Our Story in Numbers since the inauguration in november 2024
82 artists
have worked here
in projects that we started or that the artists initiated themselves
47 signed
new established collaborations
with local artists and organizations in Sápmi, schools, institutions in Sweden and international organizations
14 residencies
hosted by us or others
and we will end the year with at least 15 in total
1012 visitors
at activities like
events, premieres, concerts, workshops and activities for children
For artists
We are a production house for freelance artists and we offer a safe and judgement free space for creation. We especially welcome indigenous dance artists but our house is open also for artists from other art forms and cultures.
Residency 14th - 27th of July at Jillat & in Storforsen
Manda Rydman
& Anna Mariann McKenna
Manda and Anna Mariann will share a work in progress performance and an artistic talk during their residency connected to this years Skájdde!
Wing It – A Circus Metamorphosis!
Inspired by the transformation of the moth, Cocoon Company invites audiences on a vibrant circus journey through the beauty, madness, and sometimes downright danger of change. Featuring aerial acrobatics, sword swallowing, and barefoot walks across broken glass.
Everything changes with time—so why resist when you can embrace the transformation?
The visual explosion of colourful costumes is an integral part of the story. Each costume is created through recycling, using discarded materials and forgotten remnants. From what has been left behind, something unique emerges—a reminder that both objects and people can be reborn, stronger and stranger than before.
About Cocoon Company
Cocoon Company is an all-female contemporary circus company that combines the immediacy of the sideshow tradition with a distinctive visual aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from science fiction, organic stage imagery, and moths, the company's artistic practice is deeply rooted in recycling and upcycling, with costume design playing a central role in the creative process.
For programmers
Are you interested in a Sámi production or want to get in contact with any of the connected artists? We can also help you set up your own residency at Jillat or arrange for you to support a specific artist.
Featured artist
Johannes Kaaby Hellstenius
Johannes recently completed his bachelor’s degree in dance and choreography at the College of Dance Art in Oslo. While addressing his cultural sami and norwegian roots, he employs the expressive possibilities of music, theatre, drama and dance in his practice, which was shaped initially by years of operatic singing at the National Opera in Oslo, as well as by experience with musical instruments, such as drums, guitar, kashaka, and double bass. His engagement with performative arts began on a theatre stage, and progressed to dance and movement, a shift caused by the artist’s special interest for Vsevolod Meyerhold's biomechanics. His practice now intertwines with a set of theoretical studies, such as sami history, political conflicts and music theory, and his focus in dance and choreography lies in composition and dynamics between humans and non-human.
A safe space for meetings
WELCOME TO CREATE
WITH US
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The first Sami Dance Center is open in Vuollerim, Jokkmokk municipality in Sweden. This is a place for artists to create and meet and also a place for dance and circus performances. You can also plan your next conference here.
The start of this project is supported by Kulturbryggan