Most residencies sort people by medium. Way Beyond, at Arteles Creative Center in Hämeenkyrö, Finland, sorts them by question — and the resulting list of accepted fields is the most interesting thing about it.
The details
- Deadline: 29 October 2026, 23:59 UTC-10
- Dates: one month, either 2–30 April 2027 or 3–31 May 2027 (29-day periods; late arrival and early departure permitted)
- Location: Hämeenkyrö, Finland — in person
- Eligibility: minimum age 23 (exceptions possible), university degree required (BA minimum), individuals only — no duos, no children, no pets
Who it’s for
The programme describes itself as bringing together “open-minded, curiosity-driven individuals interested in expanding our understanding of reality, perception, and how we experience it.” Accepted fields:
Philosophy, Metaphysics, Cosmology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychedelic Research, Psychology, Neuroscience, Meditation, Mysticism, Spirituality, Future Studies, Posthumanism, Data Sciences, Artificial Intelligence, and Post-Singularity.
Open to artists, writers, creatives, philosophers, scientists, researchers, psychologists, visionary thinkers, innovators, mystics and “other explorers.”
Putting Artificial Intelligence and Data Sciences in the same list as Mysticism and Metaphysics is either the best or worst idea in residency programming, depending on your tolerance. For anyone whose work sits at the speculative end of creative technology — machine perception, synthetic cognition, posthuman bodies — a month of arguing with a cosmologist and a neuroscientist is a genuinely different input from a month among other media artists.
The cost, stated plainly
This is a participation-fee residency. There is no stipend.
| Regular | €1,950 per person |
| Financially supported (limited) | €1,350 per person |
| Contributor (optional) | €2,610 per person |
| Registration fee | €120, non-refundable, only if selected |
Included: studio spaces, creative tools, curated library, private bedroom, kitchen and laundry access, WiFi, sauna, meditation hall, transport vehicles, bicycles, a rowing boat, orientation, and voluntary weekly meetings.
Not included: meals, personal expenses — and, notably, travel to Finland.
So the real cost is roughly €2,000–2,500 all in, before flights. That is a self-funded month, not a grant, and it should be weighed as such against the fully funded calls we covered yesterday — the Cité internationale des arts residency pays a stipend and covers travel, on an 8 October deadline.
Way Beyond is worth it if the specific interdisciplinary mix is the thing you want and you can absorb the cost. It is not worth going into debt for, and a residency that requires a BA and charges €1,950 is selecting on means as much as merit. Apply with clear eyes.
One practical note from the application requirements: there’s a mental health acknowledgment regarding trauma and severe disorders, and the programme states plainly that psychedelic use remains illegal in Finland — relevant given “Psychedelic Research” is on the field list.