Isa Hukka
What is cripping and how can we do it together?
I am a freelance writer, poet, artist, facilitator, and educator. I am based in Helsinki, although parts of me always reside in Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Copenhagen and Tiohti:áke/Montréal.
I have graduated from the Practical Philosophy program at the University of Helsinki (B.Soc.Sc.). My crip philosophical thesis “Cripping the Disabled Identity” studied identity and disability in contemporary feminist philosophy. I also teach philosophy.
Various magazines have published my award-winning poetry, and I have had the opportunity to perform my work on many stages. My literary work explores crip writing, including working with crip mythodologies, vocabularies, and methods.
I make performances in local contexts of feminism, disability politics and what I call comprehensive access. I am a skilled facilitator and director, working to create more sustainable, fair, caring, and accessible working environments, particularly for disabled artists. I am developing, translating, and creating crip / ‘rampa’ language and vocabularies in Finnish. I have done pioneer work with the practice of ‘rampauttaminen’ which is a Finnish local concept related to the practices of cripping and queering.
I have collaborated with over 10 cultural institutions in Finland and abroad, e. g. LiteraturHaus Copenhagen, Academy of Arts Architecture & Design in Prague, Stroom den Haag in the Neatherlands, University of Helsinki, Rauma Art Museum, Baltic Circle, Urbanapa, Frame Finland, Kaaos Company, and Helsinki Poetry Connection.
In 2022-23, I worked as a facilitator in a crip performing arts project that was part Baltic Circle’s multi-year Coming Stage -project, funded by Kone Foundation. Our piece ‘Inviting precarious perspectives’ was awarded with the Theatre Act of the Year 2023 -award.
Since 2020, I have actively taken part in crip grassroot organizing in Helsinki, including founding collectives such as Just Another Crip Group (2020), Crip Care Network Helsinki (2021), and Crip Student Organisation (2022).
Wherever I work, I am guided by professional ethics and values such as accessibility, care, multiplicity, transparency, fairness, and open communication.
