Principles for Respectful Collaboration with Kalaallit Nunaat’s Arts and Culture Sector

Interest in Greenland is growing. More and more Nordic and international artists, cultural institutions, film productions, festivals and researchers wish to collaborate with actors in Kalaallit Nunaat. This creates exciting opportunities for exchange and new partnerships – but it also raises important questions about how collaborations are established and carried out.

NAPA – the Nordic Institute in Greenland – is therefore coordinating a process that will result in Principles for Respectful Collaboration with Kalaallit Nunaat’s Arts and Cultural Life. The aim is to develop a practical tool that can help external actors enter into collaborations based on respect, equality, local anchoring and mutual understanding.

The principles will, among other things, contribute to:

• strengthening equal collaborations between local and external actors
• ensuring that Greenlandic voices and perspectives are heard
• preventing misunderstandings and misrepresentation
• supporting cultural integrity and self-determination
• creating better frameworks for sustainable collaborations across countries and cultures

Workshops in Nuuk and Sisimiut

As a central part of the process, NAPA invites artists, cultural workers, institutions and organisations to take part in workshops where the principles will be developed together with the Greenlandic arts and culture sector.

Nuuk 8 October 2026, 09:00–16:00, Katuaq

Sisimiut 10 October 2026, 09:00–16:00, Taseralik

Participants will contribute with experiences, perspectives and concrete suggestions on what characterises good and respectful collaborations between Kalaallit Nunaat’s arts and cultural life and external partners.

Representatives from the Saami Council will also take part in the workshops and contribute with experiences from working with similar issues in Sápmi. Their participation creates an opportunity for knowledge exchange and reflection across Indigenous peoples’ experiences with collaboration, representation and cultural self-determination.

“We want to collaborate, but on our own terms. It is important that people coming from outside respect our culture, and it is our responsibility to show them what kalaallit/inuit culture is. In this way, collaboration between different cultures in Kalaallit Nunaat will become easier in the future.”

– AneMarie Ottosen, project coordinator

Registration

Lunch, coffee and tea will be served during the day. As a thank you for participating, all participants will receive a fee of 2,000 DKK.

Registration deadline: 1 September 2026, or until all places are filled.

Register here (in Danish or Greenlandic):
https://forms.gle/6UbnhWy12QuD6JAu6

If you have any questions you can reach out to NAPA at naja@napa.gl.