Organizer Information
Arteles Creative Center is an artist-founded residency organization established in 2010 in Hämeenkyrö, Finland, roughly 43 km from Tampere. It is run by Arteles, a non-profit organization, and has grown into one of the largest and most international residency centers in Scandinavia, having hosted over 1,200 artists and creative professionals from more than 57 countries across its programs. The center sits in a rural landscape that received the European Union Landscape Award in 2009, and its facilities include two residency buildings with private bedrooms, working studios, a wood-burning sauna, and surrounding forest and lake terrain. Arteles organizes thematic residency programs aimed at artists, writers, researchers, and creative professionals across disciplines, with an emphasis on process and inquiry over finished outcomes.
Title & Description
Neo Future: Shifting into New Realities
Neo Future is a two-week thematic residency for people investigating what may emerge beyond the familiar — artificial intelligence, expanded consciousness, human transformation, singularity, future societies, and realities not yet named. The program brings together imagination, inquiry, and experimentation across art, science, design, technology, philosophy, and unconventional forms of knowledge. It is described as process-focused rather than outcome-driven, creating space for participants to question present assumptions, follow emerging ideas, and develop perspectives that may not yet fit established categories.
Theme
Neo Future: Shifting into New Realities — a residency for creative and interdisciplinary research into AI, expanded consciousness, human transformation, singularity, future societies, and realities not yet named.
Categories
- Residency
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Multiple Disciplines
- AI
- Technology
- Research
- Design
- Architecture
- Writing
Eligibility
- Open to artists, designers, writers, researchers, technologists, visionaries, innovators, and makers, as well as scientists, philosophers, psychologists, and other future-oriented professionals
- Especially welcomes applicants whose work engages with AI, consciousness, systems, speculative futures, psychedelic research, design, science fiction, innovation, human development, post-humanism, or post-singularity thinking, whether working independently or across fields
- Minimum age is 23; younger adult applicants may be considered if their practice, experience, and perspective are especially well aligned with the program's theme
- A university degree (minimum BA) is required, though exceptions may be made for individuals with relevant experience
- Applications are individual; duos must submit separate applications and mention one another in the extra notes
- Children are not permitted in the residency
- Pets are not permitted in the residency
- Not recommended for individuals coping with severe trauma, addictions, or serious mental disorders, due to the nature of activities such as meditation and the absence of distractions
- Use of psychedelics is illegal in Finland and cannot be part of the program, though the program supports individuals working in or interested in psychedelic research as a field
Program Benefits & Awards
- Studio spaces and creative facilities
- Creative tools and equipment
- Access to a curated library collection
- Placement in a curated, multidisciplinary group setting with other residents
- Daily meditation schedule in the meditation hall (voluntary)
- Group meetings and events (voluntary)
- Promotion through Arteles' online network
- A project page in the Arteles Catalogue
- On-site staff support for practicalities
- Private bedroom, including towels and bedlinen, with a working desk
- Fully equipped kitchen and laundry facilities
- WiFi in all spaces
- Traditional Finnish wood-burning sauna
- Meditation/yoga mats, cushions, and benches
- Use of two residency cars (automatic gears) for getting around the region
- Pick-up service for arrivals and departures
- Orientation and introduction to the facilities and surroundings
Application Fee
None. The residency states there is no application fee; a separate, non-refundable registration fee of €120 per person applies only upon selection (see Additional Details for the full program fee structure).
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 3 September 2026
- Program Period: 3–18 December 2026 (2 weeks)
Location
Arteles Creative Center, Hämeenkyrö, Finland
Additional Details
- Selection emphasizes the applicant's motivation, ideas, approach, and alignment with the program's theme.
- Program fees (payable only upon selection): Financially Supported fee €1,050/person (limited availability, for applicants who would otherwise be unable to participate); Regular fee €1,450/person; Contributor fee (optional) €1,850/person, including a voluntary contribution supporting financially supported residencies; Supporter fee (optional) €2,250/person, including a larger voluntary contribution supporting the residency's long-term development.
- All fee tiers include the €120/person registration fee, which is non-refundable and due only if selected.
- All participants are accommodated in a private bedroom regardless of fee tier.
- Weather during the residency period is described as variable: short daylight hours, long periods of twilight and darkness, and typically cold conditions, with snow, frost, and ice possible but not guaranteed.