TOTEM Theatre's acclaimed children's theatre performance Imagine Hope will arrive at Theatre Imatra in autumn 2027.

In November 2025, the New Classics Fund has awarded a grant to the TOTEM Theatre to increase the children's theatre repertoire in three regional theatres. The collaborating theatres are the Imatra Theatre, the Kokkola City Theatre and the Varkaus Theatre. The programme has been selected from a highly acclaimed children's theatre production, Iida Koron written by and Joel Teixeira Neves Directed by Imagine Hope. It deals with bullying prevention through friendship and helping others. Performances are organized in partner theaters and in elementary schools in the theaters' surrounding municipalities. 

The project will be implemented in 2026–2027. Visits to Imatra and Kokkola will take place in autumn 2027 and to Varkaus Theatre in autumn 2026 and spring 2027. The TOTEM theatre will tour primary schools in the surrounding municipalities of the cooperative theatres in 2026–2027. 

New Classics – The New Classics Fund aims to improve the status of art 

New Classics – Nya klassiker is a new fund that supports the working and growth conditions of established actors in the arts. The fund was established jointly by the state and four foundations: the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Swedish Cultural Foundation, the Alfred Kordelin Foundation and the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation. 

The New Classics Fund aims to improve the status of art and maintain its relevance in society. By encouraging new types of collaboration that transcend funding formats, it aims to increase the lifespan, audience size, distribution and awareness of works and productions.

More information about the performance and TOTEM Theatre On the TOTEM theatre website.

For more information: 

theater director Timo Rissanen, timo.rissanenimatra.fi (timo[dot]rissanen[at]imatra[dot]fi), TWO TWO WHEN TWO