Programme Selections for 2026 – Dance Art in Kuopio, Joensuu and South Savo

The open call, which closed in October, received 42 applications by the deadline.

“Once again, we received more excellent applications than we could possibly select for our programme. We really wouldn’t want to leave any of these great ideas unrealized. I encourage artists to apply again with the same ideas in our upcoming open calls,” commented Veera Lamberg, ITAK’s artistic director, on the application process.

ITAK's programme selections for 2026

Premiere support for Kira Riikonen’s group choreography …siksi minä tanssin!

The full-length dance piece …siksi minä tanssin! ('…that’s why I dance!'), which will premiere at the Lonely in the Rain festival in Joensuu, delves into the essence of dance and humanity and explores why dance is so important to individuals and society. In an era of polarization, environmental destruction, and chaos, the potential of dance as a source of hope for individuals and communities becomes increasingly valuable. The work draws inspiration from, among other things, the working group’s and choreographer Kira Riikonen’s own personal relationship with dance and our overburdened planet.

The premiere …siksi minä tanssin! builds on the collaboration initiated by the Liiketila pioneering project, launched by members of Tanssiva Susiraja ry, and the VIBE5 production seen in July 2025. ITAK’s €20,000 grant will cover the working expenses of the choreographer and five dancers in Joensuu.

Working group: Kira Riikonen (choreography), Anniina Dyster, Sanna Hirvonen, Elina Ikonen, Emma-Mariella Kurkela, Kalle Pulkkinen

Working support for the initial phase of the Siskot performance working group

As a new form of support in 2026, the Regional Dance Center of Eastern Finland will begin providing initial-stage development grants to one working group that is launching a new creative process. The purpose of the early-stage support is to enable the artistic development of a work concept without the pressure to produce the work until its premiere. Based on this collaborative, supported work, it will be more meaningful to seek funding and a production venue for the work concept in the future. This year, early-stage working grant was allocated to Rebecca Laube-Pohto for the initial development of her choreographed work Siskot ('Sisters').

Siskot is a contemporary dance piece born from the need to explore support, friendship, and loss among women. The creative process begins with questions about sisterly relationships. The working group reflects on what it feels like to grow up without a sister or without a best friend who is like a sister. Can friendship replace sisterhood? What is it like for one woman to support another—especially when there are underlying conflicts, disappointments, or pain? The creative process will begin in Kuopio, and a work-in-progress demo performance will be presented at the end of the working period.

Working group: Rebecca Laube-Pohto (choreographer) and dancers Aurora Suhonen and Moona Penttinen

Syntyä / syvyydestä as a guest performance in South Savo

The Regional Dance Center of Eastern Finland aims to expand audiences and performance opportunities for the region’s dance arts. To this end, a call for guest performances was launched for the first time, open to works that have already had their premieres.

In 2026, a guest performance will be produced in South Savo. The work Syntyä / syvyydestä by Outi Markkula, Emilia Lajunen, and Jaana Kurttila was selected as the guest performance. The work has previously been performed at venues such as the ITAK Stage in Kuopio, Liikelaituri in Tampere, and in outdoor spaces. Syntyä / syvyydestä is a collaboration between two performers who express themselves through dance and music, and a scenographer. The work draws from the landscapes beneath the surface and behind the eyelids—internal landscapes that dance and music conjure forth. The work delves deep into both our personal and national archives: into the melodies and verses recorded by folklore collectors, as well as into material left unrecorded—the so-called silences of the archives.

Open call for proposals will reopen in May

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the open call and look forward to the program selections for the coming year.

“I am particularly pleased that the selected works will provide employment for a large group of artists who are actively making an impact in our region. I am delighted that this year we will be able to support a diverse range of creators at different stages of their careers in their work,” says Lamberg.

See you at the performances!

Open call for proposals for the 2027 program will be published as early as May 2026.

The operations of the Regional Dance Center of Eastern Finland are made possible by a general grant from the Arts and Promote Center Finland and support from our municipal partners (Kuopio, Joensuu, Mikkeli, Kangasniemi).