Participatory Public Artwork for the entrance of Children’s Museum at Tiima, Oulu, Finland

We are looking for an artist who is both a visual creator and a pedagogical facilitator: someone capable of transforming children’s ideas, imagination and creativity into a compelling public artwork for a new museum environment.
The City of Oulu invites one visual artist of the younger generation from the CreArt 3.0 network to take part in a two-week residency in Oulu, Finland, to create a participatory artwork together with children from the English Speaking Playschool of Oulu.
The resulting artwork will become part of the new Museum and Science Centre Tiima, opening in the European Capital of Culture Oulu in October 2026. The artwork will be installed in the entrance staircase and lobby area leading to the new Children’s museum, outdoor play area Adventure Factory and Makerspace, outdoocreating a welcoming and inspiring environment for young visitors and their families.
Tiima is a special and unique museum and science centre where science, art, and history meet. It brings together VISIO, Tietomaa, the Oulu Museum, and the Children’s Museum under one roof, offering exhibitions and events. https://www.tiima-oulu.fi/en/
The Residency Project
The selected artist will design and facilitate an artistic process involving children aged approximately 3-6 years from the English Speaking Playschool of Oulu.
The project aims to create a meaningful, playful and inclusive artistic experience in which children’s ideas, creativity and visible contribution become an integral part of the final artwork.
The residency combines artistic practice, participation and art education. Therefore, we are seeking an artist who is also comfortable working as a pedagogical facilitator and who has previous experience working with children.
The working language of the residency is English.
The kindergarten staff will participate in and support the workshops and creative activities.
Artistic Approach
Applicants are invited to propose their own methodology for working with children.
The proposal may be based on, for example:
Option A: Collaborative On-site Creation
The artist works directly with children in Tiima and day care center and creates the artwork together with them through workshops, creative sessions and hands-on making.
Option B: Artwork Developed from Children’s Contributions
The artist provides the children with themes, tasks or creative exercises before the residency workshops. The children produce drawings, stories, shapes, textures, ideas or other material that becomes part of the final artwork. The artist then develops and completes the final work based on these contributions.
In both approaches, the children’s contribution should remain clearly visible in the completed artwork.
Applicants are encouraged to include playful, imaginative and age-appropriate methods for engaging children of different ages and abilities.
The artist may also propose warm-up activities, introductory sessions or creative assignments that help establish contact with the children before the main workshops begin.
Site and Technical Requirements
The artwork will be installed in a public indoor museum environment. Due to the safety requirements of Museum and Science Centre Tiima, all materials used in the final artwork must comply with applicable fire safety regulations and be suitable for permanent or long-term installation in a public building.
Applicants are therefore expected to propose only non-flammable or appropriately fire-rated materials and methods. Preference will be given to solutions that can be directly implemented on existing wall surfaces or through approved museum-grade materials.
Possible approaches may include:
Applicants should clearly identify the proposed materials and include an estimated material budget as part of their project proposal.
The artist may utilize all surfaces of the space as part of the artwork, including walls, floor and ceiling.
The artwork may form a single unified composition or extend across multiple surfaces, making use of the architectural features of the space. The work does not need to be limited to a two-dimensional wall piece; it may also take the form of a spatial installation that embraces the staircase and lobby as a three-dimensional environment. Any protruding elements of the artwork must not compromise the safety or accessibility of movement in the said spaces.
Artist Profile
The call is open to professional visual artists of younger generation who:
We particularly welcome proposals that combine contemporary artistic practice with play, imagination, storytelling and collaborative creation.
Residency Period
Residency period: 16-29 November 2026
Opening event: 27 November 2026
The artist is expected to be present in Oulu throughout the residency period.
As participation depends on the artist’s proposed methodology, applicants are invited to suggest an appropriate number and size of workshop groups.
There are a total of 63 children in the daycare. According to the plan, 20+ children will participate in the activity. The children can be divided into small groups, and the work can be done over several days. The group’s own educators will also participate in the activity.
Financial Conditions
The selected artist will receive:
Applicants should include an estimated materials budget as part of their proposal.
Application Documents
Applications must be submitted in English throught the link: https://l1nq.com/yio0ayx and include:
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated on the basis of:
Application Deadline
11 October 2026
The selected artist will be notified after the evaluation process. Results will also be published through the CreArt 3.0 communication channels.
This residency brings together four partners with a shared interest in creativity, participation and learning: the European CreArt 3.0 network, the Children as Artists in Oulu initiative, the English Speaking Playschool of Oulu and the new Museum and Science Centre Tiima. Together, they invite an artist to create a public artwork that celebrates children’s imagination and makes their creative contribution visible in one of Oulu’s newest cultural spaces.
Within the project:
![]()
Partners:

Supported by:
![]()

Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
[Project number: 101128499]
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs
MARA BRATOŠ
HIDDEN PLACES OF THE CITY
9.-29.9.2026.
KARAS GALLERY
On Wednesday, 9th of September Mara Bratoš opens her solo exhibition entitled Hidden Places of the City at 7 pm in Karas Gallery (Ulica kralja Zvonimira 58).

In her forward, Anite Ruso Brečić emphasizes:
“A dialogue about time, memory and space unfolds between the two series of photographs. What was a photograph of an abandoned city in 1995 is now a photograph of a city whose parts are hidden in a different way. Once they were marked by emptiness; today, by inaccessibility. Mara Bratoš’s photographs record not only changes in architecture or the landscape, but also changes in our relationship to public space and to our own memory.
This exhibition is therefore not only an encounter between two photographic series created thirty years apart; it is also an encounter with two Dubrovniks – one recovering, the other continually reshaping itself – and with a single artistic gaze that, in both periods, finds the same, almost cinematic, fissures in everyday life. Mara neither offers a nostalgic vision of a lost Dubrovnik nor attempts to compare what was better and what was worse. She observes how the City changes its face and how, with those changes, our experience of space changes too. Photography thus becomes a medium of memory and a witness to something difficult to record in any other way – the moment when spaces we remember as shared gradually enter a regime of controlled access, when the boundary between public and private is not always visible at first glance but is nevertheless keenly felt.”
Biography:
Mara Bratoš was born in Dubrovnik. She completed primary school in her hometown and graduated from Cherry Hill High School West in Philadelphia in 1992. That same year, she enrolled in the Department of Cinematography at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, graduating in 1998. Bratoš is an award-winning photographer (Croatian Photography Award, 1995; AICA Award, 1999) and a member of the Croatian Association of Artists of Applied Arts (ULUPUH), the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association (HZSU), the Filmmakers Association of Croatia (HDFD) and the Croatian Association of Fine Artists Dubrovnik (HDLU Dubrovnik). She has exhibited continuously since 1995 in solo and group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad.
The exhibition will be open during the period from 9. to 29.9.2026.
Working hours of Karas Gallery
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 4pm – 8pm
Tuesday, Saturday 10am – 1pm
On Sundays and Mondays closed.
___
Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb, City of Dubrovnik

The City of Lublin invites two artists of the younger generation to engage in creative work as part of the „Festiwal na Złotej” (Festival on Złota Street). The residency, scheduled for September 13-21, 2026, is being held as part of the Annual Festival – an initiative of the CreArt 3.0 project, co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. „Festiwal na Złotej” is a new addition to Lublin’s cultural landscape; it is an interdisciplinary festival promoting contemporary art and centered on the history and architecture of Złota Street, located in the heart of Lublin’s Old Town.
RESIDENCY DURATION: 9 days
RESIDENCY DATES: September 13-21, 2026
APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 27, 2026
SELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT: by July 31, 2026
WHO CAN APPLY?
The open call is open to:
We invite artists working in the field of visual arts – with a particular focus on practices involving public space, such as street art, art installations, performance art, and site-specific works. We are interested in projects that emerge at the intersection of disciplines, combining various media, techniques, and perspectives.
We are looking for individuals who engage in a dialogue with their surroundings, work with sensitivity to the site’s context, and are open to collaborating with the local community. The works may take the form of interventions or ephemeral actions, with their specific form and location along Złota Street to be determined jointly through curatorial discussions.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
DOCUMENTS
All documents listed below must be submitted in English in a single PDF file:
APPLICATION
To apply, please register on the CreArt website https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/, upload your portfolio and attach the documents listed above (all in a single PDF file).
Application deadline: July 27, 2026
Only complete applications containing all the information mentioned above will be considered. Submissions will be evaluated and selected by the internal jury. The jury is under no obligation to provide reasons for its decisions. Participants will be informed of the selection results by July 31, 2026. The list of selected artists will be published on the CreArt website. Participation in the open call implies acceptance of these terms and conditions; selected artists are required to acknowledge in their CVs and all future communications (press, digital media) their selection for the CreArt Artists Residency Program in Lublin, part of the CreArt 3.0 #stringing_together project, co-financed by the European Union.
In case of any questions, please contact us at: creart3.0@lublin.eu
THE CITY OF LUBLIN
Lublin is a medium-sized city in eastern Poland and a thriving academic and cultural hub. Regarded as a meeting point of Eastern and Western cultures, it historically possessed an international character and was home to a large Jewish population. The city is home to numerous cultural institutions, museums and galleries, as well as non-governmental organizations that drive cultural life. Major festivals are held here, such as the Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, The Night of Culture, and the East of Culture – Different Sounds. Lublin has been selected as the European Capital of Culture 2029.
ZŁOTA STREET IN LUBLIN
Złota Street is one of the most atmospheric and oldest streets in Lublin’s Old Town. Its unique buildings form one of the most valuable ensembles of Renaissance architecture in Poland. The first references to Złota Street – originally known as “Dominikańska” (Dominican Street) – date back to the early 16th century. The street’s current name is likely linked to the numerous goldsmiths’ workshops that operated in the area in the past.
The tenement house at 2 Złota Street is associated with the work of the renowned and esteemed poet Franciszka Arnsztajnowa. At 4 Złota Street stands Dom Złotnika (the Goldsmith’s House) – a small, charming building featuring ornamentation linked to the jeweler’s craft. A legend about an old goldsmith and his beautiful wife is associated with the building. The tenement house at 3 Złota Street is home to the Józef Czechowicz Literary Museum – dedicated to the great Lublin poet, who, like no other, paid tribute to his hometown through his words (https://lublin.eu/en/what-to-see-do/attractions-sights/monuments/tenement-house-at-3-zlota-street,8408,w.html). Złota Street culminates at the Basilica of the Dominican Order of St. Stanislaus the Bishop and Martyr and the Dominican monastery complex; the Dominican friars have been present in Lublin for over 750 years https://lublin.eu/en/what-to-see-do/attractions-sights/monuments/the-basilica-of-the-dominican-order-of-st-stanislaus-the-bishop-and-martyr,8467,w.html.
Archival photos of Złota Street: https://teatrnn.pl/lublin-fotografia/ulica-zlota-w-lublinie/
Within the project:
![]()
Partners:

Supported by:
![]()

Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
[Project number: 101128499]
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs
VIDA SAČIĆ
SOFT ARCHIVES
7.-24.7.2026.
KARAS GALLERY
On Tuesday, 7th of July Vida Sačić opens her solo exhibition entitled Soft Archives at 7 pm in Karas Gallery (Ulica kralja Zvonimira 58).

In his forward, Ivan Bujan emphasizes:
„Vida Sačić’s new series of works, presented at Karas Gallery, deals with questions of home, belonging, and intercultural exchange. Since the concept of the ‘archive’ is broad enough to encompass all the issues explored, it is hardly surprising that the artist has chosen it as the framework for the exhibition titled Soft Archives. Indeed, the etymology of the word ‘archive’ derives from the Greek arkheion – house, dwelling, address – the residence of high magistrates, the archons. Archives are traditionally seen as ‘hard’: they consist of material objects and documents. This raises the question: what, exactly, are soft archives, and what might they teach us?
Working with typographic relief processes, from printing plates and wood to metal type, Sačić defines herself as an artist of the “printed word”. At the same time, she situates her practice within a specific temporal and geopolitical context, noting that she grew up in Croatia during the 1990s and established herself professionally in the United States, where she now lives and works. The exhibition Soft Archives includes the very dimensions essential to understanding her practice – medium, origin, and the effort to connect two cultural traditions – thereby making the archive a key method for interpreting the work presented at Karas Gallery. ”
Biography:
Vida Sačić, a Croatian-born artist based in Chicago, explores themes of gender, immigration, and labour through print media. Her work has been showcased internationally at venues such as the DeVos Art Museum and the Center for Book Arts, alongside frequent exhibitions in Chicago. Sačić has engaged in long-term projects at notable studios and museums, including tipoRenesansa Studio in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in Wisconsin. Her work is held in collections such as the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art and the Newberry Library. Active in Chicago’s art community, Sačić lectures, curates exhibitions, and advocates for international connections. As an educator at Northeastern Illinois University, she has developed the BFA program in Graphic Design, emphasizing support for immigrants and artists with lower socio-economic standing.
The exhibition will be open during the period from 7. to 24.7.2026.
Working hours of Karas Gallery
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 4pm – 8pm
Tuesday, Saturday 10am – 1pm
On Sundays and Mondays closed.
___
Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb
The results of the European project Healing Nature – Animation for Health and Well-being in Children Hospital Environments were presented at the Children’s Hospital Zagreb. Through art, animation, and augmented reality (AR), the project contributes to creating a more welcoming, engaging, and child-friendly hospital environment.







More about the project: Healing Nature
Within the project:


Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
[Project Number: 101173267]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
Co-funded by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Republic of Croatia. The views expressed in this release are the sole responsibility of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists and do not necessarily reflect the stance of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Republic of Croatia.
ŽELJKO BELJAN &
ALEKSANDRA SAŠKA GRUDEN
GUMI TWIST
2.6.-23.6.2026.
KARAS GALLERY
On Friday, 26st of June Željko Beljan and Aleksandra Saška Gruden open their solo exhibition entitled Gumi Twist at 7 pm in Karas Gallery (Ulica kralja Zvonimira 58).

In her foreword Marija Kamber emphasizes:
“The exhibition Gumi Twist, named after the popular playground game in which players jump and weave through a loop of elastic stretched between two participants, explores games, toys, and playing through newly created objects by Željko Beljan, video works by Aleksandra Saška Gruden, and the transformation of the gallery into a site of interaction. Much like the way we remember childhood games, Gumi Twist approaches play through fragments or interpretations of fragments. Rather than presenting complete games accompanied by printed instructions, it offers movement, rhythm, sound imagined from a silent object, a close-up of a hand, or a toy waiting to be set in motion. (…)
By occupying the space of Karas Gallery, Gruden and Beljan create a temporary world of play in which the gallery is transformed into a kind of playground, where the artworks are not untouchable artefacts displayed on walls but prompts and sets of rules that encourage visitors to move through the space and explore the fragments presented to them. A gesture seen in a video becomes a proposed gesture in the gallery; a coloured line across a grey floor is transformed into a path leading towards the exploration of a toy. The rules are written nowhere, and interpretation remains open: jump; stop; push; make a sound, the choice belongs to the players.”
Artists’ biographies:
Željko Beljan (Vukovar, 1984) is a visual artist whose practice explores the phenomenon of manual labour and its place within contemporary art. He is particularly interested in the relationship between manual labour and amateur and recreational sport, with an emphasis on participation and audience involvement in the realisation of his works. He graduated in 2021 from the Department of Animated Film and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. He is an alumnus of the WHW Academy (2022) and was a finalist for the Radoslav Putar Award (2023). Since 2011, he has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Croatia and the wider region and has had several solo exhibitions.
Aleksandra Saška Gruden is an academic sculptor who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana in 2004. Since 2006, she has held the status of an independent cultural practitioner. Through her interdisciplinary approach, she has established a strong presence on the contemporary art scene both in the country and internationally. Her work frequently explores questions of identity, historical memory, and social position, using a wide range of materials and technologies to create immersive, thought-provoking experiences. She has created several public installations in Slovenia and abroad, and her works are held in the collections of a number of prominent cultural institutions. Gruden has led sculpture symposia and exhibition programmes and for six years served as President of the Artistic Council of the Ljubljana Fine Artists Society (DLUL). As a cultural critic, she also collaborates with Radio Slovenia and Likovne besede, a Slovenian visual arts periodical.
The exhibition will be open during the period from 26. to 3.7.2026.
Working hours of Karas Gallery
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 4pm – 8pm
Tuesday, Saturday 10am – 1pm
On Sundays and Mondays closed.
___
Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb

Within the framework of CreArt 3.0, the city of Rouen launches a residency for 2 artists of the younger generation, one from Rouen and one from the CreArt network. They are invited to work for 5 weeks in Rouen at « LaboVictorHugo » from September, 28th to October, 30th 2026.
THE LOCATION: “LaboVictorHugo”
Located in the heart of a central and lively neighbourhood of Rouen, the LaboVictorHugo is a municipal venue dedicated to artistic creation and research. Spanning nearly 600 m², it offers 9 work studios, giving artists the freedom to shape the environment to their practice. The place welcomes a wide range of disciplines — theatre, dance, visual arts, digital creation, writing — and sees dozens of artists rotate throughout the year.
For further information and photos: https://rouen.fr/
CONTENT AND TERMS OF THE RESIDENCY
The two artists will be settled together in studio n°9 in LaboVictorHugo. They will dedicate their time to their personal research and creation. The studio is about 60m2. The conditions and equipment remain simple and limited. Therefore, activities involving heat or fire tools (woodworking, ceramics, metalworking) or spray paint are not allowed.
The artists will be guided and shown around by the visual arts project manager at the Department of Culture. She will advise them in their work, make them discover cultural places, and organize events to introduce them to the local artist community and the neighbourhood (workshops, openings);
During the AiR, an open day for visitors will be organized on October 3rd. The artists are expected to welcome people and share with them their ongoing research.
A final report (in English) must be provided after the residency.
FINANCIAL TERMS
_ The organization provides a residency grant per artist (artist’s fee, subsistence, and local travel): 1700 € ;
_ Production costs per artist: 500 €;
_The city of Rouen also covers travel expenses to and from Rouen [up to 500€];
For countries bordering France (Germany, Italy, Spain), train travel should be preferred. A compensation supplement of 250€, corresponding to the additional travel time compared to flying, is provided.
_ Accommodation is provided by the City.
WHO CAN APPLY?
The residence is open to professional artists (an art and design degree is required) within the CreArt network:
DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED IN ENGLISH
The artists should upload the following documents through this link: CREART 3.0 OPEN CALL: ARTISTS RESIDENCY IN ROUEN (NORMANDY, FRANCE) – CreArt Open Calls
Applications must be submitted before Monday, July 13th.
Only applications with complete information will be accepted. The city of Rouen will inform of the results before July, 24th.
Within the project:
![]()
Partners:

Supported by:
![]()

Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
[Project number: 101128499]
The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs