Many of you probably know what NAPA does, but who are we? Currently, NAPA, The Nordic Institute in Greenland represents four Nordic countries: Greenland, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Today we’re introducing our director, Susanne Andreasen.
Susanne Andreasen is from Århus/Randers, Denmark and moved to Nuuk in 2008. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dramaturgy from Aarhus University and has a professional management qualification.
Susanne stepped into the role of director in NAPA on 1 September 2024, bringing experience as festival manager of the Suialaa Arts Festival (formerly Nuuk Nordic Culture Festival), which NAPA co-owns with Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq. She also led the National Theatre of Greenland from 2016 to 2023.
“NAPA has a great platform both through the institute and through Suialaa Arts Festival and a broad network to really connect people in artistic and cultural projects” Susanne says.
Great applications and events
The start of the year has been filled with new, interesting project applications to NAPA’s Cultural Support Program and the Nordic Arctic Programme. Together with NAPA’s employees, especially with our advisor Pipaluk Lykke, the board and external evaluators, Susanne has been busy going through the applications. And there has been a lot to go through: NAPA received a record number (64!) of applications this year to the Nordic Arctic Programme!
In January, NAPA hosted a sewing workshop during Nuuk’s Cultural Night, where participants of all ages up-cycled old fabrics: “I really enjoyed our sewing workshop at the cultural night in January where we reused old fabrics and gave them new life. There were so many nice people of all ages creating together and having a good time“ Susanne says.
Looking ahead
And there is so much to look forward to. Susanne says that there has been a lot of planning going on and she hopes that starting from May things will be more visible for the activities planned for the rest of the year. NAPA is, for example, building a Creative Business Network to support the whole creative industry in Greenland.
In autumn, Susanne looks forward to the biannual festival, Suialaa Arts Festival:
“I’m really looking forward to Suialaa Arts Festival. It’s just a joy to witness the magic that happens between the public and the artist and the new artistic meetings that takes place.”
Planning is also already taking place for activities happening next year: in the spring of 2026, NAPA will be creating the cultural program from Greenland to the Arctic Winter Games. The games will be held in Whitehorse, Canada in March 2026.
If you’re a young creative, keep an eye on our channels – we’ll soon recruit participants from Greenland to create a performance for Whitehorse.
Outside the office
When Susanne is not at the office working, she likes to spend time in nature, especially in the beautiful Nuuk fjord hiking, skiing, fishing or hunting.
Lastly, we asked, what is Susanne’s favorite word in her mother tongue Danish and why:
“Oh, that’s a tough one – maybe ‘velbekomme’, it’s something you say when you serve someone a meal and it means ‘may it become you well’. I haven’t met that word in other languages. It’s just a warm, nice word. A bit old fashioned but still being used.”
Contact Susanne
You can contact Susanne for anything related to Nordic networks and collaboration, cultural and artistic projects, Creative Business Network, or funding via NAPA’s Cultural Support Programme and Nordic Arctic Programme.
You can contact Susanne in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish or English.
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