& (theatre)
Theatre in Espoo, Finland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
& (until 2023 Espoo City Theatre[1]) is a professional theatre operating in Espoo, Finland. It is maintained by the Espoo City Theatre Foundation, established in 1988.[2] From 2017 to 2024, the theatre was led by Erik Söderblom.[3] In 2024, Jussi Sorjanen took over as the Artistic Director.
The theatre mounts its own productions and hosts up to 10 international guest performances annually.[4] It offers subtitles through its own mobile application. An English translation is always available, and some performances also have Finnish subtitles.[5] The theatre attracts around 30,000 visitors annually.[6]
The theatre has two main performance venues: Louhisali and Revontulihalli, both located in the Tapiola district â Louhisali in the Espoo Cultural Centre and Revontulihalli on Revontulentie.[7]
New name
In August 2023, the theatre announced its new name as "&". Artistic director Erik Söderblom described it as a "positive provocation" that highlights "community, cooperation, and togetherness."[8] According to the theatre, the sign "&" symbolises combining things and ideas as well as bringing performers, audiences and cultures together. And also the sign "&" is pronounced as "et", which can also be interpreted as the initials of "Espoon teatteri", meaning the Espoo theatre.[1]
The new name is the result of a two-year branding process, involving theatre representatives and advertising agencies Open Flower, TBWA, and Great Apes.[9] Ulla Onkamo, a language planning specialist from the Institute for the Languages of Finland, criticized the name change as unclear and impractical. She argued that & says nothing about its subject and doesn't even appear to be a name.[10] The Finnish Association of Visual Communication Designers, Grafia, awarded the &-logo the Gold Peak of Design at the 2023 Vuoden huiput gala. A total of 14 works received the Gold Peak Award, and 40 works received the Silver Peak Award.[11]
