The stage of a contemporary performance

The stage programme of a contemporary performanceconsists of works by free-range artists and working groups that react to the changing world through both their content and form. The stage opens up space and time for the creators to develop their artistic thinking.

The stage of a contemporary performance does not represent just one tradition of the performing arts, but encourages diversity and dialogue between the arts. Contemporary performances take a conscious relationship with the history of the art form or forms they represent and examine them from new perspectives.  

We select artists or working groups for our repertoire with the aim of creating ambitious and forward-looking works for larger stages and audiences. 

The activities on the stage of the contemporary performance are curated: they are based on encounters between the artist, the curator and other professionals of the Helsinki City Theatre, the purpose of which is to support the artist’s professional development. Curation is a porous interface from which the creators can proceed in many directions even before the production process of the work presented to the public.  

We want to offer more and more artists opportunities to deepen their professional skills. That is why, in addition to performances and open calls, we organise monthly curator meetings, idea sparring, seminars and other training events.

First, please check that your idea fits the framework of our operations both in terms of content and technical implementation. 

• Within the framework of the Contemporary Performance stage, we will produce works on a larger stage in the 328-seat Studio Pasila. 

• Our performances have at least 10 performances. 

• We do not program guest performances. 

• Studio Pasila’s technical information can be found here.

Curator  meetingsAre you a new player or is your idea still in its early stages? Helsinki City Theatre organises monthly curatorial meetings for the creators of contemporary dance and contemporary performances. The artists will have the opportunity to meet Valtteri Raekallio, the director of the Helsinki City Theatre’s dance company, or Riikka Thitz, the curator of the contemporary performance’s stage, in a one-on-one meeting. At the curatorial meetings, it is possible to get short feedback on the idea of the work or possibly longer-term personal sparring for the development of the performance idea.  More information about social worker meetings and appointments can be found here.

Open call for summer residencies The creators of the summer residencies on the stage of the contemporary performance are selected through an open call based on live meetings. The working group selected for the residency will have access to the premises of Studio Pasila for the period of June-July and the performance season in August. The working group that implements the proposal is responsible for the production. Thepurpose of the residency is to provide free artists with space and time for artistic thinking by utilising the City Theatre’s existing spatial resources.  An open application process is organised annually for the summer residency, which is carried out in the form of personal online meetings. Theapplication period is held in September-October, two years before the residency period. Answers to frequently asked questions about summer residencies and open applications can be found here.

Proposals Do you have a far-reaching idea for a work and previous experience of pre-planning and working on larger stages or in a professional theatre? Helsinki City Theatre also produces contemporary performances as part of its own basic repertoire. We program the basic repertoire using the invitation method and based on presentation suggestions. Ideas for works for a contemporary performance can be suggested outside the open calls and meeting hours by email to the curator of the Contemporary Performance Stage or the dramaturgs of the Helsinki City Theatre.  Please note that the software is planned with a time span of two to three years.

The stage for the contemporary performance has been operating in the Helsinki City Theatre’s studio in Pasila since 2022. The project was born on the initiative of artists working in the independent field of performing arts.  In the spring of 2019, a working group assembled by Lauri Antti Mattila submitted a proposal to the management team of the Helsinki City Theatre, which was signed by 885 performing arts professionals. The proposal asked the theatre to respond to current changes in society and in the field of performing arts. The stage curators of the current performance during the pilot season 2021–2023 are Tuomas Laitinen, Riikka Thitz and Suvi Tuominen.In 2022–2023 and 2024–2025, the operations of the stage of the contemporary performance have been supported by Kone Foundation.

The Helsinki City Theatre’s Stage for Contemporary Performance programme consists of works by artists and working groups from the independent field active in the Helsinki capital region that respond to the changing world through both their content and form. The stage offers artists space and time for developing their artistic thinking. 

The Stage for Contemporary Performance does not represent a single performing arts tradition; rather, it encourages diversity and dialogue between different art forms. Contemporary performances take a conscious relationship to the history of the form(s) they represent and examine them from new perspectives. 

How we curate our programme  

We select artists or working groups whose goal is to create ambitious and forward-looking works for larger stages and audiences. 

The Stage for Contemporary Performance operates through a curated process: it is based on encounters between the artist, the curator, and other Helsinki City Theatre professionals, with the aim of supporting the artist’s professional development. Curation serves as a porous interface from which artists can move in many directions even before entering the production process of a public performance. 

We want to offer more artists the opportunity to deepen their skills. Therefore, in addition to performances and open calls, we organise monthly curatorial meetings, idea sparring, seminars, and other training events. 

I have a performance idea, how to proceed?  

Please first check that your idea fits both the content-related and technical frameworks of our activities. 

• Within the Stage for Contemporary Performance, we produce works for a larger stage in the 328-seat Studio Pasila. 

• Our productions have at least 10 performances. 

• We do not programme guest performances. 

• You can find the technical specifications for Studio Pasila here.

Curatorial meetings

Are you a new maker or is your idea still at an early stage? Helsinki City Theatre organises monthly curatorial meetings for makers of contemporary dance and contemporary performance. Artists have the opportunity to book one-on-one meetings with Valtteri Raekallio, the artistic director of the Helsinki Dance Company, or Riikka Thitz, the curator of the Stage for Contemporary Performance. 

The curatorial meetings can provide brief feedback on a project idea or possibly longer-term personal sparring for developing a performance concept. 

More information and booking for curatorial meetings can be found here.

Open call for the summer residency

Artists for the Stage for Contemporary Performance’s summer residencies are selected through an open call based on live meetings. The selected working group receives access to the Helsinki City Theatre’s Studio Pasila stage for June–July and a performance period in August. The performance is produced by the working group. The purpose of the summer residency is to offer independent artists space and time for artistic thinking by utilising the theatre’s existing spatial resources. 

An open call for the summer residency is organised annually, conducted as individual online meetings. The open call takes place in September–October, two years before the residency period. 

FAQ about the summer residency and open call can be found here.

Performance productions

Do you have a well-developed project idea and previous experience with pre-production and working on larger stages or in professional theatres? 

The Helsinki City Theatre also produces contemporary performances as part of its main repertoire. We programme the repertoire through invitations and based on performance proposals. Ideas for contemporary performance works can be proposed outside open calls and meeting times by emailing the curator of the Stage for Contemporary Performance or the dramaturgs of the Helsinki City Theatre.