As the long summer days in the far northern reaches of Europe begin their descent into long winter nights, LabforCulture turns its spotlight on the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

LabforCulture invited the creative team of the Norwegian organisation Pikene på Broen (“Girls on the Bridge”) to present a perspective on the region from their unique position in the Arctic border community of Kirkenes in the extreme northeast of Norway – 240 miles north of the Arctic Circle, close to the Russian-Norwegian border.

Pikene på Broen was established in 1996 to promote culture as an engine in the development of the local society and to stimulate cross-border cultural cooperation. Situated in the heart of the Barents Region, where “east” meets “west”, Pikene på Broen has brought together a series of diverse and dynamic voices. Personal stories and experiences are woven together to present a unique view from the very top of the world.

In this new Region in focus, LabforCulture also presents more than 100 cultural and artistic organisations from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden that are involved in cultural cooperation within the Nordic region and beyond. This section has been prepared jointly by Pikene på Broen and INTERCULT in Stockholm, Sweden – a centre for local and international activities, large-scale co-productions and gatherings on cultural policy.

Join in the debate on current issues around this Region in focus in our discussion forum.

Eight viewpoints on the Nordic region from an Arctic perspective. Proposed by Hilde Methi, Pikene på Broen, Kirkenes, Norway.