Jani Toivola
Fri, 3rd September 2021 ioana.zamfirescu

Our first crowd-powered event is happening

When we first launched Eventual we had a simple idea in mind: to make people's dreams come true. Endless brainstorming sessions, coffee cups and Aha! moments later, we are finally celebrating our first major milestone: our first crowd-powered event will be taking place in real life.

Jani Toivola will perform a live show next January at the G Livelab, in Helsinki. The show is based on Jani’s latest book, Rakkaudesta (About Love), which was launched this spring, and will take the public on a journey of self-discovery and love through liberating dance moves and electrifying monologues. How does joy, sorrow and parenting feel in a man’s body? What does a man’s body experience when it’s vulnerable and fragile? How does it express gratitude or blissful happiness? And what is a man longing for another man like? 

“I miss a man who is not afraid to be more than a rushing force. I miss a man who is looking for his own place. A man who is lost and doesn’t always have all the answers; a man who listens, is vulnerable and needs hugs and touch. " - Jani Toivola 

At Eventual, we celebrate cultural diversity and unique means of self-expression, and we couldn't be happier to have contributed to making this event come true. We spend a lot of time thinking about art, and ever since we launched this platform, we have witnessed performers and fans alike coming together to support a wide diversity of artistic acts. But what do these events have in common? More often than not, it is not the event itself that inspires people to join forces and make it happen in real life, but rather the sense of belonging that comes with it; letting people decide what the future will look like is essential in a cultural scene dominated by divisions of groups into 'us-vs-them'.

Belongingness is also the centrepiece of the Rakkaudesta live show, as we catch a glimpse into Jani Toivola's life experiences, from the gay clubs of New York to the small villages in rural Kenya, which he also calls home. As a member of historically marginalised communities, the artist teaches us an important lesson on seeing people for who they are instead of what they seem to be by illustrating the vulnerability of a man as his greatest strength. 

Because words alone written in a book cannot do justice to a story ‘About Love’, body movements and spoken words come in to carry its intent. The show will surprise you, make your hair stand on end and fill your heart with hope. Join Jani Toivola on January 27th for the first-ever Eventual live event powered by the crowds in Helsinki. 

The last remaining tickets can be found here:  https://www.eventu.al/event/16/finland/helsinki/rakkaudesta-jani-toivola

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