OPEN CALL: PROGRAM PROPOSALS FOR ABOAGORA 2026
Dear all,
The Open Call for ABOAGORA 2026 is now open. The theme for next year is “Mercury, the Winged Messenger,” and we welcome proposals for sessions that explore this topic from artistic and scholarly perspectives. The main event will take place on 23–25 September 2026 at the Sibelius Museum in Turku. Please submit your proposal in English by 11 January 2026, using the link provided in the attached PDF or in the message below. For more information or questions, feel free to contact aboagora@utu.fi.
SUBMIT A PROGRAM 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 will realise a thematic entity titled 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 we have Mercury, the Winged Messenger and now is the time to apply to be a part of the program!
Submit your session proposal via Webropol latest by January 11, 2026: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/16595E171698998E
The language of the main event, organized on 23–25 September, is English; therefore, please submit your proposal in English. However, you can also suggest Avant Aboagora -events, which takes place throughout the year and can also be in Finnish or Swedish. ABOAGORA’s Curatorial Committee will be in touch directly to all proposals in February 2026.
The sessions in ABOAGORA approach the annually changing themes both literally and metaphorically through various scholarly and artistic viewpoints. Mercury, the Winged Messenger, examines, among other things, winged words and metaphors in science, art and society, as well as their effects on communication and societal discussion. The effects of climate change on the animal world, such as the migration routes of birds, are also discussed.
The program can include panel discussions, lectures, performances, excursions, concerts, workshops, and various combinations of these, and we are open to many kinds of proposals. In curating the program, we emphasise the variety of different artistic and scholarly viewpoints, as well as each session’s connection to the theme and the overall balance and diversity of the program.
ABOAGORA may offer performers travel and accommodation for performance days, as mutually agreed, as well as a small performance fee. Please note that we are unable to finance the work of the working group.
See the Call on our website: https://www.aboagora.fi/2025/11/11/open-call-submit-a-program-proposal-for-aboagora-2026/
More information on ABOAGORA: https://aboagora.fi/
With any questions, please contact us at: aboagora@utu.fi