Open call launched in a joint project of three festivals

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