Ptarmigan is no longer operating in Helsinki.

 

Who we are looking for:

     Ptarmigan is a multi-faceted platform for arts and cultural projects with an emphasis on participatory work. In Helsinki, our former space was the home for many workshops, talks, performances and concerts, and we currently organise events in different locations throughout the city.  Our newly-opened Tallinn location seeks to build connections with our audience in Finland while welcoming international ideas that fit with our existing projects.

    Our residency programme seeks creative practitioners (artists, cultural producers, teachers, and anything else) who are interested in experimenting in the Helsinki and/or Tallinn environments.  We have an emphasis on work that engages directly with the public, usually event-based, and often educational in nature.  Aesthetically we are driven by the margins of culture, and we explicitly look to find a home for things  that don't fit anywhere else.  Ptarmigan residents have ideas that are outward-reaching and we welcome experimental methods, without pressure to produce quantifiable outcomes.  Proposals that seek to participate with some of our recurring programming and existing projects/partners (such as Clip Kino, the Public School Helsinki, Labyrinths and Rings, Svamp, Pixelache, and other workshops) are favoured. 

 

Who is eligible:

    Applicants for the Helsinki residency must be residents of a non-Finnish country in the Nordic or Baltic region.  Applicants for Tallinn cannot be residents of Finland OR Estonia.  The Nordic and Baltic countries eligible are: the Åland Islands, Denmark, Estonia (for Helsinki residency only), Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. 

 

Practicals and specifics:

     Residents will receive support for travel costs and be provided with accommodation and a working space.  There is a monthly stipend to cover living costs and materials.  Residents must spend at least 85% of their stay in Helsinki/Tallinn to receive the stipend.  Ptarmigan's all-volunteer staff will do their best to help realise the resident's project, which includes organising any events that are integral to their work.  Residents are also asked (but not required) to give a presentation of their work at one of the regular monthly 'Labyrinths and Rings' artist talk events.

 

Regarding the Helsinki residency:

    Because Ptarmigan does not have a physical space any longer in Helsinki, this year's residencies are going to be a bit unusual.  We'll adapt the situation to the specific proposals and provide what we can; but instead of thinking that we are a "residency centre without a centre", we see our community as the centre.  As always, we're most interested in proposals that don't fit inside the typical confines of art production.  With our focus on participatory projects, we are most excited by work that engages with the public and creates events and interactions, and in Helsinki this will be more of a necessity.  If you are unsure about how your proposal might fit, feel free to contact us at info@ptarmigan.fi.

 

How to apply:

    Applicants must fill out the all-purpose Ptarmigan proposal form.  Please choose either "Helsinki residency" or "Tallinn residency" for the question 'Does your proposal fit into one of our existing projects?'  We are not accepting applications by post.

   

Deadlines:

    We review proposals as we receive them, making this a fairly open, rolling proposal period.  So don't delay!  Absolute deadlines for the Helsinki residencies are:

        - Helsinki Sept-Oct: deadline 1 August

        - Helsinki Nov-Dec:  deadline 1 October

 

More information:

    Our websites have information about the various activities that have occured over Ptarmigan's existence.  Please check out our event archive, projects pages, and artists pages to get a sense of what occurs.  For any other questions, please feel free to contact us.