When the world turns its gaze towards the Arctic, who actually gets to speak on behalf of those of us who live here?
During this year’s festival, High North News and True Northern Arts Festival invite you to High Noon, the debate series where art and politics meet at midday. Led by editor Arne O. Holm, major questions of power, identity and the future are brought down to earth and into a Northern Norwegian reality.
The North has become the centre
The Arctic is no longer a distant periphery. The High North has become a geopolitical centre, shaped by great-power rivalry, climate change and an increased military presence. But what does this mean for the everyday lives, sense of security and self-understanding of the people who actually live here?
This year’s High Noon takes as its starting point the question: Do they see those of us who live here? Do they see the local communities, experiences and lives behind the grand maps and strategies?
Three days of topical conversations
From Wednesday to Friday, audiences are invited into open and exploratory conversations about the role of the High North in unsettled times. The format combines sharp perspectives, powerful voices and artistic contributions.
On Wednesday 24 June, the focus is on high-level political pressure, unrest and everyday life in the north.
On Thursday 25 June, attention turns to a changing USA, and the question of whether Norway needs new friends.
On Friday* 26 June, we explore what we can learn from Finland: about myths, truths and cooperation with our Nordic neighbour.
Accessibility
The event will have live speech-to-text transcription* on Friday 26 June. Speech-to-text transcription means that what is said is written down and displayed as text in real time. This makes the conversation more accessible, including for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This debate is for you if you:
- are curious about politics, society and the role of the High North in the world
- want to understand more about how geopolitics affects life in the north
- enjoy topical conversations with artistic contributions and a clear Northern Norwegian grounding
