In Tampere, a city in southern central Finland, every group home within the city’s residential care services is now taking part in the Artist Companion Programme, which brings art and culture directly into the living environments of seniors.
Artist Companions are professional artists from various disciplines who design and deliver visits tailored to the residents’ abilities and preferences. Each visit lasts 90 minutes and includes both a group session and the opportunity for one-on-one interaction.
“I dance and move a lot,” says Jouko Enkelnotko, who is one of the programme’s Artist Companions, also known as the clown Armas Aallontie. “At some point I realised that movement and dance are deeply connected to joy and leisure for older adults, going all the way back to their youth.”
During 2025, artists have visited each group home at least two or three times, reaching over 1,900 seniors across 128 locations throughout Tampere.
“I receive a lot of praise for my work,” says Enkelnotko, “and each day gives me more than it asks.”
