The Ukraine Solidarity Residencies Programme was started in March 2022 by a group of independent art organisations who joined together to pool resources and share information. Ukraine Solidarity Residencies offer residencies and accommodation for Ukrainian and Ukraine-based artists and art professionals that have been affected by the war in Ukraine. The aspirations of the collaboration are to promote solidarity by establishing sustainable support networks and finding the means for Ukrainian artists to continue their practices.

The current partners of the programme are:

AARK, Art Centre Salmela, Fairres, Goethe-Institut Finnland, HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme, Nelimarkka Museum, The Finnish Artists’ Studio Foundation, The Finnish Darkroom Association, The Finnish Illustration Association Kuvittajat, and Värtsilä Artist Residency.

The project has been supported by the Kone Foundation, Nordic Culture Point, Frame Finland.  The continuation of the programme for 2024 is possible due to the support the Ministry of Education and Goethe-Institut Finnland.

More on the Residency Programme, Residency Requests, and upcoming Events…

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE CURRENT COLLABORATORS

HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme is an international artist residency organisation which was established in 1998. The HIAP residency programme offers time and space for artists and curators to develope new work in dialogue with the local art scene. The goal is to support experimental, cross-disciplinary art practices and to actively contribute to topical debates within and around the context of art. Since 2019 HIAP is also responsible for managing the Villa Eläintarha artist residency which focuses on short term production residencies.

Pro Artibus Foundation is an expert organisation for contemporary art. The foundation seeks to promote the development of Finnish-Swedish culture and art in Finland. The foundation engages in wide-ranging informational and educational work on visual art through exhibitions, publications, public occasions, collaborative projects and other art events. The foundation operates throughout Swedish-speaking Finland, with three centres: Vaasa, Ekenäs (Tammisaari) and Helsinki. The old power plant in Ekenäs houses an office and exhibition spaces, along with a conservator’s studio. In Ekenäs Pro Artibus also runs an artist’s residence, Snäcksund, with two separate residency venues: The Villa and The Croft.

AARK (Archipelago Art Residency in Korpo) is artist-run residency maintained by a small family team since 2015. The residency is open for art professionals from all disciplines for whom the archipelago nature and the surrounding seaside could be an interesting area to contemplate or a theme to work on. The unique archipelago nature, with the nearby Archipelago National Park and biosphere area is a special aspect of the residency. AARK encourages dialogue between the national and international visiting artists, local people and the environment.

Goethe-Institut is the cultural institute of Germany with a global reach. One of its main missions is to support and encourage international cultural exchange, as encounter and dialogue are fundamental for free and discursive societies. Our projects bring artistic, scientific, social and daily practices and thoughts together, that reflect the diversity of cultures in our societies. We search to give visibility to silenced knowledge, challenge hegemonic narratives and consider other possible perspectives when shaping and communicating our programme. We most value collaborative and joint work in our team and with committed partners.

Fairres is an Eco Art Residency for musicians and creative professionals. Fairres was established in 2021 by Finnish musician Pi Viana, who also helps to connect musicians with the local music scene. Fairres aims to support art in a sustainable way and uses only nontoxic materials as well as offering artists an ecological, inspiring environment and a space to develop new ideas or continue work in process.

Nelimarkka Museum in Alajärvi, built by Eero Nelimarkka and designed by his friend, architect Hilding Ekelund, was opened in 1964. The Nelimarkka Museum operates as the museum of regional responsibility in art in the province of Southern Ostrobothnia. The Museum hosts a variety of exhibitions, events and residencies.

Värtsilä Artist Residency was founded in response to the war in Ukraine. It is located in North Karelia, Finland. The residency hosts artists who are displaced due to the war. The residency is supported by Tohmajärvi Municipality and is run by artist Karoliina Arvilommi.

The Finnish Artists’ Studio Foundation was founded in 1990 by the The Artists Association of Finland (AAF). The purpose of the Foundation is to secure and offer reasonably rated working facilities and studio apartments for visual artists and to otherwise take part in enhancing thier working conditions.

The Finnish Illustration Association is a non-profit organisation for illustrators. We promote illustration in various fields and support illustrators in their profession.

Art Centre Salmela is the largest visual arts festival in Finland, holds its annual summer exhibition in a collection of historic buildings in Mäntyharju, Finland. Outside the summer season, some of the buildings house a residency program for young visual artists, musicians, and writers. With the continued support of the municipality of Mäntyharju, Salmela has hosted well over 200 artists since the residency program started in 1993. Typically, 4-8 artists participate in the residency each year.

The Ministry of Education and Culture is one of the twelve ministries that together with the ministers heading them form the Finnish Government. The Ministry of Education and Culture participates in the work of the Government by planning, outlining and implementing its policies.  The Ministry prepares acts, decrees and decisions, and it is also responsible for the preparation of matters related to the use of budget funds. The Ministry is responsible for ensuring that the political decision-makers have all the necessary information at their disposal when making decisions.

 

Residencies and Collaborators 2023:

AARK, Connecting Points programme, Fairres, Frame, Goethe-Institut Finnland, HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme, Kristinestad Art Residency, Nelimarkka Museum, Pro Artibus, Tahmelan Huvila, The Finnish Artists’ Studio Foundation, The Finnish Illustration Association – Kuvittajat, The Finnish Darkroom Association, Värtsilä Artist Residency, Funding provided by Nordic Culture Point, Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and the Kone Foundation 

Residencies and Collaborators 2022:

AARK, Connecting Points programme, Fairres, Frame, Goethe-Institut Finnland, HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme, Loviisa Art Support Association, Nelimarkka Museum, Pro Artibus, The Finnish Artists’ Studio Foundation, The Finnish Illustration Association – Kuvittajat, Värtsilä Artist Residency and Saari Residency maintained by Kone Foundation