Armas Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary – coordination moves to VALLI

During the Armas Festival, from 17 to 31 March 2026, almost 150 events will take place across Finland. The patron of the anniversary year is film director Aki Kaurismäki.

International seminar discusses loneliness among older people

To mark the anniversary year, an international seminar titled Silence of Ageing – How arts and culture confront the loneliness in later life will take place in Helsinki on 30 March 2026. The seminar brings together experts from ten countries to discuss loneliness among older people and the role of arts and culture in reducing it.

The seminar is organised by a broad cooperation network that includes, among others, the City of Helsinki, the Finnish Institute in Japan, and the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland.

Armas finds a new home at VALLI

The Armas Festival is one of the first initiatives in Finland to bring together municipalities, arts organisations and organisations working with older people. It promotes the cultural rights of older people and highlights both older artists and themes of ageing through arts and culture.

The festival network includes more than 60 partners and even 200 events are organised annually throughout Finland. Armas operates as an umbrella model: network partners are responsible for organising their own events.

So far, the festival has been hosted by KAAPELI (Kiinteistö Oy Kaapelitalo). After the anniversary year, coordination of the network will move to VALLI, The Finnish Association for Older People’s Services, which has been an Armas partner since its founding.

- Armas has established its activities and is thriving. Now is a good moment to pass the baton forward. I am extremely happy that such a nationally significant organisation as The Union for Senior Services, VALLI will take Armas under its wing, says Raisa Karttunen, the festival’s founder and long-time director.

- At VALLI we are happy and grateful to take on the coordination of Armas. We hope to welcome even more new partners alongside those already involved in the festival in the future. Art and culture belong to everyone, including older and ageing people, says VALLI's executive director Virpi Dufva.

Aki Kaurismäki is the patron of the anniversary year

Over the years, Armas has had several distinguished patrons. The patron of the 10th anniversary year is film director Aki Kaurismäki, who describes himself as an ageing filmmaker.

- Without us [older citizens], it would be impossible to imagine the countless exhibitions, theatre and music performances, as well as museum activities in their current nationwide scope. A nation can endure scarcity, but without culture it suffocates, Kaurismäki states in his greeting to the festival organisers and participants.

The Silence of Ageing – How arts and culture confront loneliness in later life seminar can be followed via a livestream on the Helsinki Channel.

All events across Finland can be found on the festival website: armasfestivaali.fi.

More information:

Producer Raisa Karttunen, KAAPELI (Kiinteistö Oy Kaapelitalo), raisa.karttunen@kaapeli.com, tel. +358 50 371 7818

Executive director Virpi Dufva, The Union for Senior Services, VALLI, virpi.dufva@valli.fi, tel. +358 50 365 4664