Pimé Café Live: How Did a Guide Dog Become an Adult Cat?

Pimé Café Live: How Did a Guide Dog Become an Adult Cat? Turn off visual distractions and awaken your sense of hearing. Pimé Café Live, held at Studio Muonavarasto in Hiukkavaara, challenges the way you experience the world with a club-style concert presented in complete darkness.The event begins with coffee enjoyed in the dark, gradually leading into a pure musical experience free from visual stimuli. The event lasts approximately two hours in total and includes a guided entry into the darkened venue, coffee service, discussion, the concert itself, and guided assistance out of the space afterward. The language used in the event is Finnish, but you're welcome to join even if you don't understand Finnish. The same performance will take place twice during the day, at 13:00 and 16:00. The concerts are part of the Oulun Muusajuhlat programme. Lights/Off is an electroacoustic duo formed by two visually impaired musician-composers: accordion artist Joose Ojala and drummer Tuomas Ruokonen. Their music is built around improvisation, experimental combinations of instruments, and dialogue between humans and technology. In Oulu, the duo will present their critically acclaimed concert How Did a Guide Dog Become an Adult Cat?, now being experienced outside Helsinki for the first time. The performances take place in a completely dark space, where audience members and performers share the same conditions without the sense of sight. Darkness is not merely a theatrical effect -- it is a way of listening, connecting, and perceiving the surrounding world from a new perspective. The concert features electroacoustic accordion, synthesizers, drum kit, and drum machines, creating a multidimensional, surprising, and intense sonic landscape. The duo also utilizes AI applications designed for visually impaired users that describe surroundings through a smartphone camera. These descriptions may be accurate, mistaken, or surreal -- and it is precisely from these observations that musical material emerges for improvisations and compositions. The performances explore how technology changes the way we understand the world and how disability-informed working methods can open new artistic processes for the wider music community. Please help us to keep the club truly dark. To ensure the full experience, please leave all light-emitting devices at home or switch them off before entering. Smartphones, smartwatches, flashing sneakers, and electric wheelchairs can appear surprisingly bright in complete darkness. If your assistive device has a light that cannot be turned off, staff will be happy to help cover the light source before the event. Coffee, tea, and vegan sweet buns will be served, with a gluten-free option also available. If you have other significant food allergies, please notify the organizers by email at minea(at)oulunjuhlaviikot.fi. Ticket sales end an hour before the event. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Visitors are kindly asked to attend fragrance-free. The creative content of the concert has been supported by the Niilo Helander Foundation. The performance has been made possible through a grant from the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired and the EU-funded Saavuta project of the Oulu Culture Events Association. Accessibility Information Address: Hiukanpiha 9 H2, Door J, 90650 Oulu The entrance may be difficult to locate, but signs are posted in the yard to guide visitors to the venue. Building H2 is situated in the middle of the former barracks area. A gym operates in the same building; Door J is located on the opposite side of the building from the gym entrance. The nearest public transport stops are Hiukkavaara E on Vaalantie and Hiukanreitti E on Raitotie, both approximately 700 meters from the venue. There is no designated accessible parking space, but ample free parking is available near the entrances, and drop-off access is permitted. Personal assistants may attend free of charge. There are stairs at the main entrance. Handrails are available on both sides, but there are no contrast markings. There is no audio beacon at the entrance. Indoor areas are dimly lit, and the performance space is completely dark. No induction loop system is available. An accessible entrance (Door I) is located to the left of Door J. The accessible route leads directly to the event space through wide corridors and a spacious elevator. There is a beveled threshold of approximately 5 cm at the entrance to the club space. Event staff can assist with navigation if needed. There is sufficient room inside the venue for mobility aids. Indoor restrooms are not accessible. An accessible portable toilet is available outdoors in the immediate vicinity of the venue. All restrooms are gender-neutral. Audience members may leave and re-enter during the performance if necessary, but extra movement should be minimized due to the nature of the event. For questions regarding accessibility, please contact: minea(at)oulunjuhlaviikot.fi. Venue: Studio Muonavarasto. Artist: Oulun juhlaviikot | Pimé Café Live: Miten opaskoirasta tuli aikuinen kissa?.