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Laura Gröndahl

Job description

Doctor of Arts Laura Gröndahl is a vice dean for research at Uniarts Helsinki’s Theatre Academy from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026. She’s also works as a university lecturer and a deputy head of The Performing Arts Research Centre Tutke.

As deputy head of Tutke, Laura Gröndahl is responsible for financial issues, action plan, and issues related to the curriculum, degree structure, and practical arrangement of courses. 

Gröndahl has an artistic background in stage design, but she has moved over to research and pedagogic tasks after working 20 years in several theatres around Finland. 

Instead of her own artistic projects, she examines the practices of theatre making through traditional academic tools. 

Gröndahl defended her doctoral dissertation at the University of Industrial Arts (today AaltoArts) in 2004 and has thereafter worked as fixed-termed professor in stage design at AaltoArts 2006–13, and as university lecturer in the universities of Tampere and Lapland 2013–14. Besides her present position at Tutke she holds the title of docent in theatre research at Helsinki University. 

Gröndahl has written and edited Finnish and international research publications on scenography and the history and theory of performance space, documentary theatre, and practices of theatre making and reception. At the moment, she is working on a manuscript on the artistic and professional agency of stage designers. She is interested in questions about design, non-artistic factors intertwined in artistic processes, and practical habits of action as thinking and knowledge formation. 

Publications

Articles in peer-reviewed academic publications

2023. ”Katsojan paikka teatteritilassa” (The place of the spectator in theatre space) in Esitys, katsoja ja läsnäolo, Näyttämö & tutkimus 9, edited by Heini Granberg & Marleena Huuhka & Saara Moisio, Helsinki: Teats, 10–33. https://journal.fi/teats/article/view/127597

(2020) “Lavastuskoulutus aktiivisena arkistona” (Scenography Education as an Active Archive) in Silde – Lahtinen – Helve (eds.) Muisti, Arkisto, Esitys. Näyttämö & tutkimus 8. Teatteritutkimuksen seuran vuosikirja. (Memory, Archive, Performance. Stage and Research 6. The academic yearbook of the Theatre Research Society.) Helsinki: Teats, 106–146. https://journal.fi/teats/article/view/122808/73104

2018. “From Permanent Positions to Visiting Jobs. The Changing Working Culture in Finnish Theatres” julkaisussa Nordic Theatre Studies Vol. 30:1, 89–114. Yhteisartikkeli Marjatta Häti-Korkeilan kanssa. https://doi.org/10.7146/nts.v30i1.106925

2017. ”Speaking about Reality. Verbatim Techniques in Contemporary Finnish Documentary Theatre” in Nordic Theatre Studies Vol. 28:2, pp. 71–96. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7146/nts.v28i2.25601

2017. “Teatterintekijät dokumentaristeina – todellisuus esityksen osatekijänä (Theatre makers as Documentarist – the Real as Part of the Performance)” in Arlander – Gröndahl – Kinnunen – Silde (eds.) Tekijä – teos, esitys ja yhteiskunta. Näyttämö ja tutkimus 6, Teatterintutkimuksen vuosikirja (Author – Oeuvre, Performance and Society. Stage and Research 6. The academic yearbook of the Theatre Research Society.) Helsinki: Teats. pp. 181-206. https://journal.fi/teats/issue/view/8695

2016.”’The Finnish Press Club’”. Théâtre documentaire journalistique et débat social” (”Journalistic Documentary Theatre as a Common Ground for Social Debate – Case ’The Finnish Press Club’”.) Co-author Mikko Hautakangas in Communication & langages, volume 2016, issue 190, pp. 105–117, doi:10.4074/S0336150016014071. http://www.necplus.eu/repo_A24xaVlR

2015. “Stage Design at the Crossroad of Different Operational Cultures. Mapping the History of Scenography Education in Finland” in Nordic Theatre Studies, Vol. 27:2, pp. 86–102. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7146/nts.v27i2.24253

2014. ”From Candle Light to Contemporary Lighting Systems: How the Lighting Technologies Shape the Scenographic Practices” in Nordic Theatre Studies, Vol. 26:2, pp. 20-32.  doi: p://dx.doi.org/10.7146/nts.v26i2.24305

2012. ”Lavastus tapahtumana. (Scenography as an Event)” in Järvinen – Ikonen – Loukola (eds.) Näyttämöltä tutkimukseksi. Esittävien taiteiden metodologiset haasteet. Näyttämö ja tutkimus 4, Teatterintutkimuksen vuosikirja. (From Stage to Research. The Methodological Challenges of Performing Arts. Stage and Research 4. The academic yearbook of the Theatre Research Society.) Helsinki: Teats. pp. 119-136. https://journal.fi/teats/issue/view/8697

2010. Scenographic Borderlines: Reformulating the Practices of Scenic Design”, Nordic Theatre Studies, Vol: 22. pp. 8-18. 

2009. ”Mitä lavastuksen tekniikka sanoo?” (What Does the Scenographic Technology Say)

in Gröndahl – Paavolainen – Thuring (eds.) Näkyvää ja näkymätöntä. Näyttämö ja tutkimus 3, Teatterintutkimuksen vuosikirja. (Visible and Invisible. The Methodological Challenges of Performing Arts. Stage and Research 3. The academic yearbook of Theatre Research Society) Helsinki: Teats. pp. 91–116. https://journal.fi/teats/issue/view/8698

2009. “Ai, siitä tuli tuollainen – Käytännön näkökulmia lavastusten syntyprosessiin. (Oh, It Became Like This – Practical Viewpoints to the Creation Process of Scenography)” in Gröndahl – Paavolainen – Thuring (eds.) Näkyvää ja näkymätöntä. Näyttämö ja tutkimus 3, Teatterintutkimuksen vuosikirja. (Visible and Invisible. The Methodological Challenges of Performing Arts. Stage and Research 3. The academic yearbook of Theatre Research Society.) Helsinki: Teats. pp. 149–171. https://journal.fi/teats/issue/view/8698

Non peer reviewed articles in scientific publications 

2017. “The Amateur Roots of the Finnish Theatre System” in Development of Organizational Theatre System in Europe. Sustainability and Changeability, edited by Karolina Prykowska-Michalak with Daria Skjoldager-Nielsen & Izabela Molinska. Stockholm: STUTS, 84–94.

2016. ”Amatorskie korzenie fińskiego systemu teatralnego” (”Finnish Theatre Organization and Its Base in the Amateur Tradition”) in Systemy organizacji teatrów w Europie. (European Theatre Systems) edited by Karolina Prykowska-Michalak   Wydawnictwo: Instytut Teatralny im. Zbigniewa Raszewskiego, 209–219. 

2017  Hanna Suutela – Anssi Männistö – Laura Gröndahl. Journalistisen dokumenttiteatterin mahdollisuus. (The possibility of journalistic documentary theatre) Journalismin, viestinnän ja median tutkimuskeskus COMET, Tampereen yliopisto. https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/100792

  • ”Dokumentaarinen teatteri 2000-luvun alun Suomessa” (Documentary Theatre in Finland at the beginning of the 2000s”) 15–23.
  •  ”Dokumentaarisuus draamanjälkeisessä nykyteatterissa” (”Documentary in postdramatic contemporary theatre”) 25–39.
  •  ”Teatteri tiedon tuottajana ja välittäjänä. Dokumenttiteatterin epistemologiasta” (”Theatre as a producer and transmitter of knowledge”)  41–48.
  •  ”Dokumenttiteatterin erilaiset perinteet ja rajapinnat” (Different traditions and borderlines of documentary theatre”) 51–60.
  • -”Rituaali ja kansankokous” (”Ritual and popular assembly”), co-author Hanna Suutela, 110–114.

2014. “Lavastus kohtaamisina ja kosketuksena (Scenography as Encounters and Touches)” in Elo, Mika (ed). Kosketuksen figuureja (Figures of Touch). Helsinki: Tutkijaliitto, Polemos-sarja. pp. 72-91.  

2012. “Scenographic Strategies and Communication” in Roihankorpi – Paavolainen (eds.).  SPACE–EVENT–AGENCY–EXPERIENCE. Open Access e-Publication of the DREX Project, Centre for Practice as Research in Theatre, University of Tampere. https://research.tuni.fi/t7/11-texts-and-publications/                              

2010. ”Tilan tyhjentämisestä maailman kohtaamiseen. Havaintoja viime vuosikymmenten suomalaisesta lavastustaiteesta. (From Emptying the Space to Encountering with the World. Observations from Finnish Scenography in Recent Decades)” in Seppälä, M. – Tanskanen K. (eds.): Suomen teatteri ja draama (Finnish Theatre and Drama). Helsinki: Like. 380–393.  University level course book.

2001. “The World of Miss Julie – Theatre Scenography as Experience of Environment“ in Pragmatist Viewpoints on Art, ed. by Pentti Määttänen, Helsinki: University of Art and Design, Working Papers, Publication Series F 19. 18–25.

Editorial tasks 

2023. Co-author and editor: Taiteellinen tutkimus (Artistic research). Helsinki: Taideyliopiston Teatterikorkeakoulu. https://disco.teak.fi/taiteellinen-tutkimus/

2017. Member of the editorial group in the publication: Hanna Suutela & Anssi Männistö & Laura Gröndahl (eds.) Journalistisen dokumenttiteatterin mahdollisuus. (The possibility of journalistic documentary theatre)Journalismin, viestinnän ja median tutkimuskeskus COMET, Tampereen yliopisto. https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/100792

2015–2017. Editor-in-Chief of the journal Nordic Theatre Studies.

2016. Member of the editorial group in the publication: Arlander, Annette & Gröndahl, Laura & Kinnunen, Helka-Maria & Silde, Marja (eds.) Tekijä – teos, esitys ja yhteiskunta. Näyttämö ja tutkimus 6, Teatterintutkimuksen vuosikirja (Author – Oeuvre, Performance and Society. Stage and Research 6. The academic yearbook of the Theatre Research Society.) Peer reviewed publication. Helsinki: Teats. https://journal.fi/teats/issue/view/8695

2009. Member of the editorial group in the publication: Gröndahl, Laura & Paavolainen, Teemu & Thuring, Anna (toim.) Näkyvää ja näkymätöntä, Näyttämö ja tutkimus 3. Teatterintutkimuksen seuran kolmas vuosikirja.  (Visible and Invisible. The Methodological Challenges of Performing Arts. Stage and Research 3. The academic yearbook of Theatre Research Society.) Peer reviewed publication. Helsinki: Teats. https://journal.fi/teats/issue/view/8698

Learning materials

2020. Esityspaikka – Näyttämön muotoja ja historiaa (The Place of Performance – Forms and History of the Stage) co-authors Jukka O. Miettinen and Jukka von Boehm, Taideyliopiston Teatterikorkeakoulu. https://disco.teak.fi/esityspaikka/

2019. “Getting Started with Networking and Presenting Artistic Research” in Researching (in/as) Motion: A Resource Collection, Artistic Doctorates in Europe, edited by Jane Bacon, Rebecca Hilton, Paula Kramer, and Vida L Midgelow. Theatre Academy, University of the Arts, Helsinki: Nivel 10. Co-written with Leena Rouhiainen. https://nivel.teak.fi/adie/getting-started-with-networking-and-presenting-doctoral-artistic-research/

Doctoral Dissertation

2004. Experiences in Theatrical Spaces – Five Scenographies of Miss Julie, 2004, Publication series of the University of Art and Design Helsinki A 49, Saarijärvi 2004. Doctoral thesis.             

Book reviews

2014. “Lavastettua liikkumista.(Staged mobilities)”. Review of Ole.B.Jensen: Staging Mobilities. London and N.Y.: Routledge. Review in Media & Communication 1/2014, theme issue “Media City in Motion”, edited by Seija Ridell, Jaana Parviainen and Sami Kolamo. 126–129.

2010. “The Theatrical Illusion. Scenography in Historical and Contemporary Perspective.” Review of Kari Gaarder Losnedahl (2009) Den teatrale illusjon. Scenografi i et historisk og nåtidig perspektiv. Bergen: Bergen Museums Skrifter n:o 27. Review in Nordic Theatre Studies, Vol: 22, 2010, 100–101. 

Pedagogic publications

2014. “Kohti köyhää opetusta (Towards a Poor Education).”
In Löytönen T. (ed.). Feeling the Future. Essays on Art University Pedagogy.  Helsinki: Aalto ARTS books. pp. 42-67.

Publications intended for professional community:

2011. “New Scenographic Tools Needed” in Staging thinking. Articles and Essays on Contemporary Finnish Scenography edited by Reija Hirvikoski & Maiju Loukola& Raisa Kilpeläinen..  Prague Quadrennial 2011 exhibition publication, Oistat Centre, Helsinki.

2010)”Lavastaja laskeutuu kammiostaan (The Scenographer Dismounts from his Chamber)”, in Teatteri, Helsinki, 36-37.

Most important papers given at international conferences

2016. ”How to be a scenographer” The Art of Scenography“, LMU Munich/TWM 17.-18.11.2016.

2014. “Layers in Scenographic Thinking. Modern Scenography and the Tradition of Bauhaus in Finland during the 60s and 70s.” The International Federation of Theatre Research. The working group of Performance and Consciousness, Warwick 28.7.-1.8.2014.

2013. “Re-routing scenographic strategies”. International Federation of Theatre Research. General Panel. Barcelona, 22.-26.7.2013

2009. “To Whom Are the Theatres Built?” The International Federation of Theatre Research (IFTR/FIRT). The Working group of Theatre Architecture, Lisbon 17.7.2009

2007. “Global Technologies – Local Stages”, International Federation for Theatre Research, Helsinki 7.-12.8.2006.

2005. “Experiences in Theatrical Spaces“, International Federation for Theatre Research. The Scenography Working Group, Amsterdam, 2005.

Artistic activity as a scenographer

Altogether 45 set designs in theatre, 43 costume designs in theatre, 2 set designs in television.