Rulla's exhibitions
In Rulla's changing exhibition you get to know different kind of art and themes.
11.1.-30.3.2025 Friend by the River
Friend by the River is an exhibition and puppet theatre artwork for children, and is based on the book of the same name by children's author Reetta Niemelä and illustrator Karoliina Pertamo.
A child lives in the last house before the bridge. Under the bridge, the river flows towards the sea. The child wanders to the upper reaches of the river, encountering a coot scurrying on the bed of reeds, the warmth of summer floating on the water lilies, and the expectation of a friend. The expectation is rewarded and the child jumps into the wonderful world of water lilies with the friend to play.
The new and unprecedented Friend by the River exhibition is a warm-hearted and experiential artwork about the life and wonders of the riverbank. Exhibition visitors can walk from the edge of the reeds on the seashore all the way to the gentle world of water lilies in the upper reaches. Visitors can participate in moving the details in the exhibition if they wish.
The exhibition has been built using recycled materials. The exhibition is based on the picture book of the same name by children's authors Reetta Niemelä and Karoliina Pertamo. Like the book, the work reflects on being in nature, merging with it. The work is a celebration of childhood experiences with nature and imagination.
The exhibition and performance have been supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, Oulu Culture Centre for Children and Youth, Aura of Puppets, the City of Turku and ARX Open Cultural Centre in Hämeenlinna.
5.4.-15.6.2025 What on Earth? - Fairytale Crafts
Craft and Design School Näpsä's Spring Exhibition.
What on Earth? – Fairytale Crafts is an exhibition of children's crafts made during the 2024-2025 school year, where you can get to know diverse and imaginative works. The works are inspired by fairytales and stories. The artists, whose names appear under the artists' names, have hidden references to both familiar and unknown stories, works and introductory texts. Visitors have a great opportunity to create their own stories alongside the works.
Welcome to the world of stories, where imagination knows no bounds.
School of Crafts and Design Näpsä is an educational institution for basic education in the art of crafts, where in addition to manual skills, creativity, courage, problem-solving skills and perseverance are taught. Students themselves have the opportunity to influence the design of the works, and during the school year they work in a variety of different craft techniques.
4.1.-15.6.2025 Rulla's Poetry Living Room
Rulla's Poetry Living Room is part of the Children's Poetry Revolution project coordinated by Cultural Centre PiiPoo. Poetry room, inspired by Kunnas' life's work, invites you to get to know children's poetry and celebrate the joy of reading. In the Poetry Living Room, you can play with words and explore the illustrations by Jani Ikonen.
Rulla's own Poetry Living Room also includes the functional and multi-sensory Tumpkins Fairytale Hideout experience room, where you can let your imagination run wild. On the branches of the trees you can find children's poems that we collected during the spring of 2024, or you can drop new poems into funny poetry mailboxes that can hear, see and smell.
On 14th of December is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kirsi Kunnas.
Children's Gallery
The Corridor Gallery next to the lecture hall is occupied by children's art. During 2024, the children's gallery will present artworks by children and young people.
Tampere's unique art exhibition series Children's Gallery will continue in autumn 2024.
This year, the Children's Cultural Centre Rulla and the cultural education program Taidekaari will highlight children's art in public spaces.
Adventure room Terra
Rulla's adventure room Terra is a permanent space for the little ones of the family, where they can play and wonder. In Terra you get to marvel underwater world and play our own imagination plays e.g. with soft toys. There is also a little playhouse where you can keep a small imagination tea-party!
