Pictured: 4 FLOORS OF WHORES & Anders Carlsson: Enfant Terrible, Viirus GUEST 2023. Photo: Sara Forsius.

Open call for 2025 – 2027 has ended.

Applying to Viirus GUEST? Read this first:

Viirus is a stage for the performing arts and a platform for artistic reflection.
We have our own productions as well as a vast repertoire of guest performances. In all our activities, we are driven by the will to shake the traditions of performing arts. We want to create surprising movement in the body, in thinking and on a structural level. We believe in art and originality, and we believe in the fact that every piece of art is a proposition; a proposition for the world, for coming together, for feeling, as well as a proposition for what could for example be considered as radical or what could create pleasure in this moment.

We are now looking for propositions for our Viirus GUEST program for the years 2025 – 2027. We welcome all kinds of processes, all steps that cross artistic disciplines, interdisciplinary pieces and all desires. We love the feeling of not knowing what’s coming but being able to sense a change. In all suggestions, we focus on originality, relationship with the audience, clarity and what kind of an imprint the piece is trying to make in the world.Your piece can be a stage work or a site-specific production, but in case the piece is not performing arts, we are interested in how the piece comments, has a dialogue with or observes the performing arts and the performance context, for example the Viirus stage.

Propose a piece that you believe in, a piece that sparks something in you. We want to hear what kind of a piece you’re dreaming of, what kind of a relationship it has with the audience, how it accesses the world and what makes it special and meaningful. We encourage the questioning and redefinition of the prevailing norms in the arts – we also enjoy being challenged in our own thinking.

We endeavour to have all activities in our premises follow the principles of sustainability and equality. We want all personnel – artistic, production and technical staff alike – to have a good working environment that is based on these values. We value professional production planning and ethical and ecological working practices.

We acknowledge that we are living in hard times in terms of finance for the arts, but we believe in the meaningfulness and necessity of the arts in people’s lives. Through Viirus, we want to make the birth of new art, the virility of the arts and new experiences possible. We are committed to this task as an institution, and we execute this task with determination and joy. 

Vincent Roumagnac: Matin d’été à Epidaure (GIF), Viirus GUEST 2023.

Viirus GUEST open call 2025-2027

Estimated timetable for the productions in this open call 

This open call is for performances that will go into production (if chosen) in the autumn of 2025, the year 2026 or spring season 2027.

What is Viirus GUEST? 

Teater Viirus’ curated GUEST program offers a space for professional performances and interdisciplinary productions.

 Viirus has four stages:

• Main Stage 50% (125 m2, approximately 60 seats)
• Studio 1 (58 m2, max 30 seats)
• Galleriet (115 m2, approximately 50-80 seats)
• Amphitheatre (16 m2, outdoor stage, max 150 seats)

Pictures

Application Link, Deadline, and Response Time Deadline

Deadline: Thursday, October 17, 2024, 23:59.
Link to the application form: https://forms.gle/p3ShJN1Csq9zkz7Q9

Applications will not be considered outside the application period. Please submit your application on time. We aim to respond to all open call applications within two months of the application deadline. Viirus GUEST open call is arranged once a year. Approximately 100 applications are received each year, of which 8-12 productions are chosen to the Viirus GUEST programme. 

Who Can Apply?

Anyone, regardless of language, nationality, or background, can apply for the Viirus GUEST program as long as they are professional artists, groups, or theatres.

Please Note 

If you have previously applied to Viirus GUEST with the same project, you cannot apply again. We prioritise premieres in our selections. However, if you are applying in order to do a remake of a piece, please carefully specify your target audience and the need for the remake.

Application Attachments 

If you wish, you may include the following attachments: technical rider, working plan, CVs of the working group (in a single PDF file). Please do not send any other files.

Our Selection Criteria 

We prioritise diversity and equality in both the working groups and themes. We encourage professional production planning and a commitment to ethical work processes. We seek high artistic quality and uncompromising form. We encourage consideration of ecological aspects in planning and production.

Marketing and Publicity 

In our view, art and its marketing are entwined. Please be prepared to invest in the marketing of your piece and think about who your audience is. Our resources in marketing are limited and we expect our visiting artists to be active as well. 

Who Makes the Decisions? 

The decisions for the program are made by Teater Viirus’ executive producer/curator and artistic director in collaboration with the Viirus artistic committee. We may also consult other advisors from the industry, if needed. All applications are processed confidentially.

You can learn more about Viirus’ programming decisions and artistic policy here: https://www.viirus.fi/en/offer-your-idea-to-viirus

Contract Model 

Viirus GUEST operates on a platform model. The guest is responsible for the production of the work and the salaries of the team, and retains full artistic rights. We do not charge rent for the spaces, but we share the ticket revenues with the guest. Viirus provides a production framework for the realisation and presentation of the work.

What we’re offering

Basic technical equipment for the spaces (for example, light and sound desks). Additional technical equipment can be provided based on availability. See more: https://www.viirus.fi/en/theatre/spaces

Technical assistance and consulting for setup and teardown, as well as other assistance within the normal working hours of Viirus’ technicians.

The contract also includes technical consultation, help for set-up and tear-down, as well as other assistance during technicians working hours (daytime). 

Also included in the contract is marketing through Viirus’ own channels (social media, printed material, press releases, newsletters), as well as front of house and ticket services.

One event in audience development, for example a public discussion about the performance. The format is agreed upon together with the Viirus audience developer.

What’s Not Included in the Contract? 

We cannot provide an operator for the technical equipment of the show, computer to run the show with or licensing for software, targeted audience sales, copyright fees, planning or programming. Furthermore, logistical services, scenography- and costume services and accommodation are not available.

Duration of the Visit 

We aim to avoid short, one-off visits. The minimum duration for the Main Stage is two weeks, and one week for Studio 1. Galleriet also hosts one-night events, but these are curated through the Viirus Klubb concept. See more: https://www.viirus.fi/en/offer-your-idea-to-viirus

Collaborations 

Currently, Viirus cannot participate in co-productions or other forms of partial financing.

Inquiries: Executive Producer, Curator, Mirkka Maikola, mirkka.maikola@viirus.fi

Pictured: Otto Sandqvists’ Cowboy försvunnen, Viirus GUEST 2024. Photo: Ilkka Saastamoinen.