A Friend by the River

A 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.