Organizer Information
Arteles Creative Center is an artist-founded, non-profit residency organization established in 2010 in Hämeenkyrö, Finland, roughly 43 km from Tampere. It has grown into one of the largest and most international residency centers in Scandinavia, having hosted more than 1,200 artists and creative professionals from over 57 countries across its programs, welcoming more than 140 selected participants per year. The center sits in a rural landscape that received the European Union Landscape Award in 2009, with facilities that include two residency buildings offering private bedrooms and working studios, a traditional wood-burning sauna, and surrounding forest and lake terrain. Arteles organizes thematic, transdisciplinary residency programs aimed at artists, writers, researchers, and creative professionals across disciplines, with a stated emphasis on process and inquiry over finished outcomes.
Title & Description
Way Beyond — Transdisciplinary Residency Program
Way Beyond is a one-month (29-day) transdisciplinary residency program at Arteles Creative Center in Finland, bringing together creative minds and professionals from art, design, science, mysticism, philosophy, psychology, future innovation, and psychedelic research. The program is designed for curious, questioning, open-minded individuals interested in expanding our understanding of reality, perception, and how we experience it — exploring metaphysical, psychological, mystical, or quantum-molecular dimensions of the mind, matter, and the unknown. Participants share their perspectives and are inspired by fellow deep thinkers and explorers of the unknown. The program structure is supportive yet open and flexible: participants can focus intensively on their own topics of interest, aim at on-site collaborations, or combine both, with the emphasis on personal creative process and development and no outcome expectations or pressure to produce finalized work.
Theme
Way Beyond — expanding beyond mind, matter, and meaning; exploring cosmology, consciousness, the nature of the mind, and the unknown through metaphysical, psychological, mystical, or quantum-molecular lenses.
Categories
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Research
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Multiple Disciplines
- Residency
Eligibility
- Minimum age 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; exceptions may be made for individuals with relevant experience
- Only individual applicants accepted (duos must send two separate applications and mention the other applicant in the "extra notes")
- Children are not permitted in the residency
- Pets are not permitted, for health and shared-living-environment reasons
- The program may not be suitable 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
- Applicants engaged with or interested in psychedelic research are welcome, but the use of psychedelics is illegal in Finland and cannot be part of the program
- Open to artists, writers, creatives, philosophers, scientists, researchers, psychologists, visionary thinkers, innovators, mystics, and other explorers of the unknown, across fields including Philosophy, Metaphysics, Cosmology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychedelic Research, Psychology, Neuroscience, Meditation, Mysticism, Spirituality, Future Studies, Posthumanism, Data Sciences, Artificial Intelligence, and Post-Singularity
Program Benefits
- Private bedroom, including towels and bedlinen, with a large working desk
- Studio spaces and facilities with 24/7 access
- Creative tools and equipment
- Curated library collection
- Curated multidisciplinary group setting
- Daily meditation schedule in the meditation hall (voluntary, morning and evening sessions, non-guided)
- Weekly group meetings and events (voluntary)
- Promotion through Arteles' online network
- Project page in the Arteles Catalogue
- On-site staff to assist with practicalities
- Fully equipped kitchen and laundry facilities
- Wifi in all spaces
- Traditional Finnish wood-burning sauna (built in 1961)
- Meditation hall with yoga mats, cushions, and benches
- Two residency cars (automatic gears) for getting around the region
- Rowing boat on the nearby lake
- Bicycles
- Pick-up service for arrivals and departures
- Orientation and introduction to the facilities and surroundings
Application Fee
None. A separate, non-refundable registration fee of €120 per person applies only if/when selected (included within the program fee options below).
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 29 October 2026
- Program Period (April): 2–30 April 2027
- Program Period (May): 3–31 May 2027
Location
Arteles Creative Center, Hämeenkyrö, Finland
Additional Details
- Program fees (all include the €120 non-refundable registration fee, paid only if selected): Regular fee €1,950/person; Financially supported fee €1,350/person (limited availability, intended for applicants who would otherwise be unable to participate); Contributor fee (optional) €2,610/person, including a voluntary contribution supporting financially supported residencies; Supporter fee (optional) €3,150/person, including a more substantial voluntary contribution supporting access, continuity, and long-term program development
- All participants are accommodated in a private bedroom
- Late arrivals/early departures are allowed within the duration of a program period
- Residency period options: April (2–30 April 2027) or May (3–31 May 2027)
- Contact for questions: info@arteles.org