Summer Academy for Artistic research (SAAR) 

SAAR provides a supportive setting where artist-researchers from all fields collaborate, present their on-going artistic work, and research and receive feedback from experienced tutors and peers from leading academic art institutions.

People walking away from the camera on a summer evening at a wooded area, sun is setting in the background.

About SAAR

SAAR – Summer Academy for Artistic research – has been functioning as a Nordic network since the year 2014. Partner universities from Sweden, Norway and Finland cooperate and take turns to host SAAR each year. SAAR originally started out as an international open call event in the year 2011. It was then organized in Helsinki and on the Seili island in Finland. The second event was also organized in Helsinki, in 2013. 

Today SAAR provides a supportive setting where artist-researchers (PhD candidates, Doctoral candidates, or Research fellows in artistic research) from all fields collaborate, present their on-going artistic work, and research and receive feedback from experienced tutors and peers from leading academic art institutions. The summer academy aims to reflect the international diversity and scope of artistic research and to provide a stimulating intellectual environment. It seeks to clarify, discuss, and develop further emerging themes and issues arising out of the individual fellowship projects of the participants within the framework of artistic research.

The activities of SAAR take different forms of intensive conversation, supervision, and shared practices. SAAR is based on the participants’ projects and activities are centered around their projects as well as questions and thoughts generated by this specific context.

The weeklong SAAR gathering is open for participants from the Nordic networks partner organisations. The Nordic partner organisations choose the participants internally each spring, and the event itself is held in August.

The hosts of the Nordic SAAR events

2014 University of the Arts Helsinki

2015 Stockholm University of the Arts

2016 Norwegian Artistic Research Programme (NARP)

2017 University of the Arts Helsinki

2018 Malmö Academy of Music, Lund university

2019 The Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education

2021 University of the Arts Helsinki

2022 University of Gothenburg

2023 Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills

2024 University of the Arts Helsinki

Contact information for the SAAR network

The Nordic network is coordinated by the University of the Arts Helsinki. 

SAAR Network Coordinator
Michaela Bränn, Specialist, The Academy of Fine Arts at the University of the Arts Helsinki
michaela.brann@uniarts.fi

Finland

Professor Susanna Helke
Department of Film, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University
susanna.helke@aalto.fi

Norway 

Geir Ivar Strøm, Policy Director, Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills
geir.strom@hkdir.no

Ingrid Milde, Adviser 
ingrid.milde@hkdir.no 

Sweden

Anna Frisk, Doctoral Education officer, HDK-Valand – Academy of Art and Design / Academy of Music and Drama, The Artistic Faculty
anna.frisk@konst.gu.se

Collaborators

Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills

The Department of Film at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University

Stockholm University of the Arts

Artistic Faculty, University of Gothenburg

University of Lund

University of the Arts Helsinki

Lead organisation

University of the Arts Helsinki

Contact

  • Michaela Bränn

    Specialist, Study services Academy of Fine Arts, Academy of Fine Arts
    +358406313553
    michaela.brann@uniarts.fi