“Inspired by the northern Ghanaian saying, ‘don’t thank for the food, food is food, and everyone has to eat’, meaning that in a home or community, you don’t have to say thank you for the food that is given to you. Food is a necessity, and it is a given that you are fed at home.”

Don’t thank for the food is a performative installation facilitated by Antonia Atarah and working group, a polycentric living room that focuses on questions regarding narrative and identity through the themes home, food, nurture and rest. It is a dinner party celebrating the BIPOC community and radical joy, where art, like food, is a necessity and should be accessible for everyone.

The space is curated through artistic partnerships where the main goal is to provide narratives and inspiration to BIPOC audiences. The work invites everyone to experience this blend of art forms and artists, and to join the discussion about our art spaces and what stories are told, and by whom.

Antonia Atarah is a Ghanaian-Finnish actor with a Master’s degree from the Theatre Academy’s acting program, along with additional studies in musical theatre, drama pedagogy and practical training in Accra, Ghana. In addition to her debut leading role in Ronja at Svenska Teatern Atarah has worked across diverse performing art forms, methods, and collectives in Finland, Germany, Ghana and Tanzania. She has explored decolonial and feministic performing approaches in pieces such as Armageddon (Sara Melleri, Sonya Lindfors, Elina Pirinen) and ONE DROP (Sonya Lindfors). Atarah believes in the collective and making art accessible. In her work she aims to broaden the perception and task of “the actor” by finding diversity within that role.

Mirjam Yeboah is a Finnish-Ghanaian costume designer, fiber artist, and owner of the lingerie brand Tekelepekele. Their works often approach themes of identity, corporality, sustainability, and decolonisation. Yeboah graduated with a BA in Fashion Design and Global Education from the University of Lapland in 2016 and has since worked with various projects including costumes for Svenska Teatern in Helsinki and UMK for Yle. Currently Yeboah splits their time between Early Childhood Education and textile design work.

Linus Atarah graduated in Mass Communication and Sociology from the University of Tampere in 1988 and earned a postgraduate degree in Adult Education at Haaga-Helia Ammattikorkeakoulu. Atarah has worked mainly as a journalist and development policy advocate for over 30 years and is the founder of Suomi-Ghana seura ry, now retired.

Nana Thomson worked as an information officer at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for 13 years and has master’s degree in communication at the University of Helsinki in 2023. Thomson worked as a chef in the World in the Village festival for 15 years on behalf of the Suomi-Ghana seura ry and as a chef at Cafe Au Lait (first African kitchen in Finland). Thomson is now retired and works with events where African cuisine is required, and as the coordinator of Suomi-Ghana seura ry.

Katinka Ebbe is a Helsinki-based lighting designer who is fascinated by the interaction between light, space, and bodies. Her approach is based on dramaturgical principles, and she draws on her dual background in dramaturgy and lighting design to create immersive visual narratives. Ebbe seeks to explore and stretch the boundaries of light’s potential in shaping spaces and stories, creating performances in which light and shadow become central characters. She is trained as a dramaturg (BA, Aarhus University) and lighting designer (BA and MA, University of the Arts Helsinki).

Edit Williams is a Finnish-Guinean student in her final year of the master’s degree in the Swedish acting program at the Theatre Academy of Helsinki. She has been actively involved in multilingual theatre productions both within and outside the academy. As she approaches the end of her studies, Williams hopes to contribute to and create meaningful productions that elevate important perspectives from the BIPOC community, as well as reflect diverse artistic influences and political views. She also wants to encourage others from the BIPOC community to take space in a room that has not originally been designed for them, particularly in the theatre and film industry, and especially for the younger generation.

äffä is a Helsinki-based rapper, bringing you verses from the back row of the night bus. Nothing fancy, just real life on a beat.

Julian Owusu is a multifaceted freelance dance artist and dance educator who has community building, hip hop, pedagogy, decolonialism, and transformation at the core of his work. In addition to hip hop, Owusu has also worked as a choreographer, dancer, and actor for Jojo – Oulu Dance Center, Oulu Theatre and Zodiak – Center for New Dance, among others. Owusu has taught at the Uniarts Helsinki’s Theatre Academy, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, and several commercial dance schools. He has been involved in planning and facilitating the international CROWD residency program implemented by the Goethe-Institut since 2021. Currently, he is working on several works, including the youth hip hop educational initiative Each One Teach One, Xulu2026 as part of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture program, and the hip hop works minimal/maximal/group effort.

Soila Shah is an actress who graduated from Petrozavodsk State Conservatory in Russia in June 2022 as Specialist of Drama Theater. She is currently based in Helsinki and finishing her studies as Theatre Pedagogue in Novia University of Applied sciences in Finland. She has also studied dance, yoga, and physical theatre in various programs in Finland and Sweden.

Good Hair Day is a collective of AfroFinns. With their annual event, GHD aims to increase knowledge in afro haircare, broaden representations, and promote the creation of safer spaces.

Muudi organization’s target group is young people aged 13-29 who are interested in knowing more about the mental health effects of racism and hope to receive peer support from other young people in dealing with racism experiences.

Pehmee Collective focuses on amplifying the fullest presence of marginalized bodies and creating space for them in media, art, fashion, and culture. The collective strives for liberation through intersectional feminist, anti-fascist, collective responsibility, and anti-racist approaches. Rooted in activism, Pehmee pushes beyond representation and challenges societal norms to promote self-expression and radical Joy.

POC-lukupiiri is a large literary project initiated by Aracelis Correa and Téri Zambrano. The primary purpose of the POC reading circle is to increase the visibility of the works of POC authors and to offer peer support and better representation for POC in Finland.