Helsinki Experimental Series – Nomads Festival

Improvised music, dance and visual arts coalesce on an evening centered on shared encounters and being present in the moment.

Helsinki Experimental Series is not merely a concert, but a platform where new connections are formed—between artists, between audience and performers, and across artistic disciplines.

Helsinki Experimental Series (HES) expands to a new scale in autumn 2026, as the concept is brought to the main stage of Stoa as part of the Nomads Festival on October 9. This marks the most ambitious edition of the series to date, where a format known from intimate gallery settings opens into a larger space while preserving its core: encounter, risk, and co-creation.

The evening is built around the characteristic dramaturgy of the HES series, with improvised and experimental music at its center, alongside multidisciplinary performance art. Curator Sergio Castrillón combines artistic research, action research, and community engagement in a project that brings together nine artists from diverse backgrounds, forming a dynamic whole where music, dance, and visual art are in constant interaction. The performances emerge in the moment, without predetermined structures, emphasizing presence, listening, and risk-taking.

The event is organized in collaboration with the Sibelius Academy’s Global Music Department, which contributes performers in the form of students. The evening thus brings together artists working at different stages of their careers—professionals and emerging practitioners—creating a unique space for learning, interaction, and the development of new forms of collaboration.

At the core of HES is the idea of a space where traditional roles—performer and audience, professional and first-timer—can shift and transform. This becomes concrete during the “Blind Dates for Improvisers” segment, where audience members are invited to take part in the performance. These encounters unfold without prior agreements, creating unique situations in which different backgrounds and modes of expression meet, collide, and merge.

The evening at Stoa introduces the HES concept to a large auditorium for the first time, expanding the experience spatially and physically. At the same time, it retains the essence of the series: art created in the moment, grounded in listening, responsiveness, and trust.

The performers of the evening will be announced in late summer.

Duration: 3 h