Open call for Fair Sculpture residency programme
The residency programme offers two alumni of Uniarts Helsinki's Academy of Fine Arts the opportunity to work as visual artists in a school environment in autumn 2026.
Two residency positions are available:
- 2 months at Aurinkokivi School in Vantaa
- 2 months at Porolahti Comprehensive School in Helsinki.
Both residency periods will take place from October 1 to November 30, 2026. The residencies include funding.
- Application period opens: April 8, 2026.
- Application deadline: April 30, 2026 at 23:59.
Who can apply?
The residency is open for Uniarts Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts alumni currently based in Finland. To be eligible to apply, the applicant needs to be an alum when the residency starts.
What is included in the residency?
In addition to being provided a free working space, the artist is paid a monthly salary (€2,200/month) and a material grant (€500). A work contract is made with Uniarts Helsinki.
How to apply?
Application
PInterested applicants are asked to write a free-form application and send it by email to Frank Brümmel at:
frank.brummel@uniarts.fi.
Applications may be written in Finnish or English. Deadline: April 30, 2026 at 23:59 EET.
The application must include:
- First and last name
- Year of graduation from Uniarts Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts
- Contact information
- Answers to the following questions:
- What are you working with in your artwork? What would you like to focus on during your Fair Sculpture residency?
- What excites you about holding an art residency in a school?
- In which language(s) do you feel comfortable expressing yourself?
- Which of the two residency schools are you primarily applying to?
As the residency will take place at a school with children under the age of 18, after being selected, the applicant is required to present a criminal records extract to the headmaster of the school. The extract is required for all people working with children. Read how an extract from criminal records is obtained.
Process timeline
- Application period: Wednesday, April 8, 2026 – Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 23:59
- Interviews with the top candidates: Monday, May 11, 9:30–13:00 (in Teams)
- Selection results will be announced the following week
- Residencies will take place October–November 2026.
The jury consists of Andy Best, Aura Kotkavirta and Frank Brümmel.
What is the Fair Sculpture residency programme?
Fair Sculpture is an inter-generational and multidisciplinary artistic community project. As a part of the project, artists are selected for a residency where they will carry out their professional practice within a school environment.
The project aims to empower children and young people. The focus is on young people who do not normally have the opportunity to meet professional artists and participate in different kinds of cultural events. Furthermore, the project aims to give participating artists the opportunity to create and work in a vivid learning environment.
Willingness to share one’s artistic practices and experiences as a professional artist with students in the school setting – directly and indirectly – is appreciated. The selected artists should be aware of the experimental format of this project.
In Spring 2026, the project features the Sotunki Middle School. The selected artist will be provided with their own private work studio at the school.
The studio can be accessed during and outside of school hours, but not 24/7. As part of the residency, the artist will hold an open studio one afternoon each week. Other types of collaboration and exchange can be agreed upon between the artist and the school at the start of the residency. Use of other technical facilities, such as workshops, is possible upon agreement and the needs of the selected artist.
During the residency, the artist is expected to use the provided studio as their principle working space and be present regularly at the school. The idea is for the artist to be present in the school environment in the role of a professional artist. They are encouraged to organise workshops, artist talks, or other kinds of events as well. The exact nature of the collaboration will depend on the artist and their practice. The artist will commit to meet with the Fair Sculpture team, Sotunki School and Vantaa city culture representatives during the residency.
At the end of the residency, the artist will be asked to write a report and provide documentation on their work during the school residency. In addition, a short video interview is planned, in which the artist will talk about their experiences. The artist will also be invited to give feedback on the residency format and suggestions for its future development.