Design Kuopio Residency

The DESIGN Kuopio Residency is run by the Ladies’ Association of Kuopio. The Ladies’ Association of Kuopio is an ideological organization which seeks to advance and support arts and crafts, design, culture, visual arts and the creative industries, as well as welfare. The Ladies’ Association of Kuopio was founded in 1860 and its handicraft school for poor girls was established in 1884. From then on, the Association has been providing handicraft, design education and employment.

Kuopio Academy of Design was founded in its current form 130 years after the association's first Craftschool. Children’s, Youth, Adults’ and Online Academy of Design are run by the Ladies’ Association of Kuopio. Academies provide design education for students of various age groups. Education is based on basic-education of arts (Ministry of Education of Finland) with emphasis on design. Education of Academies is themed by the history of Finnish design from the Stone Age to the future. Based on the Association's history, our Academy gives further education for SME’s and professionals working in the field of design as well.

DESIGN Kuopio Residency is part of Finnish FAIRE residency network and international Resartis residency network.

You can apply to the DESIGN Kuopio Residency by ongoing application, eight different Open Calls or renting a residency apartment for a short time visit in Kuopio.