The Associate Artist model is a new form of support introduced by Zodiak – Center for New Dance to promote artists’ careers and internationalisation in a long-term and sustainable way. The development of this new support model has been made possible by a grant awarded to the Loisto project by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation for the years 2025–2028.
Associate Artists are selected from among the artists chosen for Zodiak’s co-productions. The first artist to receive this support is Teo Ala-Ruona, who will premiere a new work in Zodiak’s programme in spring 2027. The partnership agreements are made for a period of three years, with Ala-Ruona’s term beginning at the start of 2026.
“We are launching the Associate Artist model to address the need for longer-term support that fosters artistic career development beyond individual productions. Teo Ala-Ruona is an artist with growing international demand and versatile prospects in the performing arts field. We want to help him build a sustainable foundation for his work, enabling him to continue his promising international career,” says Katarina Lindholm, Zodiak’s Head of International Development.
The aim of the Associate Artist partnership is to promote the artist’s career, internationalisation, and professional development in a long-term way, so that after the three-year partnership the artist has the necessary capabilities, skills, and networks to continue maintaining international activities and developing their career independently.
“Working in partnership with Zodiak feels particularly significant as I strive to build more sustainable structures for my collaborative artistic practice in a time when artists’ working conditions are becoming increasingly constrained and unsustainable,” says Teo Ala-Ruona.
“During the coming Associate Artist years, producer Sanna Ritvanen and I will focus on developing, with Zodiak’s support, a more ecologically, socially, and emotionally sustainable production structure for international work. The professional support and mentoring included in the partnership provide an important framework for us to deepen practices of responsible working culture and principles of team leadership in the context of international artistic activity,” Ala-Ruona continues.
For Zodiak, the partnership also aims to deepen its understanding of how to support artists’ career development and to strengthen its ability to adapt its operations to better meet artists’ needs. Another goal is to build more long-term relationships with international production and presenting partners, thereby strengthening both the Associate Artist’s and Zodiak’s international networks.
The Associate Artist model will be further developed during the Loisto project based on experiences from practical collaboration. The goal is to bring a few additional artists into the programme during the project period, alongside Ala-Ruona. Artists selected for the support are those with whom mutual benefits from closer collaboration have been identified, and who have a genuine interest, potential, and resources to develop their international activities.
Loisto is a joint project by Zodiak – Center for New Dance, Cirko – Center for New Circus, and Dance House Helsinki, acting as a driving force for the sustainable internationalisation of Finnish dance and circus.
Between 2025 and 2028, the project will develop new models for effective distribution and promotion of performances, long-term co-production and touring practices, and for strengthening the Finnish production environment. These models are based on a vision of an internationally connected Finnish dance and circus field, grounded in a networked and reciprocal environment for co-production and touring, supported by active intermediary structures.
The project builds on the outcomes of a proof-of-concept project implemented between 2022 and 2024. It is funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation and administered by Zodiak.
Get to know Teo Ala-Ruona: https://teoalaruona.net