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 (Finnish Drama and Theatre Education Association), 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.
Programme on Wednesday 5 August 2026
12:00-15:00 INFO and Check-in
Theatre Academy, Haapaniemenkatu 6, Helsinki
Please get your batch at Theatre Academy
15:00-16:30 Researcher meeting
Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts, Porthaninkatu 15, Helsinki
17:00-18:30 Drama Journal meeting
Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts, Porthaninkatu 15
(note, only for the invited participants)
Programme on Thursday 6 August 2026
8:30-18:00 INFO and Check-in
Please get your batch at Theatre Academy’s Tori
8:30-9:00 Coffee
9:00-9:45 Opening of the Conference
Welcome words and practical information at Theatre Hall or Tori
10:00-12:00 SESSIONS 1-5
SESSION 1
Studio1, Max. 50 participants and pre-registration for both presentations
Moderator: Raisa Kilpeläinen
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Mari Kortelainen and Tero Kaunisvuo: The metamorphic movement and materiality in the context of interdisciplinary arts pedagogy
Performative lecture-demonstration, 60 min
Ruth Hol Mjanger, Stine Nielsen Ellinggard, Marianne Nødtvedt Knudsen and Mette Bøe Lyngstad: Nordic Release: Dramapodden
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 2
Studio2, Max. 18 participants and pre-registration
Moderator: Milla A. Martikainen
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Ann Karin Orset: How can participation in mask work develop expressive skills that foster democratic and socially sustainable societies?
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 3
Studio3
Moderator: Johanna Gullberg
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Pilvi Porkola: Four experiments in performance pedagogy on artist pedagogy and practice
Paper presentation, 30 min
Wenche Torrisen: Truth and reconciliation as part of the Cultural Schoolbag: An exploration of the school performance Fuck, fuck, fuck
Paper presentation, 30 min
Sonja Kessner: Dark Literacy
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 4
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Bekka Vik
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Teemu Mäki, Minna Koskenlahti and Marja Rautakorpi: Kuolemanharjoituksia/Training for Death Performative lecture-demonstartion, 60 min
TEACHERS ROLE:
Siri Ingul: Metamodern Oscillation: Responding to Generation Z’s Longing for Meaning Through Theatre Pedagogy
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 5
Auditorium 1
Modertator: Nina Maunu
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Erle Slagsvold and Ingrid Thorjussen: Playing our part – Embodying new perspectives or reproducing old patterns? Investigating friction between person and role, as PETE-students work with Forum Play Paper presentation, 30 min
Sharon Coyne: Theatre Pedagogy and Social Change. Theatre of the Lost and Found
Paper presentation, 30 min
Sanna Saarela, Tinja Sinivuori, Sanna Pennanen and Karoliina Salmi: Inclusive theatre: Building Accessible Practices with Disabled Performers
Paper presentation, 30 min
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13.00-14.30 SESSIONS 6-10
SESSION 6
Studio 1, Max. 50 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Minna Haapasalo
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Andrei Levent Atabay, Ioana Rufu and Varty Mihail: Sensitivity and Inner Mask through Commedia dell’Arte
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 7
Studio 2
Moderator: Milla A. Martikainen
RESEARCH:
Kristian Knudsen, Marianne Nødtvedt Knudsen, Remi André Slotterøy, Christer Fredriksen and Kjetil Kro Sørborg: Sounds of frictions – exploring transdisciplinary practices in upper-secondary arts-education in Norway
Paper presentation, 30 min
Mette Lyngstad and Silje Folkedal: What are the motivating factors in a process drama for young students
Paper presentation, 30 min
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Elin Thoresen and Linda Rios: The Theatre Wardeobe – Spatial Aesthetics and Fictional Framing in Childrens Dramatic Play
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 8
Studio 3
Moderator: Johanna Gullberg
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Riikka Talvitie: Collaborative Learning in Opera Creation
Paper presentation, 30 min
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Aase-Hilde Brekke: Children and Cultural Heritage
Paper presentation, 30 min
Heli Aaltonen and Pauliina Maapalo: Agential Forces and F(r)ictions in Performance-Based Arts for the Wellbeing of Seabirds
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 9
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Bekka Vik
TEACHER’S ROLE:
Heidi-Tuulia Eklund: What do teachers learn from drama? – Teachers’ professional growth and the development of pedagogical skills in drama and theatre education processes
Paper presentation, 30 min
Kari Strand: Join the book – series of process drama for elementary school
Paper presentation, 30 min
Laura Tikka: Inside Circus Arts Higher Education: Teachers’ Perspectives on Teaching Practices in an International Context
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 10
Auditorium 1
Moderator: Nina Maunu
RESEARCH / NPARN-Symposium:
Elsa Szatek and Nina Dahl-Tallgren:Epistemological f(r)ictions and potentials when striving towards a performative pedagogy
Paper presentation, 30 min
Rannveig Thorkelsdóttir: Performative Methods in Education: Theatre as a Pedagogical Space
Paper presentation, 30 min
14:30-15:00 Pause
15:00-16:00 SESSIONS 11-15
SESSION 11
Studio 1, Max. 25 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Sharon Coyne
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Kristian Knudsen: Moments of dissonace and Harmony – Developing performative practices across arts education in upper-secondary school
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 12
Studio 2, Max. 30 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Leonard Cruz
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Åsa Backéus: “When I was eight years old I left my home, never to return”
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 13
Studio 3
Moderator: Nina Maunu
RESEARCH:
Hannah Kaihovirta and Nina Dahl-Tallgren: Transformative Encounters: students becoming-with Performing Arts and Performative Pedagogy in Finnish Schools
Paper presentation, 30 min
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Remi Slotterøy: Towards a Performative Drama Educational Practice: Entangling Time, Space, Body and Text
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 14
Theatre Hall
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Andreea Jicman and Bogdana Adina Cretu: Theatre Education in Romania: a brief overview of the steps taken by UNATC over the last 10 years
Paper presentation, 30 min
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Mark O’Thomas: Forces and F(r)ictions in the Drama School: Pedagogical Ecologies and Institutional Tensions
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 15
Auditorium 1
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Carly Everaert and Mira Thompson: Interdependence: On Disability Justice and the (Performing) Arts, a Crip-Centered Collaborative Learning Practice
Lecture demonstration/workshare, 60 min
16:45–18:15 Reception (title will be updated later)
Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts, Porthaninkatu 15
Programme on Friday 7 August 2026
8:30-18:00 INFO
Theatre Academy, Haapaniemenkatu 6
9:00-10:00 Drama Journal meeting
Auditorio1
8:30-18:00 INFO
Theatre Academy, Haapaniemenkatu 6
9:00-10:00 Drama Journal meeting
Auditorio1
(the title will be updated later)
10:00-10:30 Coffee pause
10.30-11.30 SESSION 16
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Riku Saastamoinen
Keynote Nina Dahl-Tallgren: Forces and f(r)ictions of performative pedagogy: becoming-with performing Arts and curriculum and reconfiguration learning within compulsory education
11:30-12:00 Pause
12:00-13:00 SESSIONS 17-22
SESSION 17
Studio 1, Max. 60 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Sharon Coyne
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Joachim Reiss: Advocacy for drama and theatre in education: How to use UNESCO “Framework” for real implementation of drama/theatre in formal educatio
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 18
Studio 2, Max. 15 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Mari Kortelainen
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Halldóra Rósa Björnsdóttir, Jóna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, Rannveig Thorkelsdóttir and Berglind Maria Olafsdòttir: Gumpa and Haki Visit Uncle Stone
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 19
Studio 3, Max. 20 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Leonard Cruz
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Nina Maunu: Movement and improvisation in language learning (Moving grammar)
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 20
Theatre Hall, Max. 25 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Teemu Mäki
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Adam Cziboly: Mantle of the Expert meets Artificial Intelligence: exploring agency, creativity and ethics in AI literacy
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 21
Auditorium 1
Moderator: Raisa Kilpeläinen
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
You Lyu: Training the Intercultural Physical Body: Theatre Pedagogy from Workshop to Stage
Paper presentation, 30 min
Bekka Vik Erlandsen: Children’s Tragedies: Staging the Uncomfortable
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 22
Näkinpuisto or 525 room, Max. 20 participants, pre-registration
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Hanne Kusk, Charlotte Olling Rebsdorf and Bettina Herlov Möller: The Ribbon of Nature: Performative walking
Outside workshop, 60 min
13:00–14:30 Lunch
14:30-15.30 SESSION 23-28
SESSION 23
Studio 1, Max. 20 participants, pre-registration
Åsa Thalisson
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Stine Nielsen Ellinggard, Natalia Fuhry, Tanja Frank and Øystein Vestre: Drama and Theatre Pedagogy as Democratic Practice Across Borders: Friction, Community, and Performative Exploration
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 24
Studio 2
Moderator: Mari Kortelainen
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Viorel Cojanu, Radu Apostol and Mihaela Michailov: In Your Own Language: Integrated Theatre and the Creation of Democratic Cultural Spaces
Paper presentation, 30 min
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Elena Perez: Ripple Effects: Forces, Frictions, and Arts-Based Inquiry into Biodiversity Loss
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 25
Studio 3
Moderator: Leonard Cruz
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Linn-Terese Bern: From Rehearsal to Stage: Theatre Pedagogy as a Tool for Building Performance Competence
Paper presentation, 30 min
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Johanna Ilje-Lien: Inaccessible play transformations? On vulnerability in encounters with performing arts
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 26
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Teemu Mäki
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Nóra Varga: Puppetry – the performative arts’ gateway drug
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 27
Auditorium 1
Moderator: Sharon Coyne
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Tamara Pomoriški: Collective Dramaturgy in Devising Theatre: A Case Study of Youth
Performances Inspired by WWII Oral Histories
Paper presentation, 30 min
Kristina Johnstone and Lelia Bester: Theatre-making, speculative histories and rehearsing the future: The creative process of Automaton(tik) (2025)
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 28, Room 525, max. 60 participants
Moderator: Minna Koskenlahti
TEACHER’S ROLE:
Grant Frost: The Art of Assessment: Designing defensible drama assessments without sacrificing student creativity
Workshop, 60 min
15:30–16:00 Coffee Pause
16:00–17:00 SESSIONS 29-33
SESSION 29
Studio 1, Max. 25 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Åsa Thalisson
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Anna Lehtonen: Exploring more-than-human relations through forum play
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 30
Studio 2, Max. 18 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Anu Almagro
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Johanna Sofia Gullberg: Stranger Habits: An Architectural Play for Daring Learners
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 31
Studio 3, Max. 20 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Minna Haapasalo
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Leonard Cruz: Resonant Pathways: Embodying Liminal Space in Performance and Daily Life
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 32
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Minna Koskenlahti
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Katja Paakki: Amateur theatre teamwork card deck
Paper presentation, 30 min
Peter Sigurdson Lunga, Barbro Børli Løkken and Siri Skar: Drama for Historical Empathy: Exploring the forces and f(r)ictions of history and drama didactics
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 33
Auditorium 1
Moderator: Annemari Untamala
TEACHER’S ROLE:
Rannveig Thorkelsdóttir: Exploring the career paths of drama teachers in Iceland
Paper presentation, 30 min
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Hanna Pulkkinen and Sanna Saarela: Measuring the Societal Impact of Cultural Hobbies: Why Participating in Culture Matters
Paper presentation, 30 min
18.00–22.00 Friday Night outside in Villa Wuorio
Vuorilahdentie 5, Helsinki
Read more information about Villa Wuorio
Programme on Saturday 8 August 2026
10:00-15:00 INFO
Theatre Academy, Haapaniemenkatu 6
10:00-11:00 SESSION 34
Theatre Hall or Auditorium 1
Moderator
Keynote Katariina Numminen
11:00–11:30 Coffee pause
11:30–12:30 SESSIONS 35–40
SESSION 35
Studio 1, Max. 25 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Annemari Untamala
RESEARCH:
Marianne Nødtvedt Knudsen, Kjetil Kro Sørborg and Christer Fredriksen: On thin ice – exploring transdisciplinary practices in upper-secondary arts-education in Norway
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 36
Studio 2, Max. 30 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Ullariikka Koskela
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Evi Karydi: Stories in Action: Exploring Forces and Frictions Through Drama in the EFL classroom
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 37
Studio 3, Max. 30 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Irene Kajo
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Anu Koskinen: Entyrance exams and meanings of performing bodies – sharing viewpoints
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 38
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Minna Haapasalo
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Jona Jonsdottir and Rannveig Thorkelsdottir: The Young Audience: Theatre in Education as a transformative force in kindergarten
Paper presentation, 30 min
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Vibeke Preus: Standing in the Uncomfortable: Drama Pedagogy, Discomfort and Creative Wellbeing in Higher Education
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 39
Auditorium 1
Moderator:
RESEARCH:
Thomas Roed Heiden: Promoting young childrens agency through performative drama inquiries
Paper presentation, 30 min
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Åsa Thalinsson: Inclusive aesthetics: A reflection on affirmative theatre practices with (dis-)abeles actors Paper presentation, 30 min
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30–14:30 SESSIONS 40–44
SESSION 40
Studio 1, Max. 30 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Anu Almagro
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Olafur Gudmunsson: Questions as a Prompt for Character Creation in Playwriting and Screenwriting Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 41
Studio 2
Moderator: Ullariikka Koskela
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Ilona Krawczyk: Care-Driven Pedagogy in Actor Training: Facilitating Agency While Building Industry Resilience
Paper presentation, 30 min
Aleksandra Dunaeva: Embodied Borders: Theatre Pedagogy and Situated Bodies in Russian-Speaking Communities in Finland
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 42
Studio 3
Moderator: Riku Saastamoinen
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Åsa Helga Proppe Ragnarsdottir and Hakon Björnsson: You Mean a Woman Can Open It? Using Process Drama to Explore Gender Equality
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 43
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Irene Kajo
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Raisa Kilpeläinen and Milla Martikainen: Mapping the More Sustainable Performance Design and its Emerging Practices from Pedagogical Perspectives
Paper presentation, 30 min
Camilla Anderzén: Beyond the Fence: Shaping a Multispecies Performance Pedagogy Through Farm Work and Interspecies Encounters
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 44
Auditorium 1
RESEARCH:
Dominika Dudasova:The Institutionalization of Non-formal Education in a Repertory Theatre: A Case Study of the Jan Palarik Theatre in Trnava
Paper presentation, 30 min
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Monika Klimaitė-Daunienė: What does the director do in the shadows: designing the framework for coalitional creation
Paper presentation, 30 min
14:45–16:00 Conclusion and the closing of the conference
Theatre Hall or Tori
Registration and fees
General registration will be open on 5 May 2026 and closes on 26 July 2026.
Some of the workshops and events requires pre-registration. Let us know your choices when you register.
The fee must be paid at the same time as you complete your registration, it cannot be paid later. Remember to save your confirmation email which has a link to your registration and summary of your information and the list of the workshops that you have chosen. It includes also the official receipt of your registration payment.
If Uniarts Helsinki (e.g. degree programme or project) pays your registration fee, please add the unit or project number for your payment in the registration form. It is not possible to make a registration payment with a Uniarts Helsinki credit card. NOTE! If Uniarts Helsinki is not paying your registration fee, choose a different participant type in the registration form.
The conference fee includes light lunches and coffees on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and participation in all sessions: plenary and presentations, workshops and the evening program on Thursday and Friday.
Unfortunately, we cannot refund paid registration fees.
We try to solve the usability of different browsers when registering and paying. So far it seems that at least Edge and Firefox work well.
- Conference fee for participants and presenters: 250 €
- Conference fee (students with valid student ID): 125 €
- FIDEA members: 215 € (valid membership required)
- FIDEA students: 100 € (valid membership and student ID required)
- The conference registration paid by Uniarts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki presenters, staff or students including the invited participants)
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
- Hobo Hotel (Kluuvikatu 4, Helsinki): For accommodation we offer your event guests the booking code EVENTSHELSINKI, which participants can use to get a 20% discount on the daily flexible rate including breakfast when booking through our website. The promotional code is valid 5.-9.8.2026for all room categories, as long as rooms are available. Reservations with the booking code can be made on our website www.hobohotel.fi The cancellation of room booking made with the discount code is free of charge if done by three (3) days prior to arrival.
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.
Additional information
- 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 2 of March 2026.
Accepted presenters are asked to confirm their participation by 15 March 2026 (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 (Finnish Drama and Theatre Education Association), 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.
Programme on Wednesday 5 August 2026
12:00-15:00 INFO and Check-in
Theatre Academy, Haapaniemenkatu 6, Helsinki
Please get your batch at Theatre Academy
15:00-16:30 Researcher meeting
Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts, Porthaninkatu 15, Helsinki
17:00-18:30 Drama Journal meeting
Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts, Porthaninkatu 15
(note, only for the invited participants)
Programme on Thursday 6 August 2026
8:30-18:00 INFO and Check-in
Please get your batch at Theatre Academy’s Tori
8:30-9:00 Coffee
9:00-9:45 Opening of the Conference
Welcome words and practical information at Theatre Hall or Tori
10:00-12:00 SESSIONS 1-5
SESSION 1
Studio1, Max. 50 participants and pre-registration for both presentations
Moderator: Raisa Kilpeläinen
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Mari Kortelainen and Tero Kaunisvuo: The metamorphic movement and materiality in the context of interdisciplinary arts pedagogy
Performative lecture-demonstration, 60 min
Ruth Hol Mjanger, Stine Nielsen Ellinggard, Marianne Nødtvedt Knudsen and Mette Bøe Lyngstad: Nordic Release: Dramapodden
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 2
Studio2, Max. 18 participants and pre-registration
Moderator: Milla A. Martikainen
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Ann Karin Orset: How can participation in mask work develop expressive skills that foster democratic and socially sustainable societies?
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 3
Studio3
Moderator: Johanna Gullberg
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Pilvi Porkola: Four experiments in performance pedagogy on artist pedagogy and practice
Paper presentation, 30 min
Wenche Torrisen: Truth and reconciliation as part of the Cultural Schoolbag: An exploration of the school performance Fuck, fuck, fuck
Paper presentation, 30 min
Sonja Kessner: Dark Literacy
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 4
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Bekka Vik
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Teemu Mäki, Minna Koskenlahti and Marja Rautakorpi: Kuolemanharjoituksia/Training for Death Performative lecture-demonstartion, 60 min
TEACHERS ROLE:
Siri Ingul: Metamodern Oscillation: Responding to Generation Z’s Longing for Meaning Through Theatre Pedagogy
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 5
Auditorium 1
Modertator: Nina Maunu
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Erle Slagsvold and Ingrid Thorjussen: Playing our part – Embodying new perspectives or reproducing old patterns? Investigating friction between person and role, as PETE-students work with Forum Play Paper presentation, 30 min
Sharon Coyne: Theatre Pedagogy and Social Change. Theatre of the Lost and Found
Paper presentation, 30 min
Sanna Saarela, Tinja Sinivuori, Sanna Pennanen and Karoliina Salmi: Inclusive theatre: Building Accessible Practices with Disabled Performers
Paper presentation, 30 min
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13.00-14.30 SESSIONS 6-10
SESSION 6
Studio 1, Max. 50 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Minna Haapasalo
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Andrei Levent Atabay, Ioana Rufu and Varty Mihail: Sensitivity and Inner Mask through Commedia dell’Arte
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 7
Studio 2
Moderator: Milla A. Martikainen
RESEARCH:
Kristian Knudsen, Marianne Nødtvedt Knudsen, Remi André Slotterøy, Christer Fredriksen and Kjetil Kro Sørborg: Sounds of frictions – exploring transdisciplinary practices in upper-secondary arts-education in Norway
Paper presentation, 30 min
Mette Lyngstad and Silje Folkedal: What are the motivating factors in a process drama for young students
Paper presentation, 30 min
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Elin Thoresen and Linda Rios: The Theatre Wardeobe – Spatial Aesthetics and Fictional Framing in Childrens Dramatic Play
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 8
Studio 3
Moderator: Johanna Gullberg
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Riikka Talvitie: Collaborative Learning in Opera Creation
Paper presentation, 30 min
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Aase-Hilde Brekke: Children and Cultural Heritage
Paper presentation, 30 min
Heli Aaltonen and Pauliina Maapalo: Agential Forces and F(r)ictions in Performance-Based Arts for the Wellbeing of Seabirds
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 9
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Bekka Vik
TEACHER’S ROLE:
Heidi-Tuulia Eklund: What do teachers learn from drama? – Teachers’ professional growth and the development of pedagogical skills in drama and theatre education processes
Paper presentation, 30 min
Kari Strand: Join the book – series of process drama for elementary school
Paper presentation, 30 min
Laura Tikka: Inside Circus Arts Higher Education: Teachers’ Perspectives on Teaching Practices in an International Context
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 10
Auditorium 1
Moderator: Nina Maunu
RESEARCH / NPARN-Symposium:
Elsa Szatek and Nina Dahl-Tallgren:Epistemological f(r)ictions and potentials when striving towards a performative pedagogy
Paper presentation, 30 min
Rannveig Thorkelsdóttir: Performative Methods in Education: Theatre as a Pedagogical Space
Paper presentation, 30 min
14:30-15:00 Pause
15:00-16:00 SESSIONS 11-15
SESSION 11
Studio 1, Max. 25 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Sharon Coyne
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Kristian Knudsen: Moments of dissonace and Harmony – Developing performative practices across arts education in upper-secondary school
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 12
Studio 2, Max. 30 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Leonard Cruz
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Åsa Backéus: “When I was eight years old I left my home, never to return”
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 13
Studio 3
Moderator: Nina Maunu
RESEARCH:
Hannah Kaihovirta and Nina Dahl-Tallgren: Transformative Encounters: students becoming-with Performing Arts and Performative Pedagogy in Finnish Schools
Paper presentation, 30 min
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Remi Slotterøy: Towards a Performative Drama Educational Practice: Entangling Time, Space, Body and Text
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 14
Theatre Hall
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Andreea Jicman and Bogdana Adina Cretu: Theatre Education in Romania: a brief overview of the steps taken by UNATC over the last 10 years
Paper presentation, 30 min
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Mark O’Thomas: Forces and F(r)ictions in the Drama School: Pedagogical Ecologies and Institutional Tensions
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 15
Auditorium 1
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Carly Everaert and Mira Thompson: Interdependence: On Disability Justice and the (Performing) Arts, a Crip-Centered Collaborative Learning Practice
Lecture demonstration/workshare, 60 min
16:45–18:15 Reception (title will be updated later)
Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts, Porthaninkatu 15
Programme on Friday 7 August 2026
8:30-18:00 INFO
Theatre Academy, Haapaniemenkatu 6
9:00-10:00 Drama Journal meeting
Auditorio1
8:30-18:00 INFO
Theatre Academy, Haapaniemenkatu 6
9:00-10:00 Drama Journal meeting
Auditorio1
(the title will be updated later)
10:00-10:30 Coffee pause
10.30-11.30 SESSION 16
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Riku Saastamoinen
Keynote Nina Dahl-Tallgren: Forces and f(r)ictions of performative pedagogy: becoming-with performing Arts and curriculum and reconfiguration learning within compulsory education
11:30-12:00 Pause
12:00-13:00 SESSIONS 17-22
SESSION 17
Studio 1, Max. 60 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Sharon Coyne
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Joachim Reiss: Advocacy for drama and theatre in education: How to use UNESCO “Framework” for real implementation of drama/theatre in formal educatio
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 18
Studio 2, Max. 15 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Mari Kortelainen
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Halldóra Rósa Björnsdóttir, Jóna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, Rannveig Thorkelsdóttir and Berglind Maria Olafsdòttir: Gumpa and Haki Visit Uncle Stone
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 19
Studio 3, Max. 20 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Leonard Cruz
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Nina Maunu: Movement and improvisation in language learning (Moving grammar)
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 20
Theatre Hall, Max. 25 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Teemu Mäki
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Adam Cziboly: Mantle of the Expert meets Artificial Intelligence: exploring agency, creativity and ethics in AI literacy
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 21
Auditorium 1
Moderator: Raisa Kilpeläinen
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
You Lyu: Training the Intercultural Physical Body: Theatre Pedagogy from Workshop to Stage
Paper presentation, 30 min
Bekka Vik Erlandsen: Children’s Tragedies: Staging the Uncomfortable
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 22
Näkinpuisto or 525 room, Max. 20 participants, pre-registration
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Hanne Kusk, Charlotte Olling Rebsdorf and Bettina Herlov Möller: The Ribbon of Nature: Performative walking
Outside workshop, 60 min
13:00–14:30 Lunch
14:30-15.30 SESSION 23-28
SESSION 23
Studio 1, Max. 20 participants, pre-registration
Åsa Thalisson
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Stine Nielsen Ellinggard, Natalia Fuhry, Tanja Frank and Øystein Vestre: Drama and Theatre Pedagogy as Democratic Practice Across Borders: Friction, Community, and Performative Exploration
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 24
Studio 2
Moderator: Mari Kortelainen
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Viorel Cojanu, Radu Apostol and Mihaela Michailov: In Your Own Language: Integrated Theatre and the Creation of Democratic Cultural Spaces
Paper presentation, 30 min
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Elena Perez: Ripple Effects: Forces, Frictions, and Arts-Based Inquiry into Biodiversity Loss
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 25
Studio 3
Moderator: Leonard Cruz
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Linn-Terese Bern: From Rehearsal to Stage: Theatre Pedagogy as a Tool for Building Performance Competence
Paper presentation, 30 min
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Johanna Ilje-Lien: Inaccessible play transformations? On vulnerability in encounters with performing arts
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 26
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Teemu Mäki
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Nóra Varga: Puppetry – the performative arts’ gateway drug
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 27
Auditorium 1
Moderator: Sharon Coyne
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Tamara Pomoriški: Collective Dramaturgy in Devising Theatre: A Case Study of Youth
Performances Inspired by WWII Oral Histories
Paper presentation, 30 min
Kristina Johnstone and Lelia Bester: Theatre-making, speculative histories and rehearsing the future: The creative process of Automaton(tik) (2025)
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 28, Room 525, max. 60 participants
Moderator: Minna Koskenlahti
TEACHER’S ROLE:
Grant Frost: The Art of Assessment: Designing defensible drama assessments without sacrificing student creativity
Workshop, 60 min
15:30–16:00 Coffee Pause
16:00–17:00 SESSIONS 29-33
SESSION 29
Studio 1, Max. 25 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Åsa Thalisson
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Anna Lehtonen: Exploring more-than-human relations through forum play
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 30
Studio 2, Max. 18 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Anu Almagro
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Johanna Sofia Gullberg: Stranger Habits: An Architectural Play for Daring Learners
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 31
Studio 3, Max. 20 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Minna Haapasalo
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Leonard Cruz: Resonant Pathways: Embodying Liminal Space in Performance and Daily Life
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 32
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Minna Koskenlahti
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Katja Paakki: Amateur theatre teamwork card deck
Paper presentation, 30 min
Peter Sigurdson Lunga, Barbro Børli Løkken and Siri Skar: Drama for Historical Empathy: Exploring the forces and f(r)ictions of history and drama didactics
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 33
Auditorium 1
Moderator: Annemari Untamala
TEACHER’S ROLE:
Rannveig Thorkelsdóttir: Exploring the career paths of drama teachers in Iceland
Paper presentation, 30 min
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Hanna Pulkkinen and Sanna Saarela: Measuring the Societal Impact of Cultural Hobbies: Why Participating in Culture Matters
Paper presentation, 30 min
18.00–22.00 Friday Night outside in Villa Wuorio
Vuorilahdentie 5, Helsinki
Read more information about Villa Wuorio
Programme on Saturday 8 August 2026
10:00-15:00 INFO
Theatre Academy, Haapaniemenkatu 6
10:00-11:00 SESSION 34
Theatre Hall or Auditorium 1
Moderator
Keynote Katariina Numminen
11:00–11:30 Coffee pause
11:30–12:30 SESSIONS 35–40
SESSION 35
Studio 1, Max. 25 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Annemari Untamala
RESEARCH:
Marianne Nødtvedt Knudsen, Kjetil Kro Sørborg and Christer Fredriksen: On thin ice – exploring transdisciplinary practices in upper-secondary arts-education in Norway
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 36
Studio 2, Max. 30 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Ullariikka Koskela
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Evi Karydi: Stories in Action: Exploring Forces and Frictions Through Drama in the EFL classroom
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 37
Studio 3, Max. 30 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Irene Kajo
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Anu Koskinen: Entyrance exams and meanings of performing bodies – sharing viewpoints
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 38
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Minna Haapasalo
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Jona Jonsdottir and Rannveig Thorkelsdottir: The Young Audience: Theatre in Education as a transformative force in kindergarten
Paper presentation, 30 min
DRAMA AS A LEARNING METHOD:
Vibeke Preus: Standing in the Uncomfortable: Drama Pedagogy, Discomfort and Creative Wellbeing in Higher Education
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 39
Auditorium 1
Moderator:
RESEARCH:
Thomas Roed Heiden: Promoting young childrens agency through performative drama inquiries
Paper presentation, 30 min
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
Åsa Thalinsson: Inclusive aesthetics: A reflection on affirmative theatre practices with (dis-)abeles actors Paper presentation, 30 min
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30–14:30 SESSIONS 40–44
SESSION 40
Studio 1, Max. 30 participants, pre-registration
Moderator: Anu Almagro
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Olafur Gudmunsson: Questions as a Prompt for Character Creation in Playwriting and Screenwriting Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 41
Studio 2
Moderator: Ullariikka Koskela
AGENCIES AND EMPOWERMENT:
Ilona Krawczyk: Care-Driven Pedagogy in Actor Training: Facilitating Agency While Building Industry Resilience
Paper presentation, 30 min
Aleksandra Dunaeva: Embodied Borders: Theatre Pedagogy and Situated Bodies in Russian-Speaking Communities in Finland
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 42
Studio 3
Moderator: Riku Saastamoinen
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Åsa Helga Proppe Ragnarsdottir and Hakon Björnsson: You Mean a Woman Can Open It? Using Process Drama to Explore Gender Equality
Workshop, 60 min
SESSION 43
Theatre Hall
Moderator: Irene Kajo
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:
Raisa Kilpeläinen and Milla Martikainen: Mapping the More Sustainable Performance Design and its Emerging Practices from Pedagogical Perspectives
Paper presentation, 30 min
Camilla Anderzén: Beyond the Fence: Shaping a Multispecies Performance Pedagogy Through Farm Work and Interspecies Encounters
Paper presentation, 30 min
SESSION 44
Auditorium 1
RESEARCH:
Dominika Dudasova:The Institutionalization of Non-formal Education in a Repertory Theatre: A Case Study of the Jan Palarik Theatre in Trnava
Paper presentation, 30 min
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES:
Monika Klimaitė-Daunienė: What does the director do in the shadows: designing the framework for coalitional creation
Paper presentation, 30 min
14:45–16:00 Conclusion and the closing of the conference
Theatre Hall or Tori
Registration and fees
General registration will be open on 5 May 2026 and closes on 26 July 2026.
Some of the workshops and events requires pre-registration. Let us know your choices when you register.
The fee must be paid at the same time as you complete your registration, it cannot be paid later. Remember to save your confirmation email which has a link to your registration and summary of your information and the list of the workshops that you have chosen. It includes also the official receipt of your registration payment.
If Uniarts Helsinki (e.g. degree programme or project) pays your registration fee, please add the unit or project number for your payment in the registration form. It is not possible to make a registration payment with a Uniarts Helsinki credit card. NOTE! If Uniarts Helsinki is not paying your registration fee, choose a different participant type in the registration form.
The conference fee includes light lunches and coffees on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and participation in all sessions: plenary and presentations, workshops and the evening program on Thursday and Friday.
Unfortunately, we cannot refund paid registration fees.
We try to solve the usability of different browsers when registering and paying. So far it seems that at least Edge and Firefox work well.
- Conference fee for participants and presenters: 250 €
- Conference fee (students with valid student ID): 125 €
- FIDEA members: 215 € (valid membership required)
- FIDEA students: 100 € (valid membership and student ID required)
- The conference registration paid by Uniarts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki presenters, staff or students including the invited participants)
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
- Hobo Hotel (Kluuvikatu 4, Helsinki): For accommodation we offer your event guests the booking code EVENTSHELSINKI, which participants can use to get a 20% discount on the daily flexible rate including breakfast when booking through our website. The promotional code is valid 5.-9.8.2026for all room categories, as long as rooms are available. Reservations with the booking code can be made on our website www.hobohotel.fi The cancellation of room booking made with the discount code is free of charge if done by three (3) days prior to arrival.
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.
Additional information
- 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 2 of March 2026.
Accepted presenters are asked to confirm their participation by 15 March 2026 (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