Sortavala is a multi-cultural town with rich and complicated history – it houses more than 200 objects of cultural and historic heritage, more than any place in Karelia. Art Residence is located in the centre of Sortavala in a historical building Seurahuone which also houses "Social and cultural youth centre" with a number of studios and clubs where residents can meet local schoolchildren, students and staff of the centre. Living and working areas of the residence has separate entrance from the backyard, right on the Ladoga shore. Within the walking distance from the AR one can find the library, music school with concert hall, art school with ceramic studio and etching press, museum of local history of Northern Ladoga Region.

AR offers to residents:
– room 40 square meters (separate living and working areas);
– two beds (sleeping area with 1 window 4.5m\2.5m);
– work desk in a well-lit studio with 3 windows (5.3 m\4.5 m) (other equipment and materials can be arranged if discussed in advance);
– computer with Adobe Illustrator CC+Photoshop CC;
– projector and screen;
– kitchen (cooker, water boiler, main water supply);
– toilet room with and shower and washing machine;
– Internet access;
– first line accommodation – entrance is facing Ladoga embankment.

Goals of the Residence:
– to maintain creative environment for cross-cultural communication and dialogue between culture and everyday life;
– to provide support for contemporary artists of all ages, genres, origins and backgrounds.
– AR positions itself as a platform for multi-discipline initiatives providing opportunities for studies in diverse areas through:
– visual art (painters, photographers, graphic artists);
– performance, site specific art, theatre, dance, Open air.
AR program necessary includes different forms of communication with local audience.

Residence programs are focused on studies of local context, with emphasis on young artists at the beginning of their art career.

To learn about the results of the residency activities in first years of its operation, see the report (in Ru only).