Reality Research Center is calling for an Impossible Performance – Apply by Feb 28!

The Residency Program for Impossible Performance invites applications from artists with a utopian agenda who work in performing arts in Finland and who have dreams that haven’t come true yet. The program is part of the main program of the Reality Research Center (RRC) in 2022-2023, and ANTI Festival is the main partner of the program.

One working group (1-2 persons) will be selected through an open application process.

The residency is divided into two years and it takes place in Kuopio. In 2022 the working group is working on a residency period in Kuopio for two weeks. In 2023 The artists will produce an “impossible” performance for the ANTI Festival.

In 2022, the work in Kuopio can include planning, networking and training. The work must include some sort of part that is visible to the audience. It can be for example a workshop, a demo or an artist meeting.

More information and application guidelines here (link)!

ANTI, Baltic Circle & Hangö Teaterträff are calling for performance proposals – Apply by March 1!

Kulkue, a joint project of ANTI Festival, Baltic Circle Festival and Hangö Teaterträff, will produce new works of performing arts and propose a new touring model during 2022–2024. As part of the project, the works will tour different festival cities; Kuopio, Hanko and Helsinki, always creating a relationship with the local environment.

Now the festivals call for performance proposals inspired by space, environment or community.

The artists selected for the project will be invited to a dialogue with three festivals and three different cities. ANTI Festival, Baltic Circle Festival and Hangö Teaterträff offer artists the opportunity to work long-term in the festival context and to experiment with different forms, practices and production methods.

We invite new work proposals from artists working in the independent field of performing arts in Finland. A proposal can be a raw idea, a desire to try new practices or work in interaction with a particular environment or community. Projects already underway are also welcome.

More information and application guidelines here (link)!

Shared Futures workshops for over 60-year-old participants

Welcome to reflect on and get a sense of the future. What kind of a city and world we would like to leave behind for future generations?

Anyone over 60-year-old is welcome to join the Shared Futures workshops, and the activity is free of charge. At the workshops, participants explore their home town, and the related memories and feelings it evokes.

Walking, drawing, exploring, and movement and sound will lead us to a journey into our city and our wishes for its future. In this work, we will make use of familiar and unfamiliar maps and create new ones. The workshops also include familiarisation with the opportunities brought by the latest technology for perceiving and exploring the world.

The workshops are guided by artists Emma Fält and Anna-Maria Väisänen.

Where?
Kohtaamo (Kuopio main library, Maaherrankatu 12 / Museokatu 1). This is an accessible space.

When?
On Mondays at 10:00

Next workshops:

7 February
14 February
21 February
28 February

7 March
14 March
21 March
28 March

No need to sign up in advance. Welcome!

For more information, contact Elisa Itkonen, elisa@antifestival.com / +358 50 305 2005

antifestival.com/en/hanketapahtuma/shared-futures-workshops

Media release 18.1.2022

’Kulkue’ provides a stage for performing arts in Hanko, Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland.

In the Kulkue project, funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, three major performing arts festivals in Finland, ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival, Baltic Circle Festival and Hangö Teaterträff, are producing a series of new touring works. Now the festivals have opened a call for Finland based artists for performance proposals inspired by space, environment or community. The call is open until 1.3.2022.

Within the Kulkue project (eng. cavalcade), the festivals will produce new works that will tour in the three festival cities; Kuopio, Hanko and Helsinki, in 2022–2024. Artists and works selected on the basis of an open call will be invited to a dialogue with the festivals and the three different cities. ANTI Festival, Baltic Circle Festival and Hangö Teaterträff offer artists the opportunity to work long-term and try out different forms, practices and production methods.

“For the first time, we have the chance to share and make such a long-term and deep collaboration within the Finnish festival field. Hanko, Helsinki, and Kuopio are very different environments and it is interesting to see what forms the new works will take in these cities. The open call is an interesting step in the process, as the discussion opens up more broadly towards the independent performing arts field. We are curious to see what kind of proposals our new collaboration will attract. We encourage you to apply with a low threshold and raw ideas.”

– Festival Directors Elisa Itkonen (ANTI Festival), Hanna Parry and Asta Teräväinen (Baltic Circle) and Tom Rejström, Jonas Welander and Inkeri Rönnberg (Hangö Teaterträff)

During the years 2022–2024, the festivals will produce 4–6 new works of performing arts which will premiere at one of the three festivals and may then tour the other two. The works can evolve during the tour and take on different scales and forms in different cities.

Read more about the open call and find the application form here (link).

For more information, contact Festival Manager Elisa Itkonen, elisa@antifestival.com, +358 50 305 2005.

Media photos here (link).

Festival introductions

ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival is an undisputed expert in live art in Finland and has 20 years of experience in producing and performing live art in urban spaces. ANTI Festival is the only festival in Finland that focuses on site-specific urban art and live art, and is strongly attached to the performing arts field. It is a valued and trusted international partner through a number of international EU projects. The festival’s activities have been awarded at both the national and local levels. www.antifestival.com

Baltic Circle brings intensities into the city, takes stands on current questions, and ignites dialogue. The festival has become an important meeting and networking place for professionals in performing arts and audiences. Baltic Circle has succeeded in creating a wide international reputation both in Europe and abroad via collaborations with Finnish and international festivals, production centers, cultural institutes and universities. It has led and been a partner in several EU and Nordic projects and is a member of the European Festivals in Transition network. www.balticcircle.fi

Hangö Teaterträff (HTT) is the only Finnish-Swedish theater festival. It has been held since 1992 in Hanko. It brings together the Finnish-Swedish theater field from artists to audiences to meet, discuss and educate themselves. Hanko City does not have its own theater, so the festival is used to bringing works to unusual spaces and producing site-specific premieres. The Antonia Prize is awarded annually at the festival “for artistic courage and diversity in the field of Finnish-Swedish theater”. www.hangoteatertraff.org

Open Call 18.1.2022 – 1.3.2022

Kulkue is a joint project of three festivals that will produce new works of performing arts and propose a new touring model during 2022–2024. As part of the project, the works will tour different festival cities; Kuopio, Hanko and Helsinki, always creating a relationship with the local environment. Now the festivals call for performance proposals inspired by space, environment or community.

The artists selected for the project will be invited to a dialogue with three festivals and three different cities. ANTI Festival, Baltic Circle Festival and Hangö Teaterträff offer artists the opportunity to work long-term in the festival context and to experiment with different forms, practices and production methods.

During the period 2022–2024, 4–5 new works of performing arts will be produced within the project. They will premiere at one of the three festivals and may then tour the other two. The works can evolve during the tour and take on different scales and forms in different cities. For example, during a tour, the work can be transformed from a workshop through a performance into an interactive installation, or it can keep it’s form and create a dialogue with the changing environment.

What we are looking for:

New work proposals from artists working in the independent field of performing arts in Finland. A proposal can be a raw idea, a desire to try new practices or work in interaction with a particular environment or community. Projects already underway are also welcome.

Through the open call, 4–5 proposals will be selected, which will be realised during 2022–2024 as part of the festivals’ programme. The proposal must consider the social or ecological space, the environment or the community in one way or another. The applicant can be a solo artist or an artist group.

Artworks in the Kulkue project:

Are free in content and form: participatory, political, architectural, exploratory, or gratifying. They can take, for example, a traditional performance, lecture, celebration, sculptural, technological or moving form.
Tour different cities, interacting with the surroundings, and adapting to it.
Take into account the audiences and communities suggested by the environment.
Are located in a public space or an atypical art space.

What we offer:

Performances included in festival programmes’ and networks’
Dialogue with the curators of the three festivals and the opportunity to develop one’s own practice
Administrative and productional structure and support
The working time of the festival producer
Communication and marketing support in the channels of the three festivals
10,000 – 25,000 euros in production money, depending on the scale of the work and other funding. Production money covers, for example, artist fees, performance fees, materials and technical equipment.

How to apply

Please apply in Finnish, Swedish or English via the online form: https://forms.gle/HYZ6phKKY72BBCiK8

The open call ends on 1.3.2022 (23.59 EET).

Applications are reviewed by a working group where all three festivals are represented. Further discussions with shortlisted artists will be held from March 21 to April 1, 2022. The selection of works and artists will be made by the end of April 2022.

Hae suomeksi: https://forms.gle/7totsNyamKpwETKeA

Ansöka på svenska: https://forms.gle/xoPB5rXoj5sPGuP46

Newsletter 17.12.2021

In the year 2021, ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival was organised for the 20th time in Kuopio, Finland, second time during the pandemic. A big warm thank you to all our artists, audiences, staff members, volunteers and partners. We wish you a relaxed holiday season and a Happy New Year 2022!

During the past year, ANTI Festival worked in several multidisciplinary projects, both local and international, and organised public events throughout the year:

The year 2021 started with the HUUMA workshops for youth. We ran the workshops throughout the spring and autumn seasons. The HUUMA project’s (2019-2021) activity ended in Kuopio on 13th Dec. ANTI Festival wants to thank the project coordinator, The Children and Youth Foundation, as well as other project partners. A warm thank you to our artists and workshops leaders Anna-Maria Väisänen, Kaisa Ritola and Eevi Tolvanen. Special thanks to our participants!

28 Jan – 14 March 2021, the Creative Europe project, Face to Faith organised an international Open Call for Projects. ANTI worked in the Face to Faith project (2020-2023) throughout the year. Fixit by the Finnish artist Kaino Wennerstrand was selected as the Face to Faith production of ANTI Festival. The work will premiere at the festival 13-18 Sep 2022.

8 – 18 April 2021, the Global City Local City project organised a second lab partly in Reykjavík and partly remotely. The lab was produced and hosted by the Reykjavík Dance Festival. The Global City Local City is a Nordic collaboration project (2020-2021) lead by ANTI Festival. The project facilitated laboratories for artists and curators. Thank you to our partners, Reykjavík Dance Festival and The Map Consortium. Also, thank you to our lab participants!

14 – 19 September 2021, we organised the 20th ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival in Kuopio, Finland. Live experiences attracted vastly after so many other events have been cancelled due to the pandemic. ANTI Festival reached one of the biggest audience records in its history; over 50 000 viewers in Kuopio when considering the programme in public spaces. At the venues, we counted 13 000 active participants of the performances, workshops, and exhibitions.

This year’s ANTI Festival marked the 3nd edition of Shortlist LIVE! Programme; the nominees of ANTI Festival International Prize for Live Art presented their recent performances during the festival. This year, the world’s only prize for live art was awarded to Alex Baczynski-Jenkins.

We also celebrated our 20 year-long history through a photography exhibition and a documentary film presented at the festival and online. The online gallery is still open; photos by Pekka Mäkinen and a documentary film by Kim Saarinen are available at antiversary20.com. We’ve also added the Best of ANTI 2021 album!

Thank you, Johanna Tuukkanen & Gregg Whelan

ANTI Festival’s Artistic Director – Senior Manager Johanna Tuukkanen has moved on in November after 20 years at the helm. Johanna was appointed Head of Cultural Services in the city of Oulu, Finland, where she leads general cultural services and works as the Director of Cultural Centre Valve.

Artistic Director Gregg Whelan has stepped down from his position at the same time. Tuukkanen and Whelan worked together for 15 years. Whelan has been taken care of his tasks at ANTI beside another job for a long while. He is working full-time as the Director of Performance in The Trinity College London.

The ANTI association and the staff want to thank Johanna and Gregg deeply for the pioneering and visionary work as Artistic Directors of the festival!

Festival Manager Elisa Itkonen will be responsible of directing the festival until we will inform about the new staff arrangements.

2022 starts with Shared Futures workshops

Across the year 2022, we will organise workhops for people aged between 65 and 75 (all +60 year-olds are welcome).

The Shared Futures workshops are based on the artistic project by Kuopio based artists, Emma Fält ja Anna-Maria Väisänen who will also direct the workshops.

The language of the workshops is mainly Finnish. More information currently only in Finnish:
antifestival.com/hanketapahtuma/jaettu-tulevaisuus-tyopajat

ANTI Festival in Kuopio seeks a Project Coordinator with skills in communication

ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival ry seeks a Project Coordinator for two exciting projects!

We seek a project coordinator who is able to work independently and understands the idiosyncrasies and challenges of national and international collaborative projects. The job description is broad and includes tasks from the projects’ practical realisation to follow-ups and reports. The Kulkue project includes working with three different festivals. The Festivals’ Path project aims to develop ANTI Festival’s communication and marketing, and the project coordinator will be responsible for implementing both.

About the projects

Kulkue – A development project for Finland’s most prominent performing arts festivals for promoting co-productions, touring, and accessibility 2022-2024
In Kulkue project, three of the most prominent festivals of the Finnish performing arts field – ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival (Kuopio), Hangö Teaterträff (Hanko), and Baltic Circle (Helsinki) – join their resources and knowledge in order to produce an extensive series of Finnish co-productions that will reach new audiences and tour all three festivals. One of the project’s main goals is to promote the festivals’ accessibility.

Festivals’ Path – An ecologically sustainable model for the implementation of cultural tourism and international art productions in the festival context 2021-2023
The Festivals’ Path project aims to curate travel connections with programming for audiences travelling to the festival by land to promote cultural tourism to Finland and the Baltic countries in collaboration with the Latvian Homo Novus Festival. The project will also explore how international co-productions and related tours can be realised ecologically and sustainably. The project will be used to promote the attractiveness and accessibility of the ANTI Festival by developing the festival’s online marketing to respond to the needs of audience members diverse in terms of their functional capacity as well as audiences coming from outside Kuopio, Finland.

Duration of contract and Salary

The contract is fixed-term. Full-time work 15 January 2022 – 31 December 2023 and 50% of full-time work 1 January – 31 December 2024. Full-time work in 2024 might also be possible depending on our funding. Possibility to negotiate on the start date in January 2022.

Salary: €2600/month for full-time work

Other

The project coordinator’s workplace is situated in Kuopio at the ANTI Festival office, but the job also entails some travel (e.g. Hanko and Helsinki). Working languages are Finnish and English.

ANTI is a discrimination-free organisation and event, and all festival employers must commit to following our safer space guidelines: antifestival.com/en/safer-space

Application instructions and Schedule

Apply for the position through this link: https://forms.gle/TuugiQiDk7cDLcd69

Answer the two questions below in Finnish and attach your CV.

All applications must be submitted by 2 December 2021, 23.59 EET.

Question 1: What is an example of a collaborative project you have worked on? What kind of practices and processes does a project with several people require in order to succeed? (1000 characters including spaces)

Question 2: What is an example of communication (e.g. a campaign, procedure or website) that has successfully taken into account the accessibility of art/culture? The example does not need to be your own work. (1000 characters including spaces)

The interviews will be held on 9–10 December online or at ANTI’s office (Nahkurinkatu 1, Kuopio).

Inquiries

Emails and phone calls will be answered on
Mon 29 November at 12-15

ANTI Festival Manager Elisa Itkonen, elisa@antifestival.com / +358 50 305 2005

www.antifestival.com

Media release 11.11.2021

ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival ry seeks a Project Coordinator for two different projects.

We seek a project coordinator who is able to work independently and understands the idiosyncrasies and challenges of national and international collaborative projects. The job description is broad and includes tasks from the projects’ practical realisation to follow-ups and reports. The Kulkue project includes working with three different festivals. The Festivals’ Path project aims to develop ANTI Festival’s communication and marketing, and the project coordinator will be responsible for implementing both.

About the projects

Kulkue – A development project for Finland’s most prominent performing arts festivals for promoting co-productions, touring, and accessibility 2022-2024
In Kulkue project, three of the most prominent festivals of the Finnish performing arts field – ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival (Kuopio), Hangö Teaterträff (Hanko), and Baltic Circle (Helsinki) – join their resources and knowledge in order to produce an extensive series of Finnish co-productions that will reach new audiences and tour all three festivals. One of the project’s main goals is to promote the festivals’ accessibility.

Festivals’ Path – An ecologically sustainable model for the implementation of cultural tourism and international art productions in the festival context 2021-2023
The Festivals’ Path project aims to curate travel connections with programming for audiences travelling to the festival by land to promote cultural tourism to Finland and the Baltic countries in collaboration with the Latvian Homo Novus Festival. The project will also explore how international co-productions and related tours can be realised ecologically and sustainably. The project will be used to promote the attractiveness and accessibility of the ANTI Festival by developing the festival’s online marketing to respond to the needs of audience members diverse in terms of their functional capacity as well as audiences coming from outside Kuopio, Finland.

Duration of contract and Salary

The contract is fixed-term. Full-time work 15 January 2022 – 31 December 2023 and 50% of full-time work 1 January – 31 December 2024. Full-time work in 2024 might also be possible depending on our funding. Possibility to negotiate on the start date in January 2022.

Salary: €2600/month for full-time work

Other

The project coordinator’s workplace is situated in Kuopio at the ANTI Festival office, but the job also entails some travel (e.g. Hanko and Helsinki). Working languages are Finnish and English.

ANTI is a discrimination-free organisation and event, and all festival employers must commit to following our safer space guidelines: antifestival.com/en/safer-space

Application instructions and Schedule

Apply for the position through this link: https://forms.gle/TuugiQiDk7cDLcd69

Answer the two questions below in Finnish and attach your CV.

All applications must be submitted by 2 December 2021, 23.59 EET.

Question 1: What is an example of a collaborative project you have worked on? What kind of practices and processes does a project with several people require in order to succeed? (1000 characters including spaces)

Question 2: What is an example of communication (e.g. a campaign, procedure or website) that has successfully taken into account the accessibility of art/culture? The example does not need to be your own work. (1000 characters including spaces)

The interviews will be held on 9–10 December online or at ANTI’s office (Nahkurinkatu 1, Kuopio).

Inquiries

Emails and phone calls will be answered on
Thu 18 November at 9-12
Wed 24 November at 9-12
Mon 29 November at 12-15

ANTI Festival Manager Elisa Itkonen, elisa@antifestival.com / +358 50 305 2005

www.antifestival.com

Media release 29.9.2021

ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival Association announces that our amazing Artistic Director – Senior Manager Johanna Tuukkanen will step down in November after 20 years at the helm. Johanna has been appointed Head of Cultural Services in the city of Oulu, Finland, where she will lead general cultural services and work as the Director of Cultural Centre Valve. The Finnish Media Release here (link).

This is a wonderful opportunity for Johanna and although we are incredibly sad to see her go, we are all delighted for the next chapter in her illustrious career.

Johanna is one of the founding members of ANTI Festival (2002-) and has had a key role in developing the festival into an internationally acknowledged, award-winning art organisation. Johanna is a multi-skilled director who has been responsible for both programming and managing the finances, staff, and strategic development. She has created a sustainable organisation and she leaves us in a great place.

“The tasks of the City of Oulu’s Head of Cultural Services bring together three of my key interests: the promotion of art, development of the city through the means of culture, and internationality resulting from the appointment of Oulu as the 2026 European Capital of Culture. I am thrilled to get to work to develop my former hometown of Oulu as well as to benefit its cultural life and local residents.

For the past 20 years, I have given my all to developing the ANTI Festival. It is with pride and some bittersweet feelings that I am leaving our success story at a point where the festival is doing better than ever. I feel reassured to leave the festival at the hands of professionals who love it and will look after it with great care. I am thankful that, together with the Festival Manager Elisa Itkonen, Producer Suvi Koivisto and the Chair of the Board Jenni Rissanen, we got to experience the 20th anniversary of the festival and share the unique community it created, the enthusiasm of audiences, and the support of colleagues. ANTI is a one-of-a-kind concept – a gift that I am now passing on. I thank all the numerous partners and artists with whom I’ve had the honour to work with over the years,”

Johanna comments on her new opportunity.

The Board and team of the ANTI Association are undertaking a transition process and a period of rethinking and rearranging the organisation. Festival Manager Elisa Itkonen will be responsible of directing the festival until we will inform about the new staff arrangements. We will proudly continue to develop the festival towards a successful post-pandemic future.

The Association and the staff want to thank Johanna deeply. She has been a passionate, dynamic and dear boss and colleague for us. Good luck with the new challenges!

For more information, contact

Johanna Tuukkanen, johanna@antifestival.com, +358 50 305 2485

Elisa Itkonen, elisa@antifestival.com, +358 50 305 2005

Media release 20.9.2021

The 20th ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival ended yesterday in Kuopio, Finland. We celebrated the 20th ANTIversary between 14th and 19th September 2021, and audience members described the festival programme as one of the bests in live art internationally.

Live experiences attracted vastly after so many other events have been cancelled due to the pandemic. ANTI Festival’s performances were fully booked, and there were more booking requests than audience seats. We hosted exceptionally many visitor groups from different parts of Finland as well as international visitors.

Especially, the international Shortlist LIVE! programme and the site-specific A Great Mess inspired audiences. Also, Meet the Makers, a new series of discussion events aroused great interest. Nearly 400 people gathered to ANTI Prize Party to celebrate the 20-year-old ANTI Festival as well as the nominees and the winner of ANTI Festival International Prize for Live Art.

ANTI Festival reached one of the biggest audience records in its history; over 50 000 viewers in Kuopio when considering the programme in public spaces; Spectacle Academy exhibition in a public library, The Collectors – series of video works opened on 6th September and presented on several advertising screens around the city, and the Festival Info’s photo exhibition at the main square of the city. At the venues, we counted 13 000 active participants of the performances, workshops, and exhibitions.

In addition around 100 000 people across the world followed the festival events, images and videos in social media.

Thank you!

A big warm thank you to all our artists, audiences, staff members, volunteers and partners!

The next ANTI Festival will be organised between 13th and 18th September 2022.

For more information

Contact Festival Manager Elisa Itkonen, elisa@antifestival.com, +358 50 305 2005

Media release 18.9.2021

Alex Baczynski-Jenkins (Poland/UK) was announced as the 2021 winner of ANTI Festival International Prize for Live Art on Saturday 18th September. Baczynski-Jenkins was revealed as the 8th winner of the prestigious prize during the ANTI Prize Party in Kuopio, Finland.

The 2021 shortlist comprised of four celebrated artists from across the globe: keyon gaskin (United States), Florentina Holzinger (Austria), Narcissister (United States), and Baczynski-Jenkins.

The prize, at €30,000, is one of the richest in the arts. ANTI Festival International Prize for Live Art is the world’s only international prize dedicated to live art. The prize is funded by the Saastamoinen Foundation.

The phenomenal live works of the shortlisted artists were presented in the Shortlist LIVE! Programme, supported by The Kone Foundation, during the 2021 ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival.

In 2021, Curator and Counsellor of Culture Maria Lind (Sweden) worked as the Chair of Jury, and the other members of the jury were Professor Jennie Klein (United States), and Artist, Researcher Pilvi Porkola (Finland).

The jury considered the nominees’ work from the past few years through documentation – and experienced their recent works in the Shortlist LIVE! Programme together with other audiences.

The Jury states of the Winner:

”Alex Baczynski-Jenkins’ Tremble was mindful, gentle, and created a captivating non-judgmental space for how humans can relate to one another, in a shared space. The piece was modest in the best sense of the word. We really appreciate the variation in age, background, and training of the performers.

We chose Alex Baczynski-Jenkins as the recipient of this award because what was mentioned above, and also because of how his practice nurtures interdependence within and beyond performance – this is particularly urgent today.”

READ MORE

Alex Baczynski-Jenkins (PL/UK)

Artist and choreographer Alex Baczynski-Jenkins engages with queer affect, embodiment and relationality. Through gesture, collectivity, touch and sensuality, his practice unfolds structures and politics of desire. Relationality is present in the dialogical ways in which the work is developed and performed as well as in the materials and interdependent poetics it invokes.

He is co-founder of Kem, a Warsaw based queer feminist collective focused on choreography, performance and sound at the interface with social practice. Through various experimental formats and community building, Kem engages in critical intimacy and queer pleasure.

Alex Baczynski-Jenkins won a 15 000€ cash prize and in addition a production support of the same amount to bring a new piece to ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival 2022.

READ MORE

More information & Interview requests

Media photos: antifestival.com/en/news

Elisa Itkonen
elisa@antifestival.com
+358 50 305 2005