Artists are invited to apply for a residency in Oulu, Finland

7. November, 2025

CreArt Oulu and a non-profit organization Oulu Urban Culture are opening an open residency call for artists in the CreArt network as part of the art program production for the Frozen People festival. The goal of the residency open call is to invite artists to innovate and develop impressive installations for subarctic conditions, and create an art piece for the official art program of the Frozen People festival 2026. The residency will take place from January 28 to March 3, 2026.

Frozen People is a winter festival of electronic music and northern art in Oulu. The event is part of the Oulu2026 – European Capital of Culture program. Frozen People will be held outdoors on 28 February 2026, defying weather conditions by the frozen sea. The festival offers brutal and unique winter conditions for the world’s coldest dance party and art experiences.

Grant and conditions

  • Application deadline: December 12
  • Open to visual artists under 40 from the CreArt network
  • Artist fee of 2500 EUR/gross
  • Production cost of new artwork up to 1500 EUR/gross
  • Application materials: Work plan (max. 2 A4 pages) with concept and technical details; CV, portfolio, and passport copy required. The proposed outdoor work must be durable and safe in winter conditions.
  • Residency support: The program covers travel expenses between the artist’s hometown and Oulu, and provides a studio apartment in central Oulu along with a workspace in the artist community on Pikisaari Island.

For more information, please visit: creart2-eu.org