Elbow Room Lab is an annual site-specific circus laboratory initiated by Ilmatila association in 2019.
The event offers circus artists – as well as other artists and designers working in close connection with circus – an opportunity to focus on their own works-in-progress or to experiment with new processes and methods in a shared space. The aim of the lab is to create room for experimentation and artistic research without the pressure to produce finished performance material.
Elbow Room Lab has been held in Espoo six times but in 2025 and 2026 the lab will instead take place in Oulu, at the Ainola park, and its surroundings.
In 2026, Elbow Room Lab will officially be a part of the Oulu2026 cultural programme.
2025, Ainola park, Oulu:
– Helena Humm (UK/France)
– Sirje Tolonen (Finland/Belgium)
– Pavlína Podzimková (Czech Republic)
– Katarína Sobinkovičová (Slovakia)
– Inkeri Jäntti (Finland)
– Tuula Jeker (Finland)
– Ilona Jäntti (Finland)
2024, Karhusaari, Espoo:
– Šárka Bočková (Czech Republic), aerialist
– Marie Asplund (Sweden), aerialist
– Viivi Roiha (Finland), aerialist
– Sini Saari (Finland), aerialist
– Tiina Karakorpi (Finland), musician
– Tuula Jeker (Finland), architect/animator/scenographer
– Inkeri Jäntti (Finland), photographer
2023, Karhusaari, Espoo:
– Natalie Oleinik (USA), circus performer/visual artist
– Bellina Sörensson (Germany), circus performer
– Aino Venna (Finland), musician
– Ilona Jäntti (Finland), circus performer
– Tuula Jeker (Finland), architect/animator/scenographer
– Inkeri Jäntti (Finland), photographer
2022, Aalto Design Factory, Espoo:
– Marula Bröckerhoff (Germany)
– Grete Gross (Estonia)
– Betka Ticha (Czech Republic)
– Tuula Jeker (Finland)
– Ilona Jäntti (Finland)
– Inkeri Jäntti (Finland)
2021, Aalto Design Factory, Espoo:
– Natalie Reckert (Germany), circus performer
– Karoline Aamås (Norway), circus performer
– Emma Langmoen (Norway), circus performer
– Milla Kurronen (Finland), circus performer
– Ilona Jäntti (Finland), circus performer
– Tuula Jeker (Finland), architect/animator
– Inkeri Jäntti (Finland), photographer
2020, Urban Mill, Espoo:
– Antye Greie-Ripatti/AGF (East Germany), sound sculptress
– Merja Pöyhönen (Finland), puppeteer
– Saana Leppänen/Circus Sabok (Finland), circus performer
– Kert Ridaste/Circus Sabok (Estonia), circus performer
– Ghia Lumia (Finland), circus performer
– Ilona Jäntti/Ilmatila (Finland), circus performer
– Tuula Jeker/Ilmatila (Finland), architect, animator
– Kauri Klemelä (Finland), light designer
– Inkeri Jäntti (Finland), photographer
2019, Urban Mill, Espoo:
– Eleonora Dall’Asta/La Tribu Performance (Panama), aerialist
– Eliška Brtnická/Cirkus Mlejn (Czech Republic), aerialist
– Hege Eriksdatter Østefjells (Norway), aerialist
– Saar Rombout (The Netherlands), aerialist
– Ilona Jäntti/Ilmatila (Finland), aerialist
– Tuula Jeker/Ilmatila (Finland), architect, animator
– Circ2m (Finland), aerialists
– Inkeri Jäntti (Finland), photographer
