Organizer Information
STPLN is a Sweden-based innovation and production hub located in Malmö, working at the intersection of art, technology, urban development, and social innovation. The organization functions as a platform for experimental cultural production, supporting practitioners who engage with participatory methods, interdisciplinary collaboration, and public-space interventions. STPLN is known for hosting residencies, workshops, and collaborative development programs that emphasize process-based creation and community engagement rather than purely object-based artistic outcomes.
The opportunity is developed in collaboration with the ALF Network (Artists’ Laboratory Foundation Swedish network member), a transnational platform that supports artistic research and experimental practices across Europe. Together, these organizations frame the residency within a broader Nordic and European context of socially engaged art, emphasizing experimentation in public space and collective authorship.
Title & Description
OPEN CALL — THE PARTICIPATORY STAGE
This 6-week international residency invites artists and cultural practitioners to critically explore what happens when theatre moves out of conventional venues and into shared urban environments. The core question guiding the program is: What if theatre moved outdoors — and the audience became the actors?
Taking place in Malmö during summer 2026, the residency focuses on participatory theatre, spatial storytelling, and co-created public interventions. Selected participants will work collectively to design and produce temporary performative structures, interventions, and experiences that activate public space as a site of encounter, dialogue, and shared imagination.
The program emphasizes process-oriented creation rather than finalized artistic products. Participants will collaborate across disciplines—including performing arts, architecture, scenography, urban design, and socially engaged practices—to develop experimental formats that invite direct public participation. A key aspect of the residency is the integration of local audiences not as spectators but as active contributors in the creation of artistic situations.
Work will be based at Kommendanthuset and its surrounding public green areas. The site functions as both a production space and a testing ground for temporary spatial interventions. Through methods such as co-creation, prototyping, and reuse of materials, participants will develop flexible structures and performative frameworks that may continue to function as informal gathering spaces beyond the residency period.
The residency aims to expand how artistic practice can shape public interaction, social space, and collective storytelling in contemporary urban contexts.
Categories
- Performing Arts / Participatory Theatre
- Scenography
- Architecture & Spatial Design
- Urban Design
- Social Practice / Community Art
- Public Art / Site-Specific Work
- Interdisciplinary Contemporary Art
Eligibility
- Open to international applicants
- Suitable for artists, designers, architects, performers, and cultural practitioners
- Strong focus on interdisciplinary and collaborative practices
- Applicants should have experience or strong interest in participatory methodologies, co-creation, or socially engaged art
- Emerging and mid-career practitioners are welcome
- No explicit age restrictions stated
- Applicants must be able to participate in the full residency period in Malmö
Program Benefits & Awards
- 6-week fully immersive residency program in Malmö
- Accommodation provided for the duration of the residency
- Access to studio space and production facilities at STPLN
- Curatorial and artistic mentorship
- Integration into STPLN’s creative and professional network
- Access to local collaborators and community audiences
- Production support for developing participatory works and spatial interventions
- Opportunity to publicly present experimental works in urban public spaces
- Materials support (including emphasis on reuse and prototyping approaches)
The residency does not specify monetary prizes but provides in-kind support focused on production, development, and artistic research.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Completed application form
- Artistic CV or professional biography
- Portfolio or documentation of previous work (especially participatory or interdisciplinary projects)
- Motivation statement outlining interest in participatory theatre and public space
- Examples of relevant projects (visual, textual, or audiovisual documentation accepted)
- Conceptual interest or preliminary ideas for the residency (optional but recommended)
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 7 June 2026
- Residency Period: 1 July – 14 August 2026
Location
Malmö, Sweden
Additional Details
This residency is explicitly process-driven and emphasizes experimentation over finalized artistic outputs. Participants are expected to actively collaborate, share methodologies, and engage with local communities as co-creators rather than audiences.
A central methodological focus is the transformation of public space into a dynamic performative environment, where artistic interventions function as temporary infrastructures for gathering, play, and collective imagination.
The use of reused and found materials is encouraged, reinforcing sustainability and adaptability in spatial design. The residency prioritizes socially engaged approaches and encourages risk-taking in both form and method.