Zodiak has been a window to new contemporary dance thinking since 1986. Zodiak continues to aim towards being an entity that brings audiences together with new, surprising, and groundbreaking contemporary dance and performance.

Zodiak's performance programme is artistically curated. Curation and selections are mainly based on this open call, but part of the programme may also be built through direct curation or collaboration projects, for example. Applications for this call will be reviewed by Zodiak's Artistic Director Jarkko Partanen together with Curator Remi Vesala.

Categories and Timeline

There are five production categories in this call:

  • Zodiak Laboratory (autumn 2027 and spring 2028)
  • Zodiak Stage S (2028 – spring 2029)
  • Zodiak Stage M (2028 – spring 2029)
  • Zodiak at Dance House Helsinki L (Pannu Hall) (autumn 2028 – spring 2029)
  • Zodiak at Dance House Helsinki XL (Erkko Hall) (2029)

The application deadline for all categories is Sunday, October 18, 2026.

The call for productions has been updated and is now a two-stage process for premiere productions. In the first, slightly lighter application round, you can present your artistic idea either in writing or on video. Based on these applications, a limited number of artists will be selected and invited to an interview round.

Schedule of the process:

  • We will contact all applicants regarding the results of the first round by Friday, November 27, 2026 at the latest
  • Second-round interviews will be held on December 7–11, 2026.
  • We will notify applicants invited to the interview stage of the final production decisions by January 29, 2027. Decisions for the Zodiak Laboratory category will also be announced at this time.

Together with the productions selected for the programme, we will review the realistic possibilities for realizing the production along the way, up until the co-production contract is signed. Until then, programming decisions remain conditional. This is good to keep in mind in discussions with potential working group members.

Co-production contracts are concluded approximately one year before the premiere for productions selected in the S and M categories, and approximately two years before the premiere for those in the L and XL categories.

Read more about Zodiak's co-production model

General Application Guidelines

All production categories are open to artists regurlarly operating in Finland at any stage of their professional career. Applying to all co-production categories takes place via the same application form. Zodiak Laboratory has its own application form. Links to the applications forms can be found on the categories' info pages (see below).

We encourage you to consider which production category is the best environment for realizing your idea or concept. Do you have a work idea whose viability you would like to test in a short residency? Or do you already have a fairly clear plan for the idea, working group, and production requirements? Or do you have an ambitious idea that still requires further development, finding partners and funding, a longer development period, and multiple stages?

Please evaluate yourself at the application stage which category would be suitable for your proposal. The main question is the performance space and, through that, the scale of the work. Would you like the piece to take place and meet its audience at Zodiak Stage, Pannu Hall, or Erkko Hall? If you have multiple ideas, please submit a separate application for each. Further details will be discussed with the working groups selected for the interview round, and switching production categories can also be considered as the overall programme takes shape.

We are primarily looking for premieres to be produced at Zodiak Stage or Dance House Helsinki. However, you can also propose guest performances or re-runs. There is a separate category for these. In principle, all our performances have an admission fee, and audience targets are set for the productions.

Works by international working groups in Zodiak’s programme are mainly curated through Zodiak’s international networks. In addition, the Side Step Festival has its own separate curation.

We also welcome proposals for courses, workshops, lectures, and other events. You can send us these proposals at any time by email. Contacts: Artistic Director Jarkko Partanen and Outreach Worker Elina Tervonen (workshops and courses) (see Contact details and staff).

New Production Categories S, M, L & XL

S, M, L, and XL are production categories, not programme categories. The names are meant to outline the scale of the work and working group as well as production resources, and they are not used in external marketing, for example.

The final level of production support for all categories is confirmed annually in relation to Zodiak’s production resources.

Details about Zodiak Stage S & M

Details about Zodiak at Dance House Helsinki L & XL

Details about Zodiak Laboratory

Application attachments

  • Work plan, either written (max. 2 pages) OR video format (as a link)
  • CVs of the working group members, max. 1 attachment

We request naming potential working group members in the work plan, as information regarding performers is an essential part of the artistic idea. If there are major factors affecting the production timeline, please clarify them in the work plan as well.

Attachments are submitted via the application forms. Accepted attachment formats include PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, and ZIP.

Providing work samples is recommended. Please use online videos and include the video link on the application form. Remember to provide any necessary passwords for the video.

For More Information

Jarkko Partanen, Artistic Director, jarkko.partanen@zodiak.fi, +358 44 971 3042
Varpu Nieminen, Producer, varpu.nieminen@zodiak.fi, +358 44 243 3492