Nordic Bridges, which is a year-long exchange of art, culture and ideas between Nordic and Canadian artists, led by Harbourfront Center in Toronto and supported by the Nordic Council of Ministerscontinues this spring with premieres and exciting events across the North American country.

“Our year-long celebration kicks into high gear this spring, with programming across Canada and across all genres of performances,” said Laura McLeod, Director of Cultural Engagement at Harbourfront Center and Senior Producer of Nordic Bridges. .

“Canadian audiences will have access to Nordic music, visual arts, film, dance and theater that are either new to Canada or a world-first collaboration between Canadian and Nordic artists.”

Highlights this spring

There are many opportunities for Canadian audiences to discover both artists already well-known in their home country and new talent, as well as other creative collaborations never produced before.

Dance performances, documentaries, theatrical performances and art exhibitions, music, workshops and conferences. Here is a selection of Nordic highlights from the launch of the second phase of the program:

• The Coastal Dance Festival at Anvil CenterBritish Columbia, with premieres by Sami artists Liv Aira, Marika Renhuvud, Sara Marielle Gaup and Camilla Therese Karlsen.

• The North American premieres of the dance performances “The Days” by Maria Nurmela and Ville Oinonen, and “Story, story, die” by Alan Lucien Øyen and his company Winter guests (several locations).

• The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto presents Sasha Huber’s first solo exhibition in North America, “You Name It”.

• Theatrical performances for children and families by Teatret Gruppe 38, Kitt Johnson X-act and Greenland National Theater at Harbourfront Centre’s JUNIOR festival.

• Feature films presented by the Toronto International Film Festival, including works by Lone Scherfig, Amanda Kernell, Iram Haq, Pirjo Honkasalo, Katrin Ottarsdóttir and 22 documentaries by Nordic filmmakers at this year’s Hot Docs Festival.

• Musical acts including Jenseeraq X Uummatit, ISÁK and Sara Ajnnak at the Alianait Arts Festival in Iqaluit.

• Monthly free Nordic lectures at Harbourfront Center and much more.

the Toronto CoMotion Festivala deaf and disabled arts festival, presented a multidisciplinary program including visual arts, music, performance, digital art, workshops and panel discussions.

Nordic artists featured in the program include deaf rapper Signmark and artists Gudrun Hasle, Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen and Erla Björk Sigmundsdóttir.

Multidisciplinary artist Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen (pictured) from Finland is artist-in-residence at Harbourfront Center in Toronto. She sees it as a great opportunity to immerse herself in another culture for several months.

Wallinheimo-Heimonen said: “I have many questions for local disability activists during my Nordic Bridges residency. For example, how do we fight for our right to exist in the future? And how do we restore people’s sense of belonging. disabilities in communities How do we change the phenomenon that non-disabled people want to help us rather than know us?

See the full program here.

Successful launch

Nordic Bridges launched in January – amid Covid-19 restrictions – with the acclaimed outdoor light art exhibition Nordic Lights at Harbourfront Centre, DesignTO’s collaborative visual art exhibition Shared Terrain, the national tour of Roy Andersson films at TIFF and events during BreakOut West in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The list of events, artists and acts will be continuously updated throughout 2022.

Keep up to date by following @NordicBridges on social networks.