The ‘Agricola Home’ project has now reached its halfway point, and over the past year
the Agricola House in Pernaja has been transformed into an exceptionally vibrant and multifaceted cultural centre. The project’s objectives –opening the house to an ever-wider audience, expanding its activities and creating new meeting places – have taken shape in a rich programme of events, ranging from exhibitions and concerts to discussions, courses and family activities.
As early as autumn 2025, there was a marked increase in activity at the centre. Exhibitions such as ‘Jon Oscar Napoleon Esti’ and ‘Watercolour & Pastel’, featuring works by Irina Lemberg and Alva Grönqvist, offered the public new artistic
experiences, whilst ‘Agricola’s Time in Pernaja’ – a small medieval festival – highlighted local history and
traditions. Friday’s coffee break quickly became a regular meeting place, with guests including
Dr Mohammed Nasser, the dance group Memodance, author Heidi Kokki and historian Eddie
Bruce. Elina Mieskolainen, the newly appointed project coordinator for the ‘Agricola Home’ project, presented
the initiative. Concerts – featuring, for example, Camilla & Cumpanerna and Ida Wallén & Senni Valtonen – filled the building with music and a sense of community. Our children’s programme ‘Mellis’ was also a success and will continue in autumn 2026 and spring 2027.
Winter and spring 2026 followed in the same vein. The exhibitions ‘Liisa Voima – Retrospective’ and ‘Postia, postia!’ broadened the venue’s artistic profile, whilst the concert *En vinterkväll i toner* (Benita Backas-Andersson, Carina Fredriksson, Elina Mieskolainen, Tua Lindholm-Blomfelt, Kalle Katz and Stefan Westerbladh) and the spring ‘Friday Coffee’ events with Kristina Creutz, Corazón Grande, Naisten Pankki and Visans Vänner demonstrated how the venue can serve as a performance space for both local and regional organisations. Events such as the Swedish language refresher course, the Kärlekskarusellen concert featuring Nina Fogelberg, Heidi Kokki and Ove Othman, and Max Arhipainen’s lecture ‘Information as a Weapon in Modern Conflicts’ offered the audience new experiences, perspectives and knowledge.
Spring and early summer were characterised by creativity and crafts. During Craft Week, the building was filled with felting, jewellery-making and a twig lettering workshop, whilst exhibitions by Dora Jung and Tarja Heikkilä gave the summer a strong visual identity and attracted hundreds of visitors. At the same time, the Garden Flea Market & Fish Exchange, Summer Yoga-Pilates, ‘Make Your Own Midsummer Bouquet’ and ‘Dyeing with Lupins’ brought both local visitors and curious folk from across the country to the house.
Summer 2026 was also a time of major public events. The Agricola House took part in Loviisa’s Open Gardens,
organised a summer concert by Frida Andersson, participated in the Night of the Arts, and was present at the Pernaja Day event.
At the end of August, young people will gather for a Youth Evening, and the whole family can take part in a mushroom-picking trip led by Tea von Bonsdorff.
Autumn 2026 will continue in the same vein. The programme includes ‘Agricola’s Time in Pernaja’ – a small
medieval festival, a felting course with Helena Nadif, a new series of ‘Friday Coffees’ (with guests including
author Marie Allen, massage therapist Kim Grönqvist, author Anna Johansson and Liisi-Maria
Stoor from YLE’s film production department), literary evenings and concerts. The discussion series *Viskningar och rop* – featuring guests such as Nils Torvalds,
Kerstin Kronvall and Leo Stranius – reinforces the project’s aim of being a space for reflection and social
dialogue.
As we now look ahead to the second half of the project, the direction is clear: Agricola House must continue
as an open, creative and inclusive meeting place. Upcoming exhibitions, new concerts, more
family activities and growing collaboration with local organisations will take the ‘Agricola Home’ project
forward in the spirit that has already made the house a vibrant part of the cultural fabric of Pernaja, Loviisa and Eastern Uusimaa.
‘Agricola kotiin’ is more than just a project – it is a movement that brings the Agricola House closer to people and brings people
closer to one another.
Events from summer 2025 onwards
- The Flying Magic Carpet (exhibition) 5–30 August 2025
- Soo & Tuu & Sagoskatten, 22 August 2025
- Mellis – Afternoon activities, autumn 2025 – spring 2026
- Agricola Festival in Pernaja, 12–14 September 2025
- Jon Oscar Napoleon Esti (Exhibition) 2–27 September 2025
- “Friday Coffee” in autumn 2025
o 12 September 2025: Medieval Festival “Kick-Off” – Kai Nieminen and Pia Tuomi
o 26 September 2025 Dr Mohammed Nasser
o 3 October 2025 Memodanceinformation session o 10 October 2025 Emerita Scripta Heidi Kokki
o 24 October 2025 Eddie Bruce
o 7 November 2025 Elina Mieskolainen: Presentation of the Agricola Kotiin project o 21 November 2025 Lotta Elo, end-of-life doula
o 5 December 2025 Your favourite Christmas poem or song - Tea’s mushroom hunt on 20 September 2025
- Watercolour & Pastel (exhibition) 1 October–19 December 2025
- Camilla & Cumpanerna (concert) 11 October 2025
- Ida Wallén & Sanni Valtonen: ‘The Most Beautiful Spiritual Songs’ (concert) 24 October 2025
- 2x Hanna – Literature Evening, 28 November 2025, Hanna Weselius, Hanna Hurtta
- AV Choir: Porridge Party and Christmas Carols for Everyone, 10 December 2025
- Liisa Voima – Retrospective (exhibition) 6 February–28 March 2026
- Post, post! (Exhibition) 10 February–17 October 2026
- A Winter Evening in Music, 20 February 2026
- “Friday Coffee” Spring 2026
o 30 January 2026 Kristina Creutz
o 13 February 2026 Corazón Grande – Anneli Sjöholm, Peik Henriksson
o 27 February 2026 Women’s Bank
o 13 March 2026 Lurens – Malena Lindroos
o 27 March 2026 Visans Vänner i Östnyland – 50 years!
o 23 April 2026 Annika Michelson – Our Daily Bread - Swedish language preparation course – Marjo Vuokko, 13–14 March 2026 and 20–21 March 2026
- The Carousel of Love: Nina Fogelberg, Heidi Kokki, Ove Othman (concert) 22 March 2026
- Our Daily Bread – Annika Michelson (exhibition) 1 April–31 May 2026
- Agricola Day celebrations on 9 April 2026
- Max Arhipainen – Information as a weapon in modern conflicts (lecture) 17 April 2026
- Garden sale, plant swap and waffle café on 23 May 2026
- Summer Yogilates on 10 June and 17 June 2026
- Craft Week at Agricola House: Helena Nadif – felting, Marjo Vuokko – jewellery, Tarja Heikkilä – Risukirjain workshop, 4–6 June 2026
- Dora Jung (exhibition) 2 June–29 August 2026
- Tarja Heikkilä (exhibition) 2 June–6 September 2026
- Lovisa Open Gardens (with guest Janne Länsinpuro) 4–5 July 2026
- Make your own Midsummer decoration on 16 June 2026
- Lupin dyeing (Silmu and VIRE projects) 16 June 2026
- Frida Andersson – Summer Concert, 9 August 2026
- The Agricola House at the Night of the Arts on 21 August 2026
- The Agricola House on Pernaja Day, 23 August 2026
- Youth Night on 28 August 2026 (next session on 11 December 2026)
- A mushroom-picking trip for the whole family with Tea von Bonsdorff on 29 August 2026
- The Age of Agricola in Pernaja – a small medieval festival, 4–6 September 2026
- Felting course – Helena Nadif 19–20 September 2026
- “Friday Coffee” in autumn 2026
o Marie Allen 25 September 2026
o Kim Grönqvist – Senior Week: physical wellbeing 9 October 2026
o Anna Johansson – “Mathilda” 6 November 2026
o Liisi-Maria Stoor 20 November 2026 - “Whispers and Shouts” – discussions on world politics:
o Nils Torvalds 30 September 2026
o Kerstin Kronvall 28 October 2026
o Leo Stranius 25 November 2026 - Literary Evening – Kristoffer Albrecht, 14 October 2026
- Literary Evening: The Tale of Genji – Kai Nieminen, 23 October 2026
- Philip Glass: Metamorphoses – Olli Sirén (concert) 30 October 2026
- Nina Fogelberg – Skymningssånger – Songs of Twilight – concert on 13 November 2026
- Christmas concert and sing-along with the AV Choir (featuring: Mia Aitokari and Elina Mieskolainen)
