Combine comedy with passion, a female touch and a truly collective approach and what you get is Helsinki Standup League. That becomes evident when listening to its founder, producer Cansu Pylkkänen, co-founder Ornela Bardhi and producer Svetlana Sharifulina talk about their “baby”.

“There are no big egos here. We just want to support people to tell a good joke”, they summarize the ethos of their collective approach.

From a one off evening to a collective comedy club

Helsinki Stand-up League began in the summer of 2023 when Cansu, an architect, artist, and cultural heritage PhD candidate from Turkey, came across an ad for a one off stand up evening for women who had never done stand-up in English before – and decided to take part. Among the other participants was also Ornela, a data scientist from Albania. It was the first time doing stand up comedy on stage for both of them, but the experience was so exhilarating that they immediately knew they wanted more. And so did others. “People came up to us after the show and said that they also wanted to take part next time. So then I knew we needed a next time”, says Cansu. 

A Whatsapp group was set up, and the plans for the next time started to take shape. Svetlana, a neuroscientist-turned-CEO, joined a year later. She had originally discovered comedy already during her academic career in Russia, but after moving to Helsinki in 2016, she hesitated to perform in English. “Cansu kept inviting me, and finally, I gave in,” Svetlana recalls. 

Now, just after two years, Helsinki Standup League is already changing the comedy landscape in Helsinki. Empowering women and LGBTQ+ people – especially first-time performers – to take the stage in English, HSL has created a unique international community of comedy lovers, performers and audience.

An addiction – and therapy

Generally speaking, addictions are not seen as a good thing, but in the case of HSL, it has certainly proved to be a productive force.

“The adrenaline is addictive”, says Cansu. “You get hooked on it.” “The feeling is euphoric!” agrees Svetlana. “The same as when we are in love!” 

For nearly two years Cansu, Svetlana and Ornela have been climbing on the stage at the monthly HSL open mic nights at Lazy Fox club in Helsinki. Cansu and Svetlana organize and produce the events together with a third producer Mara Mikhuta, and also run comedy writing workshops.

“Comedy pushes me out of my comfort zone”, says Ornela. “I started standup to make science fun and sharpen my storytelling—covering bats, climate change, literacy, and even fiber, poop, and health. Lately, I’ve leaned into experience-based comedy. People say I look calm on stage, but inside, I’m on a rollercoaster.”

“I only look calm because of botox!” says Svetlana.

The women laugh and then get more serious. For them comedy is not just entertainment. It’s also a tool for personal and even professional growth and resilience. Svetlana calls stand-up “the most extreme form of public speaking.” She credits comedy with helping her cope with failure and rejection, lessons that also benefit her career as a startup founder. 

Ornela finds comedy to be a creative outlet for her work as a researcher. “I spend my days in front of a computer, surrounded by algorithms and numbers. Standup gives me a break from all that.”

Cansu’s experience is that comedy has even improved her health. “Before HSL, I struggled with stress. Since starting comedy, my stress levels have dropped 30–40 percent. It’s been life-changing.”

Ornela agrees. “I handle stress better now. Comedy has taught me to manage pressure!”

“My husband would say the same, due to me doing comedy his stress levels are down”, Svetlana says and then gets more serious again. “With so many crises in the world I find comedy to be like talking therapy for free. Humor can help people to stay strong. We have jokes about politics, it helps people to know that you’re not alone with losing your sense of purpose or vision for the future. It’s ok to not know what to do next, and it’s ok to make jokes about that. You’re not alone with your fear.”

The league emphasizes the healing power of humor. “Comedy is free therapy. It helps people process emotions and find joy, even in tough times”, says Cansu. “In crisis it’s important to think critically and find new ways to think, use imagination.”

The power of supportive community

Helsinki Standup League started as a platform for women and beginners in comedy. Soon it expanded to welcome LGBTQ+ performers, focusing on underrepresented voices. 

“We want to give priority to those who don’t usually have a platform,” says Cansu. “But inclusivity doesn’t mean excluding others – it means creating space for everyone alongside each other.”

HSL performers are a uniquely diverse community of people from different backgrounds and professions. “We have mothers talking about how hard it is, we have minority groups from the LGTBQ+ community sharing their experience of being trans for example, and we’ve had native Finnish speaking people trying comedy in English for the first time”, recalls Svetlana. 

“For some reason we seem to attract a lot of researchers”, continues Cansu. Svetlana thinks it’s because “high IQ produces great dirty jokes.”

However, the Helsinki Stand-up League open mic nights aren’t special only because of the diversity of the performers, but because of the general atmosphere. Each open mic features a supportive and welcoming audience, with 8–10 performers, including first-timers. “There’s no competition between performers. The atmosphere is safe and encouraging, and the audience is also softer and more supportive than at other venues. There’s no hackling!” Ornela explains. “Though they don’t fake laugh either!”

Svetlana believes that in many ways Helsinki Stand-up League is an important lifeline for newcomers in Helsinki. “People come to HSL events to find a sense of belonging. Many are lonely when they first arrive in Finland, and through our community, they make friends and new connections.”

“I remember after my first gig, people came up to me to say they loved it. It was touching as I hadn’t experienced that in Finland before: people coming up to congratulate me, acknowledge my work and show kindness towards me!” Cansu recalls.

The future of stand-up in Helsinki

Within just a few years Helsinki Stand-up League has established itself on the Helsinki comedy scene, and created a community around it. Now the founders are planning the next steps. From special events and collaborations to expanding their reach, the team is dreaming big. Svetlana envisions workshops for entrepreneurs on overcoming the fear of failure, inspired by her own experiences with stand-up.

“We want to spread our wings,” says Cansu. “There are so many opportunities to grow and make a greater impact. HSL isn’t just about comedy – it’s about connection and belonging.” 

“And empowerment. That’s why it matters so much”, adds Ornela. 

All photos by Aleksi Poutanen