cinematographer who has worked on documentary films, commercials, and TV spots. His latest documentary, Savage Beauty (director & writer), TV-premiered on Yle in the summer of 2025. His previous documentary, Tee se itse -elämä: Combat Rockin tarina (director & writer), won the Audience Award at the Tampere Film Festival in 2019 and was broadcast on Yle from 2020 to 2022. Since 2021, Tanskanen has worked as an entrepreneur at the production company Movage Films Oy.

TIIA TURUNEN
Tiia Turunen (MA, Community Musician) works across the fields of culture, music and community engagement. She is a kantele player and backing vocalist in Veila, an ensemble specialising in communal kantele playing. The group received the City of Joensuu Cultural Award in 2025.

From 2016 to 2021, Turunen led the band of RajaSpeksi, an interactive musical theatre production, and sang in the University of Eastern Finland Choir from 2009 to 2020. Her musical background also includes opera choir and vocal ensemble work. As a member of the Rajatapaus Cultural Cooperative, Turunen also performs as a musician with the Rajatapaus improvisation group. She has worked as an arts educator and in the development of cultural services, community participation and community-based activities. She also has experience in positions of trust and responsibility within the cultural sector. In her current role, Turunen coordinates activities in Joensuu under the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities for Children and Young People.

HANNA VIENONEN
Hanna Vienonen is a lecturer, trainer, and solution-focused developer in the creative industries whose work combines creativity, a practical approach, and a determined drive for renewal. She works at Karelia University of Applied Sciences in the areas of leadership, workplace development, sales, and marketing, and is actively involved in developing both working life and education.

Before pursuing a career in higher education, she worked in the cultural and events sector in a variety of roles, including executive director, producer, regional artist, coordinator, and ballet teacher. Her approach to work is characterised by curiosity, extensive networks, the courage to experiment with new ideas, and a strong belief that people and communities are capable of renewal when given the space and meaningful goals to do so. She also seeks out new perspectives on life with an open mind in her free time. Last summer, she hired the punk band Niskaperseote to play at a party in her garden – and warmly recommends that every middle-aged person do the same: few things provide quite as much energy, joy, and faith in the future.

JONE VÄÄNÄNEN
Jone Väänänen is a sound designer, producer, and sound artist based in Joensuu, Finland, with over 35 years of experience in the Finnish music and audio industry. He has worked on more than 300 audio productions and approximately 900 tracks, some of which have achieved gold certification. His collaborators include Insomnium, Stella, Kotiteollisuus, Ismo Alanko, and Paleface. In recent years, he has focused on immersive Dolby Atmos audio and sound installations for museums. Väänänen has also served as a certified trainer for Steinberg, the Yamaha-owned audio software company.

He has worked with AI-based audio modeling since the technology's earliest days, specializing in the restoration and manipulation of vocal recordings and performances. Productions featuring this work have accumulated millions of streams. Today, he also uses artificial intelligence to develop his own audio production tools.

CHRISTOFFER WEISS
Christoffer Weiss is an actor and voice actor working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the performing arts, as well as a show caller for live events. He worked as an AI voice technician on the film Vares X, is currently dubbing the Duudsons’ new film into English, and is developing AI avatars for organisations including Heureka and the City of Oulu.

Weiss’s voice model is the most widely used Finnish-language voice on ElevenLabs, now speaking 25 languages through more than 36,000 users. Drawing on his experiences, he advocates for performers’ rights to consent, compensation, and control over the use of their voices and performances.

Weiss serves on the board of the Finnish Voice Artists’ Association as Membership Officer and Treasurer. His career includes hundreds of voice acting and dubbing projects, more than 100 stand-up comedy performances, and over 1,000 live events.