Dance from Sápmi
A growing art form based in ancient traditions from the indigenous of northern Europe. Experience professional dance art from Sápmi at the Arctic Arts Summit in Umeå between 16-18th of June 2026.
Panel talks
16th of June - Ögonblicksteatern
Rural Infrastructure & Northern Dance Ecosystems
Aira Dance Company AB, Davvi Senter før scenekunst
Jimmy Lundegård, Riikka Kosola
Moderator Magda Nordstrøm
17th of June - Ögonblicksteatern
Residencies, Land and Responsibility
Hosted by SWAN
Sara Ajnnak, Liv Aira and Marika Renhuvud. Moderator Malin Vrijman
17th of June - Ögonblicksteatern
Indigenous Touring Network - Sápmi / Caribbean
Liv Aira - Invisible People Contemporary Dance, Georges-Emmanuel Arnault Anisotrophie. Moderator Eric Sjöström.
18th of June - Tonsalen, Folkets Hus
Who Tells the Arctic Story? Appropriation risks.
Hosted by Jillat Sámi Dance Center and NANU Sámi Arts International
Kuluk Helms, Johanna Njaita, Liv Aira
Rural Infrastructure & Northern Dance Ecosystems
Hosted by Aira Dance Company AB, Davvi Senter før scenekunst. Location Ögonblicksteatern Umeå, 16th of June 1.00-2.00 PM
What does it take for dance to grow, travel and remain rooted in the North? This panel looks at the practical, artistic and political infrastructure needed for sustainable dance ecosystems in rural and Arctic regions. Far from the large institutions and urban centres, artists, producers and communities are building new models for creation, touring, residencies, technical sharing, local engagement and international exchange.
Hosted by Aira Dance Company AB and Davvi – Senter for Scenekunst, the conversation brings together perspectives from the northern performing arts field to discuss what already exists, what is missing, and what needs to be strengthened. How can rural places become centres rather than peripheries? How can infrastructure support artistic freedom, fair working conditions and long-term relationships?
This is a conversation about dance, but also about access, responsibility and the future of cultural life in the North.
Indigenous Touring Network – Sápmi / Caribbean
Hosted by Invisible People Contemporary Dance and Anisotropie. Location Ögonblicksteatern Umeå, 17th of June 1.00-2.00 PM
How can Indigenous artists tour across oceans, borders and colonial geographies without being forced into systems that were not built for them? This panel explores the emerging idea of an Indigenous Touring Network between Sápmi and the Caribbean, connecting artists, presenters, communities and cultural organisations through shared values rather than standard market logic.
Hosted by Invisible People Contemporary Dance and Anisotropie, the conversation looks at touring as more than mobility. It is about relationships, reciprocity, language, land, climate, care and self-determination. What kinds of networks are needed when distance is not only geographical, but also historical and political? How can Indigenous-led structures create new routes for performance, knowledge exchange and long-term collaboration?
The panel invites audiences to think beyond conventional touring models and imagine a performing arts infrastructure where Indigenous perspectives define the terms of movement, presentation and encounter.
Who Tells the Arctic Story? Appropriation Risks
Hosted by Jillat – Sami Dance Center and NANU Sámi Arts International. Location Tonsalen - Folkets Hus Umeå. Thursday the 18th of June, 1.00 - 2.00PM
The Arctic is often described from the outside: as wilderness, resource, climate symbol, exotic backdrop or future frontier. But who has the right, knowledge and responsibility to tell Arctic stories? This panel addresses the risks of appropriation when northern and Indigenous cultures, aesthetics and political struggles are used without deep understanding, consent or accountability.
Hosted by Jillat – Sami Dance Center and NANU Sámi Arts International, the conversation opens a necessary discussion about representation, authorship and power in the arts. How do we distinguish between exchange, inspiration and extraction? What responsibilities do artists, institutions, funders and festivals carry when presenting work connected to Arctic and Indigenous contexts?
This panel does not offer simple rules. Instead, it invites a more careful and honest conversation about how stories travel, who benefits from them, and what it means to work with respect in the Arctic today.
Tickets for shows
We only have a limited amount of tickets for each show, and when the show is fully booked you are free to queue for potentional no-shows or returned tickets.