03.09.2025
Three Questions for Hyde Hytti
TINFO’s long-term Director of International and Transcultural Affairs, Hyde Hytti, has been a major force within Finnish performing arts for decades. As we prepare say our goodbyes to our cherished colleage later in September – due to a major financial cut to TINFO’s subsidy – we turned to Hyde Hytti once more and asked him three questions.
TINFO’s long-term Director of International and Transcultural Affairs, Hyde Hytti, has been a major force within Finnish performing arts for decades. Through mentoring, teaching and his own books on producing cultural works, Hytti has been instrumental in guiding generations of Finnish producers, managers and artistic directors in the art of producing and in finding international avenues for Finnish work.
As we prepare say our goodbyes to our cherished colleage later in September – due to a major financial cut to TINFO’s subsidy – we turned to Hyde Hytti once more and asked him three questions.
What are your most memorable experiences from your work in promoting international mobility?
All of my cross-border cooperation experiences bring me back fond memories of working together with our fellow Nordic and Baltic countries. But the “toughest challenge” was definitively taking the Finnish National Theatre’s production of The Lower Depths to one of the world’s largest festival in Bogotá, Colombia in 2016. In the end, we had five sold-out performances in a 650-seat theatre!
What has inspired you in your work promoting international mobility?
I’m inspired by working with artists from different countries and cultures – it has always taught me something new. This continuous process of learning has been the greatest source of inspiration.
What do you still feel producers need to better be able to promote international mobility?
At the moment, it seems as if the work we do as experts in promoting mobility is not fully appreciated at the state level. Yet the relationships, networks, and cooperation structures are already in place, and the capacity for strategic partnerships – even with ministries – exists.
What would make a real difference is stronger recognition and support for this expertise. In Finland, we also seem to be moving towards creating new performance agencies, which is an exciting and promising development.
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Hyde Hytti graduated as theatre director in 1988. He began his long career at the renowned Q Theatre in Helsinki as a producer in 1992 and systematically used the title “producer” – most likely as the first person to do so in Finland at the time – while also studying both at the Theatre Academy in Helsinki and later at the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
Hytti remained at the Q Theatre until the 2010s, working interchangebly as producer, director and light designer – as well as chairman of the board between 2011 and 2019. In 1996, together with Erik Söderblom, he founded the Baltic Circle festival – which promoted international collaborations, artist exchange and co-productions in the Baltic Sea region. Hytti served as festival director during the early 2000s before stepping aside.
In 2011 Theatre Info Finland (TINFO) created the position of Director of International Affairs, and Hytti was promptly hired, having already contributed to TINFO’s projects for years. At TINFO he developed mentoring services, and produced online resources for producers interested in taking their work international. His extensive international networks, connections with agencies, festivals, and his deep knowledge of the Finnish performing arts scene have been invaluable.
In addition to his professional work, Hytti has published his own poetry as well as translations of poetry. He is widely known and respected for the generosity of his advice, his passion for the performing arts, and for his tireless efforts to develop the profession of producers in Finland.
TINFO / September 1, 2025