SUBMIT A PROGRAMME PROPOSAL FOR NEXT YEAR’S ABOAGORA EVENT!
ABOAGORA is an international art and science event that takes place annually at the Sibelius Museum in Turku. In 2024–2030, ABOAGORA is realising a thematic series entitled The Planets, which draws its inspiration from Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite of the same name. The annual themes are based on the seven movements of the suite, providing inspiration and a thematic starting point for each year’s events:
2024: Mars, the Bringer of War
2025: Venus, the Bringer of Peace
2026: Mercury, the Winged Messenger
2027: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
2028: Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
2029: Uranus, the Magician
2030: Neptune, the Mystic
Next in the series is Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, on 22–24 September 2027 – and now is the time to apply to be part of the programme! In the spirit of jollity, we warmly encourage first-time applicants, new openings and bold, unexpected combinations of art and science.
Submit your proposal via Webropol by Friday 18 December 2026.
The main language of the event is English, and proposals should be submitted in English. ABOAGORA’s Curatorial Committee will respond directly to all proposals in February 2027.
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, is the most exuberant movement of Holst’s The Planets, one the composer associated with both everyday merriment and the ceremonial rejoicing of festivities. The planet itself, the giant of the solar system named after the sovereign of the Roman gods, has lent its name to the jovial temperament. Today, its icy moons are among the most promising places to look for conditions favourable to life beyond Earth.
ABOAGORA 2027 turns to the sources of joy and the good, such as play, laughter, community, hope and well-being. Jollity has its darker shades, too: our times can seem at once grimly earnest and humourless, and so absurd – not least in politics – as to border on black comedy. Irony and satire may thus be as much a part of the theme as joy itself. We warmly welcome all kinds of interpretations, whether serious or playful.
Anyone can propose a session to ABOAGORA. We welcome proposals from researchers, artists and practitioners in all fields and at all career stages, whether as individuals, groups or collectives.
Sessions at ABOAGORA approach the annual themes both literally and metaphorically, from a variety of scholarly and artistic viewpoints. The programme can include panel discussions, lectures, performances, excursions, concerts, workshops and combinations of these, and we are open to many kinds of proposals. Sessions typically last 30–75 minutes, with a maximum of 90 minutes. In curating the programme, we consider each session’s connection to the theme as well as the overall balance and diversity of the programme.
The event takes place at the Sibelius Museum, a music museum in central Turku. Most sessions are held in its concert hall, which seats around 150 people and was designed for chamber music; acoustic and semi-acoustic performances therefore work best in the space. Other spaces in the museum, or nearby, might also be available. Basic technical equipment – a sound system, a computer and a projection screen – is provided. Further technical requirements must be agreed separately and in advance, and as our budget for them is limited, please describe your technical and other practical needs, such as staging or materials, in your proposal. If you already have another particular venue in Turku in mind for your session, please mention it in your proposal.
ABOAGORA covers participants’ travel and accommodation for the days of their session, as agreed separately, and pays a modest fee for the session itself. Please note that the fee covers the session only, not the preparation or production of the work presented.
Read the full call and find the submission form at the website.
ABOUT ABOAGORA
ABOAGORA is a meeting place for researchers and artists, an enabler of collaboration and a space for new creation. Its annual activities include an international three-day main event at the Sibelius Museum in Turku, open Avant Aboagora pre-events and a programme for young researchers and artists. Launched in 2011, Turku’s year as European Capital of Culture, Aboagora has become a pioneer of art–science collaboration in Finland. It is founded on the conviction that addressing complex questions requires not only an interdisciplinary approach but also the combination of scientific and artistic perspectives and methods.
In 2024–2030, Aboagora is realising a thematic series entitled The Planets, inspired by Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite of the same name. Aboagora is organised by the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, the Arts Academy of Turku University of Applied Sciences, the Åbo Akademi University Foundation and the Turku University Foundation. In 2026, Aboagora is supported by the Kone Foundation, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Svenska kulturfonden and William Thurings stiftelse.
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- Liisa Lalu
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