Register for Open call: Jårrh!

Jårrh! is an artist residency for Indigenous artists worldwide who work with choreography and movement. We offer you time and space to develop your ideas and practice within a collaborative environment, set in the heart of the Sámi cultural landscape of Dearna (Tärnaby), Sweden. The deadline for applications is January 26, 2025.

• For the second year, the Sámi cultural center Aejlies, in partnership with Riksteatern, invites applications to the Jårrh! residency.
• “Jårrh!” translates to “dance” or “spin” in South Sámi.
• This residency is open to one or more artists who identify as Indigenous and work with choreography and movement in diverse forms.
• The location is Dearna (Tärnaby), a Sámi community in northern Sweden. The residency will last two to four weeks, during late summer or autumn of 2025.
• Organizers will cover fees, travel, accommodation, workspaces, and foster connections with local people and networks.

A Secure Indigenous Context for Meaningful Exchange

We aim to provide you, as an artist, with the opportunity to develop your artistic ideas and practice within a secure Indigenous setting. Here, you can work in peace, immerse yourself in the mountainous landscape, and connect with the local culture and community.

Our ambition is to create an ideal environment for artistic exploration on your own terms, while also facilitating enriching exchanges with the local community and arts scene.

We do not require the creation of a final piece or performance, but we look forward to planning some form of public engagement with you during the residency.

Applications are open to solo artists or to groups of collaborators. If you wish to bring family members, we can discuss possible arrangements.

Accommodation, Workspace, and Hospitality

In Dearna, set in a beautiful mountain landscape, you’ll have access to comfortable accommodation and nearby workspaces, including a dance studio, craft rooms, office, and communal spaces with an outdoor firepit. Nature is close by, with many hiking trails to explore.

A project coordinator will help you settle in and facilitate connections with the local community and others nearby. Our hope is that this residency will be both rewarding and enlightening for all involved.

Fees and Expenses

The residency includes a weekly fee of 12,500 SEK plus VAT. In addition, there are funds available for other stay-related costs. The organizers will cover travel expenses to and from the residency site. It’s possible to apply with multiple collaborators.

If you require additional production funding or if your project needs more participants, please specify this in your project proposal. The budget will be decided in consultation with the project coordinator and the steering committee.

Residency Period

We will agree on a suitable residency period with you, to take place sometime between August 18 and October 31, 2025. The residency duration can be two to four weeks.

Application and Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by a selection group that includes Indigenous artists, representatives from the Sámi local community, and members of Aejlies and Riksteatern. Applications will be assessed based on your project proposal and how you aim to develop your idea or practice within this specific Indigenous context. We encourage projects that expand and deepen the concept of choreography.

A select number of applicants will be invited to a digital conversation with the selection group before a final decision is made. We will inform all applicants of the outcome by February 28, 2025.

In the form below, we ask you to respond and upload the required materials no later than January 26. Applications can be submitted in English or Swedish. If you are applying as a group, please designate one person as the main applicant and contact person.

For any questions, please contact:

Marit-Shirin Carolasdotter, Project Coordinator at Jårrh!
marit-shirin@aejlies.se

About the Organizers

Aejlies is a Sámi cultural center in Tärnaby, offering a Sámi gathering space since 2020 with exhibitions, courses, cultural events, and a growing international residency program. Read more here.

Riksteatern, Sweden’s national touring theater, has supported regional dance residencies across the country since 2015, in collaboration with local organizations, to give professional artists the opportunity to develop their ideas in a place-specific context with both audience and organizers. Read more here. (https://www.riksteatern.se/dans/regionala-dansresidens/

The residency is supported by Region Västerbotten, IASPIS and the Swedish Arts Council.