The main focus of Platform has been to present and produce contemporary art in Vaasa with emphasis on site specific art, community art, or art projects that have some local connection. Since an important part of Platform's activities are creating local interaction it gradually made sense to emphasize the residency program. It turned out that the projects and exhibitions made on site by artists who stayed a longer period in Vaasa seemed to work better – in the sense that they got more local attention and usually also were more interesting to us.

In recognition of a milestone year (2000–2010) of creating an open cultural platform for artist residencies, international networks, cultural interventions and contemporary art events, Platform responds to past experiences by initiating a theme “To have / To own” for future activity orientation.

In order to react on the present cultural situation, in which it is recognized that art as well as other cultural areas during the last years has gone through significant social, cultural, economic and ecological change, Platform calls for a reaction to conceptions of having and owning. The presumption is that paying close attention to interests that culture and individuals have when referring to having and owning will raise dialogues on issues such as: cultural heritage, aesthetic and ethic values, immaterial/material resources, networking, nomadic movements, communication, alienation, independence, sustainability, education etc.

Platform encourages art projects that take a self-directed orientation to the theme. The focal point for the initiative is to generate conditions for artists to engage in local and international contemporary art based interventions that perform interpretation zones in which past, present and future human conditions are examined.

We offer the artist a stay in Vaasa for a minimum of 6 weeks up to a maximum of 6 months. The regular period is 2 months, though. A studio space, accommodation, travel expenses (cheapest possible covered), and living expenses are provided. We also offer a small production budget, usually up to 800 euros, which the artist may reimburse by presenting original receipts of purchases.

The studio is located in an old military barrack in central Vaasa. The building hosts local artists as well. The accommodation is a loft located in an old soap factory, a 10-minute bike ride from the city centre. In addition, there is a bike, a set of tools and equipment available for the artist. There is wireless broadband access in the studio.

The artist has a contact person who is in charge of different arrangements, but note that this is voluntary work so if any additional assistance is needed it has to be agreed upon well in advance.

We ask the artist to realise a project, which can be presented either during the residency or at a later stage. After the project is finished the artist should submit documentation of it, as well as press release text etc. There is also a possibility for the artist to give a public talk about his/her work, which is normally done in the beginning of the stay, in order to get to know people.

Application procedure
Previously the residency has been divided into two different programs, an international and a Nordic. For the International Program the selection was based on invitation conducted as a co-operation between similar art spaces or initiatives around Europe – and sometimes also inviting previous artists in residence to suggest coming artists. Co-operation partners have been Vector (Iasi, Rumänien), Skuc (Ljubljana), Space (Bratislava), Via (Dublin), Platform Garanti (Istanbul) and 1:1 (Rome). The Nordic Program was always based on an open call.

In 2010 the selection is based on an open call for everyone. 2–3 of the artists are open for artists from Nordic or Baltic countries – and 2–3 are open for other international artists. Residencies can be applied for during the period February 2011 until end of March 2012.

Deadline August 31st. Applications are accepted only 1–31 August 2010.

We require the artist to send a digital application to info[a]platform.fi with the subject RESIDENCY APPLICATION. Please follow these instructions closely.

The application should be only one document, a pdf (or word document) that consists of:

1. an informal project plan or motivation letter, max one page. The aim of the letter should be describing the kind of project you imagine doing in Vaasa and your motivation to apply for this residency. It should also include your preferred period of time, as well as what time isn't suitable at all.
2. description/images of 5 projects. For videos, please add direct links to websites, also included in the pdf.
3. a cv of max one page.
4. please compress images and document to 72dpi. Any applications containing several documents or occupying more than 1 MB we will unfortunately not consider.

University of Eastern Finland (UEF) - Lappeenranta University of Technology

Admission procedure, requirements and instructions

1. The application period is 15.2.2010 – 16.4.2010 12:00 Finnish time.
2. Applications need to be sent only by traditional mail, other means of delivery are not accepted.
3. Applications arriving after the deadline will not be considered.
4. At most 20 students will be selected into the programme.

Excellence and background:

• At the time of admission, applicants are required to hold a B.Sc. in Computer Science, Information Technology, Communications Engineering or equivalent degree corresponding to at least three years of full-time higher-education academic studies (an equivalent of 180 ECTS credit units in the Finnish university system). The degree should include enough studies in computer science completed at excellent levels. These basic skills expected are: programming skills, knowledge about the theoretical foundations of computer science, data structures and algorithms.
• Active knowledge of written and spoken English is a must. Every candidate has to declare this explicitly (a valid TOEFL, IELTS, or comparable certificate, see recommended minimal requirements at the bottom). The English test is not required 1) from citizens of Nordic countries, provided that the applicant’s matriculation examination (upper-secondary studies) or a previous higher-education degree include studies of/in English, 2) from applicants with English-language Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from EU or EEA country, the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. The official test report certificate must be submitted directly from the test administrator and arrive before the application deadline.
• IMPIT can invite an applicant for an additional entrance test prior admission.
• A priority is given to the students from the universities with cooperation with an IMPIT-university (UEF, Lappeenranta University of Technology). The IMPIT reserves the right to moderate the background criterion according to the prestige of the diploma or the University of origin of the student.

The merits of an applicant are evaluated on the basis of the sent documents, previous studies and grades, and possible interviews with the applicant. An evaluated motivation, fit for the programme, and a capability to study in a foreign environment will also be used as selection criteria. Valid applications will be ranked based on the aforementioned merits and on the experts’ evaluation.

A limited number of scholarships are usually available for the admitted students. Students should apply for this scholarship only after arrival when accepted for the programme.

Incomplete applications will not be processed, nor will applications received by email or fax. The application is considered incomplete if it does not include all the necessary documents (except for the degree certificate copy if you are still studying) delivered to the university as required above.

Admission results will be published in early June 2010. Students who have been accepted will receive a Certificate of Admission and an information package by post.

Supporting documents to be enclosed with the application:

1. Official transcript of university records from the home university in English, or an officially certified translation of it.
2. A certified copy of BSc. diploma or equivalent
3. Curriculum Vitae (one A4 page)
4. A letter of recommendation from a local academic authority, preferably known to the IMPIT-university
5. Generally recognized English language certificate mailed directly from the test administrator
6. Optionally, an example of a link to own individual work in English (research paper, report, essay, art, literature review, documented software, and similar). This should be translated into English or Finnish.

All documents must be officially attested authentic copies by a registered public notary. All translations must be officially certified and accompanied by copies of the original documents. Applications will not be considered unless the documents requested are in English.

The language certificate limits: TOEFL PBT: 580, TOEFL CBT: 237, TOEFL iBT: 92, IELTS 6.5.

Notice that applications are not returned. Do not send original degree diploma. The recommendations letters need to be original.

Download the application form from here (click to download).

Complete package will be mailed before the application deadline to:
IMPIT 2010
International Student Services University of Eastern Finland PO Box 111, Joensuu Finland,  FI-80101