ETC members - Information

Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri

Address: Ensi Linja 2,
City: Helsinki
Postal code: 00530
Country: Finland
Phone: +358 9 394 03 65
Fax: +358 9 394 02 44
Email: henna.piirto@hkt.fi
Website: www.hkt.fi

Helsinki City Theatre was founded in 1964 and it is maintained by Helsinki Theatre Foundation. The dream of a permanent venue was fulfilled when the new theatre house along the Elaintarhanlahti Bay came into use in the autumn of 1967. It was designed by a young Finnish architect Timo Penttila. The Theatre had then two spaces for presentations, the main auditorium (with 947 seats) and the minor auditorium (with 200-350 seats). An annexe with third auditorium, studio Elsa (with 200-240), was built in 1989. In the autumn of 2000 Helsinki City Theatre had a new challenge since the Helsinki City Government decided to integrate the children theatre activities of The Theatre Pieni Suomi to Helsinki City Theatre. As a result of this amalgamation, City Theatre got a new space called Theatre Studio Pasila (with 210-330 seats). In August 2005 Helsinki City Theatre became bilingual as the Theatre integrated with Lilla Teatern, which is producing plays in Swedish. In the new space, Lilla Teatern (with 267 seats), plays are staged mainly in Swedish. The governing bodies of Helsinki Theatre Foundation are appointed by the Helsinki City Board for four-year terms. The Assembly of Delegates has fourteen actual and seven alternate members. The Board of the Foundation has seven members, in addition to whom a representative of the Theatre's employees is entitled to attend and speak at meetings. Helsinki City Theatre bases its activities on a perception of itself as a modern popular theatre. This means offering high-quality theatrical performances to the largest-possible number of people and making it easier for various audience groups to go to theatre. Our broad and diverse programme includes a generous helping of children's theatre and our own dance company.