As the new Director of DanseFestival Barents I have the pleasure of welcoming you to this 15th anniversary festival. I am excited to present an eclectic programme of dance and art, taking the festival to new locations around Hammerfest. This year we will be dancing in the kindergarten, at the school, in the shopping centre, at the care-home, the library, the street, and of course in the theatre. My aim is to make an inclusive festival, celebrating diversity, and offering people many different ways of engaging with dance. I am eager to present and create a platform for the many diverse Barents region cultures, languages and expressions. You will therefore see a strong Sami thread running through this festival, with both dance, storytelling, joik and music. You will also be able to experience Finnish, Swedish, Russian, Vespian and Norwegian music and dance, as well as many other nationalities, meeting to create an exciting new expression of arctic art. I welcome you to join us at DanseFestival Barents in a celebration of dance and art at 70° north this November.
Siri Wigdel
Festival Director
