Nordic Council Prizes to Faroese Literature and Film This year's Nordic Council literature prize has been awarded to the Faroese writer Vónbjørt Vang for the poetry collectionSvørt orkidé. The council's film prize was also awarded to a Faroese production for the very first time:Seinasta paradís á jørð.
While the US Is Crumbling, I Seek Refuge in an Art Museum Comment: The news stories are coming in at a relentless pace. I am seeking refuge in the latest addition to the northern art scene. The Northern Norwegian Art Museum is now in place in Bodø, northern Norway, inviting us to understand both our past and our future.
“Before You Can Act, You Must Feel” Tromsø, Northern Norway (High North News): In an Arctic landscape increasingly characterized by geopolitics, security, and climate, literature can be the key to expanding the room for action and engaging more people, believes literature researcher Henning Howlid Wærp at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. "Before you can act, you must feel," the researcher tells HNN.
To Show Silent Film from 1920s Sápmi With New Tunes Sámi musicians will put the nearly 100-year-old silent filmBy Sledge and Reindeer in Inka Länta's Winterlandfrom Northern Sweden into a new context. The silent film concert will be performed during January's Tromsø International Film Festival.
The Arctic Mining City Kiruna Can Become the European Capital of Culture On Friday, it will be decided whether Kiruna in Northern Sweden will be the European Capital of Culture in 2029. If so, it will be the third Arctic city to receive the title this decade.
Culture Is Evicted From the High North, but Not Even Soldiers Can Live on Bread Alone Comment: I don't know how many ministers and politicians I have heard speaking fondly about the significance of culture for the High North. I just know there have been many. From now on, however, we will be free of that fuss.
Norway's Government Cuts Culture as Part of the High North Strategy In the national budget for 2025, the Norwegian government proposes a cut of NOK 4 million in funds for cultural cooperation in the High North. "Defense policy is not the only thing that must be pursued in the North," replies major cultural institutions in Northern Norway.
Where Are We Going? To Northern Norway or North Korea? Commentary: Russia's President Vladimir Putin recently followed in Donald Trump's footsteps and met North Korea's brutal dictator Kim Jong-un. In Brussels, NATO is preparing its nuclear weapons. We all make our own choices. I am going to Harstad, Northern Norway.
Pan-Arctic Vision 2024 in Greenland: Seeking Arctic Artists To This Fall's Big Stage in Nuuk This year's Pan-ArcticVision will take place in Greenland in October – and calls for contributions from Arctic artists with northern tones and words to express. This is an adventurous opportunity to form border-crossing bonds, share music, and strike a blow for the power of definition in the circumpolar north, the organizers tempt.
First Sami Film Premieres on Netflix: "I Am Nervous" For the first time, the streaming service Netflix is showing an original production from Sápmi.Stolenis based on Ann-Helén Laestadius' critically acclaimed book of the same name and premiered on Friday.
The Fictional Story of The 2020 Kiruna Mine Earthquake The town of Kiruna in the Swedish Arctic is sinking due to the giant mine below and the town is in danger of collapsing. The residents have to evacuate, but the mining town is sinking faster than anyone thought. This is the plot behind the new Netflix movieThe Abyss, based on a real-life event.
The World’s Two Northernmost Professional Orchestras Join Forces They are the two northernmost professional orchestras. This week, the Lapland Chamber Orchestra from Finland cooperates with the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway for the first time. 2024 may be the start of a lasting musical collaboration in the North.
Rich Selection of Powerful Films From Across the Arctic Region This week, the Tromsø International Film Festival offers new films from all eight Arctic countries. From miracles, wonder, and love – to art in geopolitical turbulence, past traumas, and gaining a foothold in the new world. These are some of the keywords for this year's range.
Behind a Desk, They Decide Over Life and Death - Bob Dylan, 1962 Commentary: "Come, you masters of war. You that hide behind walls. You that hide behind desks." I resort to Bob Dylan in the search for words to describe a world in which bestiality is the subject of every headline.
Tromsø Will Be the First Arctic European Youth Capital Tromsø in Northern Norway has been awarded the title of European Youth Capital 2026 with the concept "True North". "We will show that young people from the Arctic are of key strategic importance for Europe," says Luna Drecker, leader of the Tromsø Youth Council.
Arctic Winds During Iceland Airwaves These days, Arctic music is celebrated during the Iceland Airwaves festival in Reykjavik. The concert series Arctic Waves, developed in collaboration with festivals from Sàpmi, Greenland, and Canada, invites a captivating Northern world of sound.
Joint Film Company in Northern Norway The three film companies in Northern Norway are to be merged following recent decisions by their owners, the two northern county councils. This is meant to strengthen regional film ventures and the North’s position within the national film policy.
European Capital of Culture: Bodø2024 Will Put Northern Norway on the Map The aim of Bodø2024 is to make Nordland more attractive. "Sadly, we see that we are becoming fewer inhabitants in Nordland despite the fact that we need more labor. Culture may not be able to solve all problems, but we will contribute to reversing the trend," says the Director of Bodø 2024 Andrè Wallann Larsen.
An Alluring Arctic Universe of Film The entire Arctic region will soon be displayed on the big screen during the vibrant Tromsø International Film Festival, Northern Norway. The fight for climate and coastal communities, strong indigenous perspectives, and the imminent danger of both war and laughter are among the keywords for the film depictions from the North.
Award-Winning Film Director to Bodø With Documentary About Putin's Inner Circle Vitalij Manskij is one of Russia's best-known documentary film makers. On Sunday, he is in Bodø, Northern Norway to show his film portraying how Vladimir Putin became president.
The High North Tour 2021: What Happens to Cultural Entrepreneurs during the Pandemic? Harstad: “I am first and foremost worried about those who now leave the cultural sector”, says PhD Candidate Heidi Angell Strøm at UiT Harstad. What was meant to be a research project on cultural entrepreneurs in the Arctic instead became a study in how the pandemic has hit culture in the High North.
High North Tour 2021: “Perhaps I am Kind of A Musical GP in Røst” Røst: In Røst, you can “hire musical services” at the local town hall. Mikael Rönnberg, Norway’s and perhaps the world’s only island musician, is at the disposal of associations, clubs as well as private persons in one of Norway’s smallest municipalities.
Oulu is in the running to the European Capital of Culture 2026 The Finnish city of Oulu Continues its Journey in the European Capital of Culture Bid. If they succeed, this will be the second Arctic city to wear the title after Bodø in Northern Norway, that is European Capital of Culture 2024.
Soul of the Russian North Novelist Fyodor Abramov – 100 Years February 29th marks the 100th birthday of Fyodor Alexandrovich Abramov (1920-1983), the novelist and literary critic whose writings embody the soul of the Russian North.
Responding to the silencing of Arctic Cultures Scholars across the Arctic calls for more attention to local cultures when strategies, literatures and exhibitions seek to depict the conditions of the circumpolar North. During a workshop at University of Cambridge, they presented some of these alternative narratives of what the Arctic also encompasses.
Move Over, Minister, You Are Blocking the Sun The opponents of Norwegian membership in what back then was the EEC used culture as one of its key tools. "Move over, EEC, you are blocking the sun" was the title of a record released in 1972. Today, Norwegian Minister of Culture Trine Skei Grande is blocking the sun when cultural cooperation between the Arctic and Europe is strengthened.
Indigenous Languages Act sparks controversy In time for the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages, Canada has tabled an Indigenous Languages Act, which has been received with mixed reactions and was even termed “colonial” by some indigenous groups. It has also given rise to questions about funding for language education, as well as Indigenous rights.
The North Norwegian musician, artist, and friend Terje Nilsen died this week. One of his many capacities was to remind us about where we are from Dear Reader!
Editorial: The Chinese Dilemma I just spent some days in China. Or rather; China came to me – in the form of the Barents Spektakel cultural festival in Kirkenes. For one week, the town on the border to Russia was turned into a Norwegian Chinatown. That is both impressive and a cause for further reflection.
