Songscapes takes you on a journey of original song compositions at Vapaan Taiteen Tila. Produced by members of the Global Music department at the Sibelius Academy, this project has been running since November 2024, inviting artists to share their own music and creative visions.
The idea behind Songscapes was born from the need for a space in Helsinki’s music scene where diverse, original songs could be heard and appreciated. Though often influenced by various genres, this music doesn’t fit neatly into any one category.
In September Songscapes invites Stuart Ironside (he/they), a British guitarist currently based in Estonia and Helsinki based artist Sini Onne.
paljon onnea tms
paljon onnea tms is a project by Helsinki based artist Sini Onne. It’s an attempt to say something that makes sense. Their text-driven songs are built on dreamy and powerful melodies that take shape in friendship, belonging, and uninvited melancholy.
Stuart Ironside
Stuart Ironside (he/they) is a British guitarist combining classical technique with global influences and the sounds of nature to create a unique musical language. Currently based in Estonia, Stuart is a graduate of Cardiff University and SOAS University of London.
Through his studies of classical music, British folk song, West African Mande music and Javanese gamelan, Stuart has been developing his style of playing through exploring his connection to each of these musics and finding his own voice.
Stuart released his debut album ‘The Wallace Line’ in 2022, followed by an EP of the soundtrack from the short film ‘Voces Humanas’, written and directed by Florencia Cáceres, in 2024. Stuart’s recent musical projects, inspired by life in Estonia, have explored dance and movement, interactions with nature and extended improvisations. Stuart emphasises connection to the natural world, freedom in performance and embracing meditative states through his free-flowing mind playing and evocative sound.
Stuart’s second album, ‘Music from Somewhere Else’, was recorded live in the forests of Northern Estonia. A two part album of arrangements, compositions and improvisations, it is a duet between Stuart and the natural world; Part 1, ‘The Enclosure’, was released in December 2025 and Part 2, ‘The Wildlands’, was released in April 2026.
