The House of Text in Helsinki, Finland is hosting the working residency programme Text Laboratory for writers and other artists working with text. The aim of the project is to test and find new ways to bring text-based works and practices into contact with audiences and develop ways of sharing and inhabiting textual spaces together. The third and last Text Lab takes place between 29 December 2025 and 1 February 2026.
The project is looking for six writers or other artists with different backgrounds (disciplines, age, cultural background) who are interested in thinking about the possibilities of text culture, sharing their thinking and practices, and working together with other project participants. The group will be supported by two facilitators: Author Klaus Maunuksela and Curator and Project Coordinator Heidi Backström. Other art professionals will also be giving workshops during the residency period.
The working language of the project is English, but each participant can use their language of choice for their own texts/art works.
The ideas, demos, try-outs, and pieces of art created in the laboratory will find their audience as part of the Text festival in the last week of the residency. The individual works could take the form of, for example, a performance (duration of 1 to 45 minutes), workshop, installation or talk.
The selected artists are asked to commit to working together throughout the residency period, and two pre-residency days remotely (on 8 and 9 December 2025). There will be set times for working together and individually.
The project is able to cover travel and accommodation costs for a maximum of three participants from outside of Helsinki. The accommodation will be provided at Villa KiviLinkki. There will be 2,000 EUR compensation per person.
