Are you interested in experiencing fascinating artistic events and sharing your thoughts with others? Would you like to learn more about performance art while also developing your skills in guiding and engaging with people?

New Performance Turku Biennale offers a unique training program where you will have the opportunity to work with local art organizations and communities. Join us in learning about community engagement, participation, and interaction. Upon completing the training, you will receive a certificate and, if you wish, secure a meaningful late-summer role as an Audience Ambassador at the New Performance Turku Biennale

Apply here!

New Performance Turku Biennale is developing an Audience Ambassador training program as part of its international contemporary art event. Held during the first week of September, the biennale brings together more than twenty performance artists from around the world and continues its collaboration with numerous local art organizations in Turku. The goal of the Audience Ambassador training program is to strengthen skills in audience engagement and to acknowledge the crucial role of those working in public engagement in shaping meaningful interactions within the Turku arts scene—now and in the future.

We aim to expand the dialogue and participation of Turku residents and the city’s diverse communities in the biennale. By becoming an Audience Ambassador, you can act as a bridge between contemporary art and local communities. You will have the chance to meet artists and experts in performance art, network with local cultural actors, and create opportunities for future collaborations.

Who can apply?

Anyone living in the Turku region who is open-minded, curious, and interested in being part of an international performance art event can apply. No prior experience in performance art is required. We welcome a diverse group of participants from various backgrounds—different ages, genders, skills, cultures, and professional paths. We believe that learning together with expert guidance is key to strong and impactful audience engagement.

Program

Audience Ambassadors will undergo a 32-hour training program focused on performance art and audience engagement. The training will be conducted mainly in English. Audience Ambassadors can work in Finnish, Swedish, or English based on their strengths and group needs.
Participants will receive a certificate upon completing at least 80% of the training sessions.
At the end of the training, ten Audience Ambassadors will be selected to participate in the New Performance Turku Biennale. They will work approximately 20 hours between August and September, with a focus on the biennale week (September 2–7). This is a paid position (700€).

Schedule:

• Weekend training sessions: May 3–4, May 17–18, and May 24–25 at Turun Taiteen Talo (4 hours per day). Meals or snacks will be provided on weekends.
• Evening meetings: Four additional sessions on agreed-upon weekday evenings (2 hours per session).

Applications are open until April 15, 2025. Selections will be made at the end of April.

Want to Learn More?

Audience Ambassadors are not traditional museum guides or art event assistants; they are cultural facilitators who create meaningful and unique connections between art and diverse groups of people. They enable encounters, initiate discussions, introduce new perspectives, and act as bridges between art and audiences. During the biennale, they will organize meetings, workshops, or creative sessions for their audience groups to deepen the artistic experience and foster dialogue.
As an Audience Ambassador, you will gain a strong foundation in performance art, take on a creative and meaningful role, and receive support in using innovative, participatory methods. You will also gain an exclusive insider’s view of the biennale’s operations, production processes, and artworks.
The ten selected ambassadors will form a peer group supported by the New Performance Turku Biennale team, Audience Engagement Curator María Villa, and Audience Engagement Coordinator Maria Laitila. After the biennale, the group will meet once more to reflect, share experiences, and celebrate their journey with the biennale team.
The observations and insights of the Audience Ambassadors will play a key role in shaping both the future of the biennale and the development of audience engagement programs in Turku.

The partners of the training programme are:

Tehdas Teatteri, Kutomo/Ehkä, Regional Centre of Western Dance, Art House, Turku City Theatre, Turku City Library, WAM, Aurinkobaletti, Turku Art Museum, and Aura of Puppets.



About New Performance Turku Biennale

The New Performance Turku Biennale is a unique performance art biennale that showcases contemporary trends in art to both local and international audiences. The biennale continues the ambitious work carried out by the New Performance Turku Festival between 2012 and 2021 in developing performance art pieces, productions, and audiences. Its activities include residencies and extensive collaborations with local communities and organizations.

The renowned New Performance Turku Festival has been developing means of production and audience in the field of performance art during its 10-year history. The New Performance Turku Biennale will continue the work and aspires to develop the goals of social, economical and environmental sustainability in the long term even further.

The goal of the New Performance Turku Biennale is to further advance the principles of social, ecological, and economic sustainability in its activities. At the core of its mission is inviting high-profile artists to Turku and fostering connections between artists, local and international communities, and diverse audiences.