News Saari Residence 01.03.2019 Call for applications: Saari Residence 2020 Share: The Saari Residence, maintained by Helsinki-based Kone Foundation, is an international residence located in Mynämäki, Southwest Finland. It offers an excellent opportunity for artists of all disciplines and nationalities to focus undisturbed on creative work in the scenic surroundings of a rural manor house, as well the chance to interact and socialise with other residents. The annual application period for residencies taking place in 2020 is now open and ends 29 March, 2019 at 4 p.m. Finnish time (Eastern European summer time, GMT +3). The Saari Residence offers: A grant. An individual residency spanning two months includes accommodation, a workroom and a monthly grant, the sum of which is determined by the applicant’s experience (€2,400 / €2,800 / €3,500 per month). The purpose of the grant is to cover the cost of living, travel costs and other expenses. Groups can apply for support to cover their living and travel expenses for a work period of one to four weeks. Accommodation. The Saari Residence apartments have a kitchen or kitchenette with basic amenities, and one of the buildings has a shared kitchen. Each resident has an apartment to themselves, including an en suite shower and toilet. Groups stay in more compact accommodations and often share apartments. Working space. The barn at the Saari Residence has been renovated as a diverse workspace for various artistic practices. The building contains a dance studio, three studios for visual artists, a sewing machine and a woodworking shop. The rooms for literary work are located in the apartments. The residence does not have a darkroom, media room or equipment for printing, pottery, graphics or textile work (apart from the sewing machine). One may apply for a residency for the planning stage of their work. Groups working at the residence during summer months may also work in the unheated outbuildings. Residents will not have to share workspace with others. A peaceful working environment. The Saari Residence is located in a tranquil rural setting surrounded by nature, situated on the shore of Mietoistenlahti, 30 km north of Turku. The diverse workspaces and peaceful countryside surroundings provide a productive setting for focusing on one’s work. The Saari Residence is not intended, for example, for networking within the field of art or for hosting exhibitions or performances. No exhibition or performance is required at the end of the residency period. The opportunity to meet other artists. Spring, autumn and winter are reserved for individual artists working in two-month periods, while the summer (May to August) is reserved for intensive group work. During the spring and autumn, typically eight residency guests are in attendance at a time (spanning four different residency periods), and during the summer all premises are reserved for groups. The Saari Invited Artist also works at the residence from September until the end of April. The Saari Residence’s Community Artist works at the residence throughout the year. Who can apply? The residency spots are intended for individual professional artists, fiction writers, poets, novelists, translators, curators and critics, and artistic collectives (work groups or established organizations with a business ID) of all disciplines and all nationalities for the purpose of carrying out a project proposal presented in advance. Residencies are available by application for artistic work. Priority is given to multidisciplinary, and innovative focuses and fields of art. Application guidelines Please read our guidelines on how to apply on our website. Applicants are required to fill in an electronic application form on our online grant service. Please note that we do not accept applications by email or other means outside the online service. The applicants’ ability to successfully implement the project will be assessed on the basis of the work plan, CV (or CVs), portfolio and certificates submitted with the application. More information Enquiries about the Saari Residence: Executive Director Leena Kela, leena.kela@koneensaatio.fi, tel. +358 40 732 3628 Enquiries about the application process: Project Coordinator Maija Karasvaara, maija.karasvaara@koneensaatio.fi, tel. +358 9 260 0617 Residency Coordinator Pirre Naukkarinen, pirre.naukkarinen@koneensaatio.fi, tel. +358 44 031 4201 (absent until 20 March) Please do not hesitate to spread the word about this opportunity.