Kulturhuvudstaden Kiruna

Our artistic vision is to share our strong and captivating stories, indigenous traditions and our Arctic take on contemporary challenges that affects all of Europe.

We have both cultural cathedrals and an abundance of creative space. We have state-funded institutions as well as a wide span of grass-roots movements and world class artists. Welcome to our playground.

Movement – Below Ground. On Earth. In Space. is something that defines us, that runs through the veins of everyone living here, both historically and currently, regardless of culture or traditions.

The core of our artistic vision is to always apply a female gaze, keeping our young community involved and integrating perspectives from the indigenous Sami people and Tornedalian cultures on their own terms. Making sure the artistic vision becomes reality, our strategy is that whenever you will visit Kiruna, there will be an event going on, a cultural site to enjoy or a sensorial experience to be had, regardless the time of year.

Just like Kiruna itself, our strategy is to use a mix of contrasting elements in our programme to keep an interesting balance. A few projects, like the Human Machine and Kultura Kiruna, are large-scale for big audiences. Others are exclusively for you to explore on your own in private, like Culture Knocks on Your Door or having a date-night at a fireplace around a Natural Gathering site. Behind the Gates will go down deep and Eadnámet will rise high above. Take a Bite at Nature will last all year and Open up to Culture just for a moment. Regardless of depth, length or width, they will all spark an emotional or physical movement.

With our vision and programme, we will raise sensitive topics around the city transformation, the right of land and rural exclusion. Through creative methods and artistic outlets we want to touch upon issues that create cracks and conflicts within ourselves and in our society, alongside with the joy and compassion that we have for one another and care for future generations, history and nature. We see the cracks appearing everywhere and we will use the movement as opportunity for something new, vibrant and colourful to take place.

We will dig deep – into the mycelium of stories, histories, contemporary myths and future legends. Equally to building a new city, producing a world-class flagship cultural event requires a solid foundation of creative professionals and an engaged community. We will turn people’s eyes towards the sky by inviting them, to not only imagine new futures, but to shape those futures with their own creativity and input. Kiruna’s citizens of all ages will have the possibility to step in and be part of the Human Machine dance company or the Human Machine choir or the Youth production team, years in advance of our celebration year as a way to slowly and steadily build competence in our region and capacity to deliver magical Human Machine events out of the ordinary.

By working with local, national and international professionals, organisations and associations, we’ll be able to highlight the specific contrasts of Kiruna, the past and the present, the light and the dark, the height and the depth, the humans and the machines.