Yle archive costumes and props go on sale in Tampere

Costumes and props from Yle’s collections will go on sale in Tampere on Saturday, with proceeds going to charity, the broadcaster reported.

The “TV Archive Treasures” sale will begin at midday and feature clothing and objects from different decades, including suits, vintage dresses, hats, bags and costumes used in television productions.

The event is being organised by cultural production students at the Humanist University of Applied Sciences. Students Saija Seppälä and Ellen Lindroos hope the items will find new homes and uses, including in theatre or hobby groups.

Yle donated the items for the sale as it reduces its collections because of required savings and a declining need for costumes and props. The broadcaster also needs to free up thousands of square metres of space, and says the student sale is only a small part of the broader effort.

The changes have raised concerns among creative industry professionals about the future of Yle’s costume, prop and set collections. Yle says it shares those concerns and is discussing a possible arrangement under which Tampere Workers’ Theatre would manage much of the collection. Talks are ongoing, and no agreement has been reached.