Below you’ll find open calls for Artist-in-Residence programmes
Life on a Leaf
Published: 15.04.2026 — Due date: 17.05.2026OPEN CALL FOR LIFE ON A LEAF RESIDENCY 2027
The application for residencies at Life on a Leaf in 2027 is now open. The 2-4 month residences are intended for Finnish or international artists or researchers whose work focuses on urban space or environments. The fields of art are not limited. Possible areas of research include, for example, art research, architecture, urban planning, urban studies, cultural studies, etc. The residence is intended for self-directed work. The residence offers one artist or researcher (or a couple) at a time the opportunity to live and focus on artistic or scientific work in a unique and inspiring environment.
For artists, the residence is mainly suitable for planning creative work and working on a computer. There is a room in the house that can be used for drawing and planning, but not for painting, sculpting or building.
You can apply for 2-4 month long residency periods. The rent is €630 / month (including electricity and internet) + a monthly water fee of 20 € per person. A deposit of 100 €/residency month is required three months prior to the residency. If the resident cancels after this, the fee will not be returned. If the residency happens accordning to plan, the fee will be calculated as part of the rent. More info about the residency here.
About the house
The residence, a leaf-shaped house named Life on a Leaf, is a total work of art designed by Jan-Erik Andersson together with architect Erkki Pitkäranta. The house, polemicising the relationship between architecture and art, was part of Andersson’s doctoral thesis at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki. The house and its structures contain tens of works of art by Finnish and foreign artists, all commissioned in 2009 when the house was built.
The 147 m2 Life on a Leaf building is located in Hirvensalo, about 6 kilometers from the centre of Turku. It is located on a spacious plot that borders a natural forest. The house shares a yard with another house (Kuusi-o) designed by Jan-Erik Andersson and Erkki Pitkäranta, which is the current home of Andersson and Marjo Malin. The Life on a Leaf building has good public transport and bicycle connections from central Turku.
The house is used for meetings and events also during residencies. The residents will be informed about upcoming events in advance.
The application form is open 15.4-17.5.2026. The application is done through the application form on Life on a Leaf’s website. Please read the application requirements of the residency carefully before filling in the application form.
The residency does not include economic support for the artist’s or the researcher’s work. You can apply in English, Swedish or Finnish. Please read our house rules and rental agreement before applying. You can find both on our webiste. Questions: leaf@lifeonaleaf.fi
Villa Kivi Writers’ Residency
Published: 11.06.2025 — Due date: —The application for Villa Kivi Writers’ Residency 2026!
Writers and members of the literary community can apply for the residency.
To apply, you must have a work plan for a literary project for the duration of the residency period.
Villa Kivi residency is located in a unique villa area in the Linnunlaulu district in the centre of Helsinki, Finland.
There are two residency rooms, Aleksis and Eino, named after the Finnish national writer Aleksis Kivi (as is the entire building complex) and Eino Leino, most beloved Finnish poet.
Aleksis (13.5 m2) accommodates 1-2 persons. There is a view to the Töölönlahti Bay. Residency period for Aleksis is one month, from the first day until the last day of each calendar month. The Residency fee is 990 €
Eino (9,5 m2) accommodates one person. Residency period for Eino is two weeks, beginning and ending on every second Wednesday. The Residency fee is 550 €.
You can fill in the application form in English, Finnish or Swedish.
The applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. Information about the decision will be emailed to the applicants within one month from the reception of the application.
Although the residency rooms have been found safe for stay, applicants with asthma or respiratory problems are not encouraged to apply due to issues, that we are working on, in other parts of the building.
More information:
Kivi-talo säätiö – stiftelsen Villa Kivi – Villa Kivi Foundation
Iiris Haapala, residenssi@villakivi.com
Greta ja William Lehtinen Foundation – Artists Residence
Published: 08.04.2021 — Due date: —Greta ja William Lehtinen Foundation – Artists Residence in Helsinki is currently accepting applications for 2021–2022.
The residence provides a unique living opportunity in the center of Helsinki. It is located in a historic 1906 Jugend ( Northern Art Nouveau) building where many famous artists had their ateliers. The building is located on Luotsikatu in the Katajanokka area, walking distance to the main market square and downtown. It is also easily accessible by transit.
The residence is 138 m3, has three private bedrooms, a large common area kitchen, dining and living room. It has been fully renovated and furnished.
The residency period varies from three to nine months. Long term residencies offer opportunities for deeper cultural exchanges and provide a creative atmosphere for one’s own artistic concentration.
To qualify for residency, applicants must have a Bachelors degree or Diploma from an accredited art school in the fields of Design, Visual Arts, Music and Architecture.
There is a monthly fee for the accommodations. Residents are responsible for their own travel arrangements as well as their living costs during their stay.
Application form and more information: https://gretajawilliamlehtinen.fi/en/artists-residence/
Tohmajärvi Artist Residence
Published: — — Due date: —APPLICATION FOR THE NEW YEAR-ROUND ARTIST RESIDENCY AND SUMMER RESIDENCY 2025 IS OPEN UNTIL 31.10!
WELCOME TO TOHMAJÄRVI!
Tohmajärvi’s cultural department is looking for artists to work in two different artist residencies in the municipality. Do you need a quiet practice and composition space, a bath in the cradle of the Finnish language in the footsteps of Maiju Lassila, or workspaces to prepare your work?
TOHMAJÄRVI KAMMARI
The Tohmajärvi Kammari is part of the museum area, the end apartment of the Nyman house. It is located in the center of Tohmajärvi municipality at Kirkkotie 14, 82600 Tohmajärvi. The artist has the entire apartment of the two-story wooden house at his disposal. Downstairs there is a kitchen, living room and toilet and shower. Upstairs is a bedroom (beds for two + mattress). The artist can use the facilities of Opistotalo Kipinä or Cultural Center Ahjo by prior arrangement during free periods.
Living in the residency is subject to a fee: €550/month. Reservation fee €100. Cancellation is possible 2 months before arrival, when the reservation fee will be refunded. You can apply for a working period for the year 2025. State your wishes for two different months, longer working periods are also available.
SUMMER RESIDENCY
The school building in Kipinä is the old Kemie School, which is used by the Tohmajärvi Kansanopisto (Folk High School) and the Central Karelia music school in the winter. It is located in the center of Tohmajärvi municipality at Kirkkotie 16, 82600 Tohmajärvi. The artists have their own bedroom, work space and shared bathroom and kitchen. There is also a piano in the house. The premises are soundproofed.
Living in the residency is free of charge for the artist. In exchange for the residency time, you can leave some kind of mark on Tohmajärvi: organize a workshop, an artist meeting or presentation, a performance, or donate a work, for example.
You can apply for working period for June (June 1-30) and July 2025 (July 1-31). You can also apply for the entire summer season from 1 June to 31 July 2025. Two artists/groups of artists from different fields are selected to work in the summer residency at the same time. In total, four artists work in the house during the summer.
If you apply as an artist group / couple / working couple, state in your application whether you are applying for two or one place. Also mention if you would like to use the entire building or if it would be possible to accept one residency place, in which case you will have one room and work space at your disposal.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Send your application as a single PDF file by 31 October 2024 by email to tohmajarvenresidenssi@gmail.com. In your PDF application, include your cv, work photos or work samples and your work plan for the residency period. Also add your up-to-date contact information (e-mail, phone number and address). Selections will be announced in November 2024.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESIDENCE
You can find more information and pictures about the residency at www.tohmajarvi.fi/taiteilijaresidenssi and www.artinres.fi/residenssit/. Contact: tohmajarvenresidenssi@gmail.com.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TOHMAJÄRVI
www.tohmajarvi.fi
https://visittohmajarvi.fi www.tohmajarviseura.fi