Mad House is a house of live art and a community founded by artists from the independent arts scene. Mad House co-produces a diverse range of performing arts and makes them accessible to different audiences. Mad House’s visiting artists work across disciplines, bringing together different art forms and expressions. Mad House creates a space for artists and practitioners to address contemporary issues in an experimental and critical way.

Mad House started as a seasonal operator and produced programming in Helsinki, Suvilahti, Tiivistämö, between 2014 and 2018. In 2019, Mad House became a year-round house and since then regular seasonal programs have been produced in different venues in Helsinki, including its own stage in Teurastamo, Kalasatama. Since autumn 2023, Mad House’s stage is located in Sörnäinen, as part of Tekstin talo.

The programs consist of live and performance art, process-based works, installations, clubs, parties and other events, talks and workshops. The programs are multi- and interdisciplinary, bringing together artists from different backgrounds and with different approaches to performance. The programs create an artistically high-quality, rich, varied and sometimes contradictory whole.

Programme selections are made through a call for proposals, co-productions and open calls for proposals are announced separately. Mad House’s programming focuses on works by artists working in Finland. All works are co-produced with freelance artists and working groups. Mad House’s programming takes place on its own stage, in other spaces, in public spaces and online. Mad House’s own online publication can be found here.