Jarkko Lehmus

Photo: Amulio Espinosa, 2016

What I offer

• Dramaturgical and strategic consultation for artists and organisations

• Inspirational speeches and workshops on creative thinking and structure of intuition

Dramaturgy is always present in any given situation regardless of whether it has been thought about. It lives in between people, actions, spaces, objects, light, sound, feel, smell and taste. As a dramaturg I deal with the structures, experiences and meanings emerging from the elements and their relationships.

What's the story so far?

I am a performance dramaturg and arts management professional. Since 1995, work has taken me to over 30 countries through over 100 projects and productions. My experience ranges from classical ballet to contemporary circus and from conceptual performance art to musicals.

In my work as a dramaturg I concentrate firstly on understanding and articulating the main artist's logic and secondly trying to help them to get the work to do what they want it to do as well as possible. I support the creative team through critical questions. From one perspective I am a meta-artist who works with the work of the other artists of the creative team. From another, I try to look at the performance taking shape from the perspectives of the possible audiences before it is possible for them to be present and experiencing it.

I am intensely interested  in what does is mean when something "works". What does it do when it works? How does it do it? Why does one think it is working? These questions have led me to studying the structure of intuition, and embodied experiences of imagination, emotions and empathy. The interaction and intertwining of intuition and analysis has been the one constant in my varied and rather unorthodox career path.

I spent a large part of my career based in the UK. That is where most of my formal qualifications are also from. I hold an MA Dramaturgy & Writing for performance from Goldsmiths, University of London, MA Arts Policy & Management from Birkbeck, University of London, BA (Hons) from Guildford School of Acting, Professional Diploma in Performance from Millennium Performing Arts and Specialist Vocational Qualification in Leadership and Management from Rastor Institute in Finland. Nowadays I am happily based in Helsinki, Finland, and work as the director of Cirko – Center for New Circus.

In my previous life as a dancer I worked with Kate Flatt at the Royal Opera House, Kim Brandstrup's Arc Dance Company and Michael Keegan-Dolan's Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and even danced in Robbie William's opening number in the 1999 Brit Awards televised to over 100 million viewers worldwide. From 2003 until 2009 I danced as a soloist with Scottish Ballet performing in neoclassical and contemporary works by  William Forsythe, Siobhan Davies, Ashley Page, Krzysztof Pastor, Richard Alston and Stephen Petronio, to name a few. One of the highlights of that part of my career was receiving the Herald Angel Award for Excellence for performances of Ashley Page’s works at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2005. After returning to Finland in 2010 I danced for several years with Tero Saarinen Company and also guested as a dancer, choreographer, rehearsal director and audience development pedagogue at the Finnish National Ballet. I bowed out from performing in 2018 in front of a full house on the stage of Le Chaillot in Paris. Ever since I have concentrated on working behind the scenes.

Meaning is made on the micro level by the slightest touch or change of quality. On a macro level meaning emerges from the implementation of organisational values and strategies. Alongside my artistic work I have been an active member of the performers’ unions and arts organisations both in the UK and in Finland. 2014-2016 I worked as the artistic director of JoJo - Oulu Dance Centre in northern Finland. In April 2016 I ran away with the circus and joined Cirko as a producer. I have been the director of Cirko since 2022. In addition to the management and leadership duties, I do dramaturgical work for artists and companies in Cirko's residency program and co-productions. Working as a support artist is one of the most enjoyable and varied aspects of my day job. During 2025 Cirko hosted over 30 artistic teams consisting of over 160 artists. Being immersed and engaged in such a variety of artistic visions and practices is a constant journey of shared discovery.