Back to Basics

Intensive residency program
in Hämeenkyrö, Finland

Periods: 1 Month
Months: July / August / September 2020
Where: Arteles Creative Center, Hämeenkyrö, Finland

introduction

Focus on the essentials

Stop the information overflow, go offline and get back to focus in a supportive, natural environment in the middle of the Northern summer.

Back to Basics residency program gives artists the opportunity to clear their mind, get back to focus and (re)discover the very basis of their being. Take a break from your smartphone, reconnect with your creativity, be part of nature and learn to stay present again, doing only things you really want to be doing.

As the emphasis in this program is on reconnecting with your creative practice and being, no predetermined project plan is required. Participants are encouraged to arrive with their mind open for on-site observations, ideas, self-reflection and interacting with other artists. With support from the professional staff, facilities and the program structure, Back to Basics allows you to go back to what really matters to you.

No wifi, no cellphones - presence and pure nature

The program urges you to block the usual ways of escapism, be present where you are and to see how that improves your concentration skills, creativity and productivity. In order to make this happen, the use of cellphones is not allowed and internet access is limited in this program. The residents also have the possibility to participate in daily meditation sessions. (See program details below.)

Summer season is ideal for exploring and getting inspired by the rich Finnish nature surrounding Arteles Creative Center. There are countless forests, fields, lakes and small countryside roads in the region. Thanks to Finland’s everyman’s rights, they can all be explored freely.

Midsummer is full of light: even in the middle of the night, it’s bright enough to go for a walk in the forest. In September, the autumn is already approaching with misty mornings and starry skies. Seasonal berries and mushrooms can be picked from the yard and the woods, and when it’s time to get relaxed, the residency center’s traditional wood-burning sauna is the place to be.

www.arteles.org