Let Culture-Sápmi live!
Bilde: SMF-Sunniva Wangen // Sami Easter Festival
On behalf of the Culture-Sápmi, the Saami art- and cultural field in Finland, Norway and Sweden, we want to address the Nordic Ministries of Culture with the attached joint statement regarding the crisis the Corona virus has brought upon the Saami art- and cultural field.
Let Culture-Sápmi live!
Like the rest of the cultural sector, Culture-Sápmi is also severely affected by the corona pandemic, and we now fear that the dramatic shutdown will result in irreversible damage to the field. At the same time, we find that the crisis responses assigned to the cultural field do not support the Sámi cultural workers adequately enough, and we call for action for immediate customized measures for the Sámi art and culture field.
Culture-Sápmi spans four countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia) and Sámi cultural workers naturally work as one borderless field. The Sámi art and cultural field's economy is built on an interdependent borderless field, and vulnerable when borders are closing. As such, the Corona pandemic affects the Sámi art and cultural field as a whole, and measures taken must take this into account. This is particularly important in measures that stimulate the field in continued activity and production at this challenging time.
The Nordic cultural councils have received extraordinary funding in connection to the corona crisis. Sámi artists and cultural workers will to some extent be able to apply for funding from the cultural councils as artists elsewhere in the Nordic countries, but the fundings are not adapted to meet a cross-border cultural field.
The Sámi art and cultural field largely consist of small companies that base their activities on projects, and freelancers. They already initially receive less funding than the national cultural field. This makes Culture-Sápmi especially vulnerable to the crisis at hand triggered by the corona pandemic. Thus, Sámi cultural actors don’t have liquidity to survive a prolonged crisis. There are already large differences in working conditions and financial opportunities among Sámi artists and cultural workers. We are worried that these differences will now increase. As the national borders are closed, they have effectively divided the Sámi cultural industry and produced an extremely challenging situation.
It is of utter importance that specialized crisis responses adapted to the Sámi art and culture field’s needs are put forth.
Culture-Sápmi needs a strengthening of the different Pan-Sámi cultural fundings. An increased grant to the Sámi Parliaments will meet far more Sámi artists and could better target the Sámi cultural industrie. The new funds can be targeted in collaboration with the various cultural institutions such as the Sámi Artists' Council, the Sámi Film Institute and other pan-Sámi cultural institutions. This will ensure fundings and measures adapted to the field’s needs, and secure the efficiency and flexibility that the Sámi art and culture field needs now.
We want the new funds to benefit the entire culture of Sápmi and support in:
Establish more cross-genre work grants
Strengthen ad hoc fundings
Establish ad hoc funding to strengthen the use of digital tools for production
and delivery.
Extraordinary fundings to adapt productions and projects to the crisis
situation.
Establish grants for young Sámi talents
Strengthen the funding of the Sami cultural institutions and organizations
The Sámi art and cultural field is of a particular importance to the Sámi community and play a crucial role as cultural and language carrier. Cultural-Sápmi fears the financial consequences of this crisis, and urges that already vulnerable Sámi cultural institutions and actors, as well as future financing of Sami art and cultural life will not be affected.
Fra / From:
Christina Hætta, Sámiráđđi / Samerådet / Saami Council
Anne Lajla Utsi, International Sámi Film Institute
Niillas Somby, Sámi Dáiddárráđđi / Samisk kunstnerråd/ Sami Art Council
Kristoffer Dolmen, Sámi Dáiddaguovddas /Sami Center for contemporary art
Rolf Degerlund, Sámi Našunálateáhter Beaivváš
Cecilia Persson, Åarjelhsaemien Teatere AS
Åsa Simma, Giron Sámi teáhter
Maret Anne Sara, Elle Sofe Sara, Dáiddadállu
Aili Guttorm, Márkomeannu festivála
Stig Arne Somby, Raasten rastah and BeskánLuossaRock
Ken Are Bongo, Sámi musihkkafestivála
Oskar Östergren Njajta, Dellie maa and Aejlies
Sandra Márjá West, Riddu Riđđu festivála
Aslak Paltto, Ijahis Idja festivála
Anne Kirste Aikio, Skábmagovat filbmafestivála