Drama Boreale 2026
Drama Boreale is a triennial conference on drama and theatre pedagogy. The 2026 conference’s theme will be “Forces and F(r)ictions.”
Since 1994, Nordic agents in the field of drama and theatre pedagogy have taken turns organising the summer conference Drama Boreale every three years. The conference consists of presentations, workshops and combinations of these held by professionals.
The conference is aimed at creators, teachers, artists and researchers. We welcome colleagues from a wide scale of different education levels.
The Drama Boreale 2026 conference will be organised by Uniarts Helsinki’s Theatre Academy in cooperation with FIDEA, Arts Academy of Turku University of Applied Sciences, the City of Helsinki Education Division and Laajasalo Institute.
Vision statement
The 2026 conference’s theme will be “Forces and F(r)ictions.”
Forces
Drama and theatre pedagogy has educational force and prowess. Being seen, collaborating with others, belonging to a community and engaging in invigorating interaction are basic human rights. Drama and theatre pedagogy promotes the participant’s functional capacity, both in the arts and in other areas of life, and it has major social significance. It also creates space for aesthetic experiences and the ability to see and do things differently. Artistic activities support a dynamic relationship with the world.
F(r)ictions
The position of drama and theatre pedagogy as part of the education system is diverse and multifaceted. During the conference, we view our artistic field mainly through the lens of its ability to reinforce the power of community. We welcome all forms of performing arts to join us to represent as many kinds of operational contexts as possible. We will get to together and share our views and practices that bring the relevance of artistic activities into sharp focus. We will also reflect on experiences of friction-filled processes, risk-taking and failures.
Diversity is a resource that also challenges the development of structures. The multi-voiced network of drama and theatre pedagogues promotes the social status of theatre and the self-understanding of the field.
Invited keynotes
The conference will feature two keynote speeches by experts in the fields of performing arts and arts education.
Nina Dahl-Tallgren
Nina Dahl-Tallgren is a Finland-based researcher, educator and lecturer in pedagogy with a focus on performative learning, arts-based education and creative learning processes. She holds a PhD in Education and currently works as a postdoctoral researcher and university teacher, primarily within teacher education and arts education contexts. She is originally trained as a theatre teacher and has a professional background as an actor and theatre pedagogue.
Alongside her academic work, Dahl-Tallgren has extensive experience in developing theatre pedagogical practices and audience development within Swedish-speaking institutional theatres in Finland. This professional background strongly informs her research interest in performative pedagogy, embodied and aesthetic learning processes, and the role of arts and creativity in educational settings. She is particularly interested in how performing arts can function as pedagogical tools that support participation, meaning-making and professional development for educators.
She has been actively involved in interdisciplinary research and development projects, including the SMIL project, where educators, artists and researchers collaborate to explore the integration of performing arts in school and pre-school education. Alongside her research, she teaches pedagogy, creative learning methods and performative approaches to teaching, and regularly contributes to academic and professional discussions on arts education in the Nordic context.
Katariina Numminen
Katariina Numminen is a Helsinki based performance maker, dramaturg and playwright. She is currently completing artistic research doctoral project Unfinishing Dramaturgy in the University of Arts Helsinki. Numminen’s performance-making and playwriting has ranged from autofictional works to documentary performances and to radical reworkings of dramatical texts. She also occasionally works as a dramaturg for other makers artistic processes.
Her current artistic interests include: dreams, grief, bodies; live composition & interruptions; psychoanalysis and dramaturgy; embodiment and gesture in relation to dramaturgy and writing; found texts. In addition to her artistic work, she works as a pedagogue, teaching dramaturgy, dramatic & creative writing and contemporary performance practices. She was professor of dramaturgy in University of Arts, Helsinki 2014-2019. She has written about dramaturgy, and has co-edited two books.
Registration and fees
General registration will be open on 2 May 2026 and closes on 26 June 2026.
- Conference fee for participants and presenters: 250 €
- Concession fee (students with valid student ID): 125 €
- FIDEA members: 215 € (valid membership required)
- FIDEA students: 100 € (valid membership required)
Practical information
Venue
- Uniarts Helsinki’s Sörnäinen campus, comprises two buildings: the Kookos building and the Mylly (“The Mill”) building.
Accommodation
Discounted rates are available for attendees at:
- Scandic Hotels‘ reservations can be easily made through the following link: BOOK WITH SCANDIC
More accommodation options:
Transport
- From Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the most efficient way to reach the city centre is by commuter train (I or P lines), arriving at Helsinki Central Station in ~30 minutes. Tickets for ABC zones are available via the HSL mobile app or you can also pay by the debit/credit card. Just select the zones and tap your debit/credit card on the reader. The ticket will be stored on your card, and you are ready to board.
- Taxis cost ~40€ and take 20–30 minutes.
- Helsinki’s public transport includes buses, metro, commuter trains, city bikes, and ferries. Download the HSL app for route planning, real-time updates, and ticket purchases. Read more: HSL
- The Suomenlinna ferry operates year-round between Market Square and Suomenlinna Fortress.
Additionalinformation
- Check the weather forecast via the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
- Currency: Euro (EUR); major credit cards widely accepted.
- ATMs (e.g. OTTO) and currency exchange (e.g. Forex, Tavex) are readily available.
- Emergency number: 112 (police, ambulance, fire).
- Official languages: Finnish and Swedish; bilingual signage is standard.
- Pharmacies are marked with the sign “Apteekki”.
- Tap water is safe to drink.
- Time zone: Eastern European Time (EET), GMT +2.
- Free public Wi-Fi is available; Eduroam access for academic visitors.
- Helsinki Tourist Information is located at Aleksanterinkatu 24.
Safer spaces for all
We encourage academic discussion but also ask everyone to keep their comments constructive and respectful, which contributes to a positive, encouraging and safer atmosphere at Uniarts Helsinki.
Call for papers: deadline 30 December 2025
We welcome all forms of performing arts consisting of presentations, workshops and combinations of these to join us to represent as many kinds of operational contexts as possible. We will get together and share our views and practices that bring the relevance of artistic activities and research into sharp focus. We will also reflect on experiences of friction-filled processes, risk-taking and failures.
The deadline for submissions is December 30, 2025.
Themes and questions
DB invite presentation proposals that relate to or engage with one of the conference themes and questions:
- Theatre Pedagogy in the Process of Creating a Performance
- Performance Processes in Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
- Agencies in Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
- Theatre Pedagogy and Social Change
- Emerging Practices in Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
- Collaborative Learning in Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
- Drama and Theatre Pedagogy as a Source of Empowerment
- The Advocacy of Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
Proposal time frames
Paper presentations: 30 minutes, including a 10-minute discussion.
Workshops (workshares, lecture-performances/demonstrations, multimodal presentations, panels): 60 minutes
Technical opportunities for the presentations
We welcome creative presentations for all formats, but please be mindful of the conference theme and that there is limited technical support available. Spaces have basic AV (screen and sound).
Please note that we do not offer light or sound design for your presentation or any production services. Do consider that there is very limited time for the technical set up during the programme breaks. Please let us know in your submission what your technical wishes are, so that we can allocate our resources in the best way possible. We may also contact you before making our final decision. We cannot support spatially or technically demanding performances.
Spaces available
There are Studios 1, 2 and 3, Theatre Hall, Auditorium 1 and several rehearsal rooms at the Theatre Academy reserved for the conference:
- Studio 1
- Studio 2
- Studio 3
- Theatre Hall
- Auditorium 1
- Rehearsal rooms 525, 526, 531 and 534 (black box)
We will locate your presentation in the most suitable space.
How to submit a proposal
Those interested should send a 300-word abstract and a short (max 150-word) biography (of each participating contributor in case of a joint submission) by 30 December 2025 at 23:59 (SET). Please note that we will include the accepted abstracts to our websites.
The submission should outline the title of the presentation, name (s) of the contributor (s), indicate the format and time frame, and your wishes of the space and equipment for the presentation. Presentations can be submitted by individuals or groups. Please, also indicate if you have any access needs.
Access needs
While the conference can host a limited number of presentations, the conference committee appreciates inclusivity in its evaluation by offering a quota of free registration for participants. Therefore, you are requested to present a short account in your application on Webropol form.
Acceptance notice
Applicants will be informed of their acceptance by email by the end of February 2026.
Accepted presenters are asked to confirm their participation by 15 March2026 (EET, Europe-Helsinki, UTC +2).
Contact details
Please don’t hesitate to be in contact if you have any queries: draama.boreale@uniarts.fi
Drama Boreale Conference Committee
- Riku Saastamoinen (Chair)
- Irene Kajo
- Annemari Untamala
- Ullariikka Koskela
- Minna Haapasalo
- Riitta Pasanen-Willberg (Practical Management)
- Johanna Rauhaniemi (Coordinator)
In Cooperation
Since 1994, Nordic agents in the field of drama and theatre pedagogy have taken turns organising the summer conference Drama Boreale every three years. The conference consists of presentations, workshops and combinations of these held by professionals.
The conference is aimed at creators, teachers, artists and researchers. We welcome colleagues from a wide scale of different education levels.
The Drama Boreale 2026 conference will be organised by Uniarts Helsinki’s Theatre Academy in cooperation with FIDEA, Arts Academy of Turku University of Applied Sciences, the City of Helsinki Education Division and Laajasalo Institute.
Vision statement
The 2026 conference’s theme will be “Forces and F(r)ictions.”
Forces
Drama and theatre pedagogy has educational force and prowess. Being seen, collaborating with others, belonging to a community and engaging in invigorating interaction are basic human rights. Drama and theatre pedagogy promotes the participant’s functional capacity, both in the arts and in other areas of life, and it has major social significance. It also creates space for aesthetic experiences and the ability to see and do things differently. Artistic activities support a dynamic relationship with the world.
F(r)ictions
The position of drama and theatre pedagogy as part of the education system is diverse and multifaceted. During the conference, we view our artistic field mainly through the lens of its ability to reinforce the power of community. We welcome all forms of performing arts to join us to represent as many kinds of operational contexts as possible. We will get to together and share our views and practices that bring the relevance of artistic activities into sharp focus. We will also reflect on experiences of friction-filled processes, risk-taking and failures.
Diversity is a resource that also challenges the development of structures. The multi-voiced network of drama and theatre pedagogues promotes the social status of theatre and the self-understanding of the field.
Invited keynotes
The conference will feature two keynote speeches by experts in the fields of performing arts and arts education.
Nina Dahl-Tallgren
Nina Dahl-Tallgren is a Finland-based researcher, educator and lecturer in pedagogy with a focus on performative learning, arts-based education and creative learning processes. She holds a PhD in Education and currently works as a postdoctoral researcher and university teacher, primarily within teacher education and arts education contexts. She is originally trained as a theatre teacher and has a professional background as an actor and theatre pedagogue.
Alongside her academic work, Dahl-Tallgren has extensive experience in developing theatre pedagogical practices and audience development within Swedish-speaking institutional theatres in Finland. This professional background strongly informs her research interest in performative pedagogy, embodied and aesthetic learning processes, and the role of arts and creativity in educational settings. She is particularly interested in how performing arts can function as pedagogical tools that support participation, meaning-making and professional development for educators.
She has been actively involved in interdisciplinary research and development projects, including the SMIL project, where educators, artists and researchers collaborate to explore the integration of performing arts in school and pre-school education. Alongside her research, she teaches pedagogy, creative learning methods and performative approaches to teaching, and regularly contributes to academic and professional discussions on arts education in the Nordic context.
Katariina Numminen
Katariina Numminen is a Helsinki based performance maker, dramaturg and playwright. She is currently completing artistic research doctoral project Unfinishing Dramaturgy in the University of Arts Helsinki. Numminen’s performance-making and playwriting has ranged from autofictional works to documentary performances and to radical reworkings of dramatical texts. She also occasionally works as a dramaturg for other makers artistic processes.
Her current artistic interests include: dreams, grief, bodies; live composition & interruptions; psychoanalysis and dramaturgy; embodiment and gesture in relation to dramaturgy and writing; found texts. In addition to her artistic work, she works as a pedagogue, teaching dramaturgy, dramatic & creative writing and contemporary performance practices. She was professor of dramaturgy in University of Arts, Helsinki 2014-2019. She has written about dramaturgy, and has co-edited two books.
Registration and fees
General registration will be open on 2 May 2026 and closes on 26 June 2026.
- Conference fee for participants and presenters: 250 €
- Concession fee (students with valid student ID): 125 €
- FIDEA members: 215 € (valid membership required)
- FIDEA students: 100 € (valid membership required)
Practical information
Venue
- Uniarts Helsinki’s Sörnäinen campus, comprises two buildings: the Kookos building and the Mylly (“The Mill”) building.
Accommodation
Discounted rates are available for attendees at:
- Scandic Hotels‘ reservations can be easily made through the following link: BOOK WITH SCANDIC
More accommodation options:
Transport
- From Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the most efficient way to reach the city centre is by commuter train (I or P lines), arriving at Helsinki Central Station in ~30 minutes. Tickets for ABC zones are available via the HSL mobile app or you can also pay by the debit/credit card. Just select the zones and tap your debit/credit card on the reader. The ticket will be stored on your card, and you are ready to board.
- Taxis cost ~40€ and take 20–30 minutes.
- Helsinki’s public transport includes buses, metro, commuter trains, city bikes, and ferries. Download the HSL app for route planning, real-time updates, and ticket purchases. Read more: HSL
- The Suomenlinna ferry operates year-round between Market Square and Suomenlinna Fortress.
Additionalinformation
- Check the weather forecast via the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
- Currency: Euro (EUR); major credit cards widely accepted.
- ATMs (e.g. OTTO) and currency exchange (e.g. Forex, Tavex) are readily available.
- Emergency number: 112 (police, ambulance, fire).
- Official languages: Finnish and Swedish; bilingual signage is standard.
- Pharmacies are marked with the sign “Apteekki”.
- Tap water is safe to drink.
- Time zone: Eastern European Time (EET), GMT +2.
- Free public Wi-Fi is available; Eduroam access for academic visitors.
- Helsinki Tourist Information is located at Aleksanterinkatu 24.
Safer spaces for all
We encourage academic discussion but also ask everyone to keep their comments constructive and respectful, which contributes to a positive, encouraging and safer atmosphere at Uniarts Helsinki.
Call for papers: deadline 30 December 2025
We welcome all forms of performing arts consisting of presentations, workshops and combinations of these to join us to represent as many kinds of operational contexts as possible. We will get together and share our views and practices that bring the relevance of artistic activities and research into sharp focus. We will also reflect on experiences of friction-filled processes, risk-taking and failures.
The deadline for submissions is December 30, 2025.
Themes and questions
DB invite presentation proposals that relate to or engage with one of the conference themes and questions:
- Theatre Pedagogy in the Process of Creating a Performance
- Performance Processes in Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
- Agencies in Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
- Theatre Pedagogy and Social Change
- Emerging Practices in Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
- Collaborative Learning in Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
- Drama and Theatre Pedagogy as a Source of Empowerment
- The Advocacy of Drama and Theatre Pedagogy
Proposal time frames
Paper presentations: 30 minutes, including a 10-minute discussion.
Workshops (workshares, lecture-performances/demonstrations, multimodal presentations, panels): 60 minutes
Technical opportunities for the presentations
We welcome creative presentations for all formats, but please be mindful of the conference theme and that there is limited technical support available. Spaces have basic AV (screen and sound).
Please note that we do not offer light or sound design for your presentation or any production services. Do consider that there is very limited time for the technical set up during the programme breaks. Please let us know in your submission what your technical wishes are, so that we can allocate our resources in the best way possible. We may also contact you before making our final decision. We cannot support spatially or technically demanding performances.
Spaces available
There are Studios 1, 2 and 3, Theatre Hall, Auditorium 1 and several rehearsal rooms at the Theatre Academy reserved for the conference:
- Studio 1
- Studio 2
- Studio 3
- Theatre Hall
- Auditorium 1
- Rehearsal rooms 525, 526, 531 and 534 (black box)
We will locate your presentation in the most suitable space.
How to submit a proposal
Those interested should send a 300-word abstract and a short (max 150-word) biography (of each participating contributor in case of a joint submission) by 30 December 2025 at 23:59 (SET). Please note that we will include the accepted abstracts to our websites.
The submission should outline the title of the presentation, name (s) of the contributor (s), indicate the format and time frame, and your wishes of the space and equipment for the presentation. Presentations can be submitted by individuals or groups. Please, also indicate if you have any access needs.
Access needs
While the conference can host a limited number of presentations, the conference committee appreciates inclusivity in its evaluation by offering a quota of free registration for participants. Therefore, you are requested to present a short account in your application on Webropol form.
Acceptance notice
Applicants will be informed of their acceptance by email by the end of February 2026.
Accepted presenters are asked to confirm their participation by 15 March2026 (EET, Europe-Helsinki, UTC +2).
Contact details
Please don’t hesitate to be in contact if you have any queries: draama.boreale@uniarts.fi
Drama Boreale Conference Committee
- Riku Saastamoinen (Chair)
- Irene Kajo
- Annemari Untamala
- Ullariikka Koskela
- Minna Haapasalo
- Riitta Pasanen-Willberg (Practical Management)
- Johanna Rauhaniemi (Coordinator)
In Cooperation