Ilmatila is a Helsinki-based contemporary circus company producing performances that combine aerial acrobatics and other circus techniques with other art forms such as animated projections, contemporary dance and live music. Many of the company’s performances also have a strong site-specific or site-responsive aspect.
Ilmatila company was founded by aerialist/choreographer Ilona Jäntti and architect/animator Tuula Jeker in 2007.
The first performance of Ilmatila, Muualla/Elsewhere, has been touring since 2009 in circus and dance festivals in Europe, USA and Panama.
Ilmatila’s repertoire consists of several short works that can be either performed separately or in various combinations as a full length mixed-bill evening.
Ilmatila is a non-profit association based in Helsinki, Finland.
In 2020 Ilmatila is supported by Arts Promotion Centre Finland and City of Helsinki.
Contact and bookings
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Ilona Jäntti
Ilona Jäntti studied circus at Circus Piloterna in Stockholm and contemporary dance at Laban Centre in London obtaining a master’s degree in choreography.
Ilona has collaborated with a diverse range of circus, dance and theatre companies and venues including Shakespeare’s Globe, Royal Opera House, The Place and Darwin Centre at National History Museum in the UK, Cirkus Cirkör in Sweden, Flow Productions in Finland, Cirkus Mlejn and Cirk La Putyka in Czech Republic, NoFit State Circus in Wales, La Tribu Performance in Panama and Danzaire in Costa Rica. She has been commissioned to choreograph full-length circus performances for Panama Aerea Festival in 2015 and 2017.
In 2019 she was invited to create Air in Fukuoka, a performance for 5 Japanese aerialists to mark the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan.
Ilona often works in a site-specific context and she has been a resident artist at V&A Museum of Childhood in 2010-2012 and at Helsinki City Winter Garden since 2013.
She was awarded a three-year artist grant by Arts Promotion Centre Finland for 2012-2014 and 2016-2018. In 2019 she was awarded the Suomi Prize (Suomi-palkinto) by the Finnish Ministry of Culture.
Tuula Jeker
Tuula Jeker studied architecture at University of Oulu, Finland. She has also studied product design at Lahti Institute for Design and architecture at Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee in Germany and at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia.
Since 2006, Tuula is working as an architect in Helsinki concentrating in building design and refurbishment of listed buildings such as Helsinki City Museum. In addition, she does animation and graphic design as a freelancer and has contributed for instance to a children’s play Keinulauta at Oulu Theatre.
Collaborators
ALICE ALLART Performer, A pony is a small horse
LISA ANGBERG Performer, Silver Lining (working title)
ŠÁRKA BOČKOVÁ Performer, To Every Cloud
ELIŠKA BRTNICKÁ Performer, A pony is a small horse (Oulu Children’s Theatre Festival) and To Every Cloud
ELEONORA DALL’ASTA Performer, Arbórea
MAIJA HYNNINEN Composer, Pix Graeca
INKERI JÄNTTI Photographer
PAULIINA KAUPPILA Percussionist, Arbórea, Sokol
KAURI KLEMELÄ Lighting design for Atlas, Gangewifre (Cirko Festival, Valve/Oulu), Namesake, Yablochkov Candle, Ballantine Scale
KAROLIINA KOISO-KANTTILA Costume design for Huhu, Footnotes and Ride
TUOMAS NORVIO Sound design for Muualla/Elsewhere, Gangewifre (2015 version), Huhu and Footnotes
MIRKA MALMI Violinist, Pix Graeca and Ysaÿe Project
AINU PALMU Lighting design for Muualla/Elsewhere, Huhu and Footnotes
NATALIE RECKERT Performer, Ysaÿe Project
MANDA RYDMAN Performer, Porvarillinen Hämärä/Civil Twilight
LUKE STYLES Composer, Handspun
ANA MARÍA SUAREZ Performer, Arbórea
HANNAH VARTY Composer, the V&A Museum of Childhood project 2011-2012
SANNA VELLAVA Performer, Handspun (Dansens Hus and Kokkolan Talvitanssit, 2015), Vertebrata, Oulun Päivät
AKI YLI-SALOMÄKI Composer, Versoja (Helsinki City Winter Garden)