Soft Animal
Format: Performance
Dates: 15 May 2026
Venue: Light House, Mad House & Reality Research Center, Helsinki (FI)
Duration: 50 min
Language: English
Tickets: Available here
Artists interview: Read here
Preshow playlist: Listen here
Dates: 15 May 2026
Venue: Light House, Mad House & Reality Research Center, Helsinki (FI)
Duration: 50 min
Language: English
Tickets: Available here
Artists interview: Read here
Preshow playlist: Listen here
Direction, text, performance: ONCE WE WERE ISLANDS
Light House curation: Olga Spyropoulou, Maija Mustonen
Other Light House participating artists: Haliz Yosef, Salla Valle, Viljami Nissi & Aeon Lux
Sound & light operator (Light House): Viljami Lehtonen
Performance documentation: Inari Sandell
Light House curation: Olga Spyropoulou, Maija Mustonen
Other Light House participating artists: Haliz Yosef, Salla Valle, Viljami Nissi & Aeon Lux
Sound & light operator (Light House): Viljami Lehtonen
Performance documentation: Inari Sandell
“You all know why we’re here. If you’ve changed your mind, now is the time to leave.”
We got a micro-grant. We were supposed to write a play with it. But you know the artworld. It’s only ever abouting — about change, about community, about care — and never seems to be about doing. So, we took the money and started a cult with it instead. A direct action cult. A radical cult. To become soft animals.
Fuck moderation.
We bought an old van. Filled it with petrol. Got some tools. What could go wrong?
Soft Animal is a short story about the very first night of a brand new future. Out on a hill. Under the moon. Far enough from the city to avoid dog-walkers and the cops. Told with voices, badly dancing bodies, and a cassette tape of final songs.
We got a micro-grant. We were supposed to write a play with it. But you know the artworld. It’s only ever abouting — about change, about community, about care — and never seems to be about doing. So, we took the money and started a cult with it instead. A direct action cult. A radical cult. To become soft animals.
Fuck moderation.
We bought an old van. Filled it with petrol. Got some tools. What could go wrong?
Soft Animal is a short story about the very first night of a brand new future. Out on a hill. Under the moon. Far enough from the city to avoid dog-walkers and the cops. Told with voices, badly dancing bodies, and a cassette tape of final songs.
Songs To Dance To For The Last Time
Aslan — Mood Swings, Little Simz
Chris — Transmission, Joy Division
Boulder — Clair de Lun, Dominic Caruso accordian version
Amber — Smalltown Boy, Bronski Beat
Slate — Jolene, Dolly Parton
Peat — Drinkee, SOFI TUKKER
Bone — unknown
Hawk — Connection, Elastica
Moon — Willow’s Song (instrumental), from the film The Wicker Man
Blood — The Power of Love, Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Jet — New York I Love You, LCD Soundsytem
Cotton — The Killing Moon, Echo and the Bunnymen
Landscape photography by Mathias Reding (creative commons). Production photography by Inari Sandell.
Light House is produced by Mad House Helsinki & Reality Research Center. Soft Animal is also kindly supported by Esiintymä Festival, Outokumpu.
Thanks to Maija Mustonen, Anaïs Lajoinie, Veera Leppänen, Ruby Louise Rose, and all who proposed songs about dancing.
Light House is produced by Mad House Helsinki & Reality Research Center. Soft Animal is also kindly supported by Esiintymä Festival, Outokumpu.
Thanks to Maija Mustonen, Anaïs Lajoinie, Veera Leppänen, Ruby Louise Rose, and all who proposed songs about dancing.