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.
Amund Sjølie Sveen: Uses Art As Testing Ground for Major Political Ideas and Critique of Power Harstad (High North News): For ten years, Amund Sjølie Sveen has traveled the Arctic with Nordting – a people's movement and an artistic-political project. With political analyses, critical takes on power, and referendums – with supplementary sing-alongs, dancing, and vodka – Nordting offers a democratic arena to explore a different world.
Icelandic Author Couple: Literature Allows Us To Explore Everything, Including the End of the World Harstad (High North News): "We Icelanders never prepare for anything," says the author couple Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir and Jón Kalman Stefánsson. They admire the Norwegian practical preparedness thinking but also remind us of the resistance power of traveling literature and maintain that a preparedness storage must also include a book and a ukulele.
When Uniform Meets Poet, Magical Things Could Happen Commentary: Why does one push oneself through a marathon week of debates year after year during the Arctic Arts Festival? I will tell you; conversations between people trump everything, and because Harstad was the center of exciting cultural meetings without respect for country borders this week.