Inside and after asses.masses: A Conversation

1 April 2026, 18:00–20:30
Mad House, Lintulahdenkatu 3, Helsinki

M-Cult, together with Mad House, invites audiences to and evening of discussion, games and shared reflection with artists Patrick Blenkarn and Laurel Green, Creative Directors of STUDIO FUNFUG and two of the artists from the team behind asses.masses performance, presented at Espoo Theatre March 28-29. 

The event marks the launch of M-Cult’s new Gaming the Civic programme, which explores how game-based art can foster civic engagement and democratic participation in public realms.

During the evening, Blenkarn and Green will talk about their creative process and reflect on how asses.masses was made, take apart its dramaturgy, and reflect on the ways in which playing together shapes how we live, work, and build community. 

The conversation will be moderated and expanded by Helsinki-based performance maker and game designer Harold Hejazi. In the second half of the event, the three will discuss what asses.masses has taught them and how it is influencing their practice, upcoming projects and international collaborations.

During the event we will offer some vegan snacks, and non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.    

How to get there:

Mad House Helsinki is located on the 6th floor of Tekstin talo in Parvisali.

Entrance when Bar tÿpo is open:
Pass through the bar, turn left at the toilets, through the glass door and take the lift or stairs to the 6th floor. The Bar tÿpo is accessed from the courtyard of the Elanto block via the stairs.

Accessible entrance and entrance when the bar is closed from the Lintulahdenkatu side (Lintulahdenkatu 3). Sörnäinen metro station is located 500 metres away. The nearest bus and tram stops are Lintulahti and Haapaniemi. Lintulahti is 150 metres and Haapaniemi 300 metres from the entrance.

Access: 
The event is in English, and there will be AI based captioning. 
Accessible entrance and entrance when the bar is closed from the Lintulahdenkatu side (Lintulahdenkatu 3).

Find out more about the accessibility of the Text House.
Some participation may be required, but not mandatory. 
Please feel free to come and go throughout the event according to your needs.

Information about the participants: 

STUDIO FUNFUG
STUDIO FUNFUG is a Canadian company dedicated to bridging performance, games, and collective experiences for social transformation. Founded by Patrick Blenkarn, Laurel Green, and Milton Lim, their work includes video games for the stage designed to be played live by an audience in a theatre, tabletop role-playing games that reimagine the arts ecosystem, and trading card games about the art economy. Their upcoming projects include: DRAGONS, a cross-cultural and playful examination of power—for teens, and alt-rhino, a game for the stage, inspired by Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, about the threat of fascism within our communities and how we resist it.

asses.masses
asses.masses stretches the limits of performance by fusing video games, donkeys, revolution, storytelling, and food in an unforgettable collective experience. The Asses have lost their jobs and they want them back. The audience must help the asses by playing a custom-made video game for the stage. Designed to be played together, asses.masses is a videogame with gamers guiding a herd of asses through post-industrial society. The work explores leadership, labour, technophobia, and the power of cooperation – with humour and surprises.

Assesmasses.work / @asses.masses on Instagram

Harold Hejazi
Harold Hejazi is a Canadian artist, performance maker, and game designer based in Helsinki. His work explores new forms of public involvement in the arts and ways to push back collectively through play. He is the creator of the video game performance series Adventures of Harriharri, which examines exclusion, borders, and belonging in an alternate Finland fantasy game world. He has designed and led game projects with local partners including Helsinki City Theatre and the Finnish National Gallery. His next participatory video game performance from the Harriharri universe is set to premiere at Espoo Theatre in autumn 2026.

https://haroldhejazi.com/ / @haroldhejazi on instagram

Gaming the Civic is supported by Alfred Kordelin Foundation and AVEK Audiovisual Centre.