Helsinki City Theatre’s summer residency in Studio Pasila – open call for 2028

7.9.2026

Helsinki City Theatre Summer Residency at studio Pasila – Open Call for 2028

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Helsinki City Theatre’s summer residency at Studio Pasila brings new forms of performing arts into the theatre’s repertoire. The summer residencies create works by artists and working groups in the independent field, which react to the changing world through both their content and form. We are now looking for proposals for a summer residency for 2028 in the open call that opens on 14.9.2026.  

The summer residency serves as an opportunity for new artists or more experienced artists who have previously created works for smaller stages to expand their skills to a larger stage and a wider audience. The purpose of the residency is to provide independent artists with space and time for artistic thinking by utilising the City Theatre’s existing spatial resources. 

The summer residencies will take place in Studio Pasila, which is the third largest stage of the Helsinki City Theatre. In the theatre hall, the stage and the auditorium are firmly opposed to each other. The Auditorium has 320 seats and the stage is about 7 meters deep and 16 meters wide.  

The working group selected for the summer residency will have access to the premises of Studio Pasila for the duration of June-July and the performance season in August. The working group that implements the proposal is responsible for the production. 

We are looking for proposals for…

• artists and/or teams with a clear goal of creating ambitious and forward-looking works for larger stages and wider audiences.

• that are clearly justified and backgrounded: what kind of work do you want to make and why, and how do you plan to bring your idea to life on stage? 

• who take a conscious relationship with the art form or forms they represent and examine them from new perspectives.

• where new forms of performing arts communicate with the traditional black box theatre space.

• where the working group is ready to make full use of the two-month working time. 

In our selections, we emphasize…

• Diversity: This can refer to the diversity of art forms and aesthetics, as well as the experience, gender, language or educational background of the artists.  

• Advance planning: The residency ends during the performance season, but it mainly takes place during the holidays of the theatre’s permanent staff. We want to make sure that the proposal can be implemented realistically and sustainably already during the application process.  

• responsibility: sustainable consideration of production, environmental responsibility and occupational safety. The objectives of the Helsinki City Theatre include aspects of environmental responsibility and occupational safety.

In accordance with our values, we are a pioneer of equality. We hope that the applicants are people of different ages and genders, as well as people belonging to linguistic, cultural or other minorities.   

For the selected proposal we offer…  

• a two-month working residency at the Studio Pasila stage in June-July 2028.

• ten performances at Studio Pasila’s stage in August 2028.

• The ticket revenue of the performances in its entirety. 

• communications and marketing as part of the Helsinki City Theatre’s seasonal programme. 

• the existing technical resources of the studio Pasila theatre hall. When planning your work, please note that the permanent staff of the stage will not be present in June-July. 

• discussion and working time with the school social worker.

The residency does not include production support. We are looking for proposals that already have self-financing for the project’s work and production costs, or proposals that are ready to be implemented by applying for funding elsewhere.  Answers to frequently asked questions about the residency can be found here. Studio Pasila’s technical information can be found here.The open call is organised by Riikka Thitz, the curator of the Contemporary Performance Stage. Application instructions The open call is aimed at professional freelance artists working in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and the working groups formed by them. The open application process takes the form of face-to-face online meetings. The artist or working group participating in the call meets with the curator and presents their performance idea in the way they wish. With personal meetings, we aim to offer an alternative to the application processes, where the focus is on how well the presenters can write about their work. An application based on meetings also enables a dialogue between the applicant and the school social worker already at the application stage.  After the individual meetings, the curator creates a shortlist, which is presented to the theatre’s artistic director. After this, a second application meeting will be held with the shortlisted working groups. The final selection of the residency working group will be made by the theatre’s artistic director by the end of 2026.  The meetings will be held between 5 and 23 October.2026. The duration of the meetings is 45 minutes and they are organized via Teams. You will receive more information about the application meeting after registration. Note! There is a limited number of appointments. 

• Booking links will open on this page on Monday 14.9.2026 at 9 am.
• Appointments can be booked until 27.9.2026 at 12 p.m. or until all appointments are booked.
• There are a total of 35 meeting times, so you should not leave the registration until the last minute. 
• Before registering, please read this call for applications, frequently asked questions and the technical information of Studio Pasila carefully.

For more information about the open call, please contact the curator of the Contemporary Performance Stage Riikka Thitz by email riikka.thitz@hkt.fi (works part-time, working days mainly Tue-Thu).

 

Helsinki City Theatre Summer Residency at studio Pasila – Open Call for 2028

The Helsinki City Theatre Summer Residency at studio Pasila brings new forms of performing arts into the theatre’s programme. The residency supports productions by independent artists and working groups that respond to a changing world through both their content and form. We are now seeking proposals for the 2028 Summer Residency through an open call that opens on 14 September 2026.

The Summer Residency offers an opportunity for emerging artists, as well as more experienced artists whose previous works have been presented primarily on smaller stages, to expand their practice to a larger venue and reach wider audiences. The residency is designed to provide independent artists with space and time for artistic development by making use of Helsinki City Theatre’s existing facilities and resources. 

The residencies take place at studio Pasila, Helsinki City Theatre’s third-largest stage. The venue has a fixed proscenium layout with a 320-seat audience and a stage approximately 7 meters deep and 16 meters wide. The selected working group will have access to studio Pasila throughout June and July 2028 for rehearsals and development, as well as during the performance season in August 2028.  

Production responsibilities rest with the participating working group. 

We are looking for performance proposals…

• From artists and/or working groups with a clear ambition to create forward-looking, artistically ambitious works for larger stages and broader audiences. 

• That are clearly articulated and well contextualised: what kind of work do you want to create, why is it important, and how do you plan to realise it on stage? 

• That engage consciously with their artistic discipline or disciplines and explore them from new perspectives. 

• In which new forms of performing arts enter into dialogue with the traditional black-box theatre space. 

• From working groups prepared to make full use of the two-month residency period. 

Selection criteria emphasise…  

• Diversity: This may include diversity of artistic disciplines and aesthetics, as well as diversity in the backgrounds of artists, including experience, gender, language, and educational background. 

• Pre-planning: Although the residency culminates in a performance season, it takes place largely while the theatre’s permanent staff are on summer leave. We therefore want to ensure from the application stage onward that proposed productions can be realised realistically and sustainably. 

• Responsibility: We value sustainable production practices, environmental responsibility, and occupational safety. Helsinki City Theatre’s objectives include commitments in both environmental responsibility and workplace safety. 

In line with our values, we strive to be a leader in promoting equality and inclusion. We encourage applications from people of all ages and genders, as well as from linguistic, cultural, and other minority communities. 

We offer the selected project…

• A two-month working residency at studio Pasila during June and July 2028. 

• A performance season of ten performances at studio Pasila in August 2028. 

• All ticket revenue from the performances. 

• Communications and marketing support as part of Helsinki City Theatre’s main season programme. 

• Access to studio Pasila’s existing technical resources. Please note when planning your project that the venue’s permanent technical staff will not be present during June and July. 

• Time for discussion and artistic consultation with the curator. 

The residency does not include production funding. We are therefore seeking projects that already have funding in place for working and production costs, or projects whose creators are prepared to seek funding from other sources. 

Answers to frequently asked questions about the residency can be found here. 

Technical information about studio Pasila is available here.

The open call is coordinated by Riikka Thitz, Curator of the Stage for Contemporary Performance. 

Application Process

The open call is intended for professional independent artists and working groups based in the Helsinki metropolitan area. 

Applications take the form of individual online meetings. The artist or working group meets with the curator and presents their project idea in any format they choose. 

Through personal meetings, we aim to offer an alternative to application processes that place primary emphasis on written proposals. The meeting-based format also enables dialogue between the applicant and the curator already at the application stage. 

Following the first round of meetings, the curator will prepare a shortlist to be presented to the theatre’s artistic leadership. Shortlisted groups will then be invited to a second application meeting. The final residency selection will be made by the Artistic Director of Helsinki City Theatre by the end of 2026. 

Meetings will take place between 5 and 23 October 2026. Each meeting lasts 45 minutes and they will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. Further information about the application meeting will be provided after registration. 

Please note: The number of available appointment slots is limited.

• Booking links open on 14 September 2026 at 09:00. 
• Meeting slots can be reserved until 27 September 2026 at 24:00, or until all slots have been filled. 
• There are 35 meeting slots in total, so applicants are encouraged not to delay registration. 
• Before registering, please read the open-call announcement, the FAQ and the technical information for studio Pasila carefully. 

For further information about the open call, please contact Riikka Thitz, Curator of the Stage for Contemporary Performance, at riikka.thitz@hkt.fi. (Works part-time, generally Tuesday through Thursday.)