Elbow Room Lab is an annual site-specific circus laboratory initiated by Ilmatila association.
The purpose of Elbow Room Lab is to give an opportunity for circus makers (and other artists and designers working closely with circus) to focus on their individual works-in-progress or test out new processes and ways of working in a shared space. The aim is to create something without any obligation to produce something ”good” or finished.
The event has been organized in collaboration with Urban Mill Innovation Platform since 2019. The lab took place in Urban Mill in 2019-2020, in Aalto Design Factory in 2021-2022. This year the lab took place in Karhusaari, Espoo, and for the first time some of the work was created outdoors. The activities in 2023 are supported by the City of Espoo.
The first edition of Elbow Room Lab in 2019 was aimed at circus performers specializing in aerial work, in 2020 the emphasis was in facilitating meetings with circus performers and artists from different art forms.
2023:
– 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:
– Marula Bröckerhoff (Germany)
– Grete Gross (Estonia)
– Betka Ticha (Czech Republic)
– Tuula Jeker (Finland)
– Ilona Jäntti (Finland)
– Inkeri Jäntti (Finland)
2021:
– 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:
– 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:
– 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
