Call for Indigenous Artists – AIAAR 2026 Aejlies Indigenous Arctic Art Residency in Dearna, Sweden. AIAAR is a residency for Indigenous artists from the Canadian North, hosted by the Sámi cultural center Aejlies. Set in Dearna (Tärnaby), Sweden – a mountain village in the heart of Sápmi – the residency offers a unique opportunity to develop your ideas and artistic practice in a collaborative, Indigenous-led environment. Deadline for applications: September 5, 2025.

Call for Indigenous Artists – AIAAR 2026

Aejlies Indigenous Arctic Art Residency in Dearna, Sweden

Deadline for applications: September 5, 2025

AIAAR is a residency for Indigenous artists from the Canadian North, hosted by the Sámi cultural centre Aejlies.

Set in Dearna (Tärnaby), Sweden – a mountain village in the heart of Sápmi – the residency offers a unique opportunity to develop your ideas and artistic practice in a collaborative, Indigenous-led environment. 

We welcome artists from all disciplines, with a special invitation to those who explore or incorporate handicraft traditions or traditional knowledge in their work.

AIAAR is hosted by the Sámi culture institution Aejlies and financed by The Global Arctic Leadership Initiative (GALI), a Canadian program that supports initiatives that promote Canada's interests and values in international Arctic engagement.
(Their definition of the Canadian north is; Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Quebec and Labrador).

About the Residency

AIAAR offers: 

• A stay of 2–4 weeks in February/March 2026 (based on your needs)
• An artist fee of 35,000 SEK (approx. 5,000 CAD)
• Covered travel costs to and from Sweden
• Accommodation and access to various workspaces
• Opportunities to build meaningful connections within the Sámi community

This is a residency shaped around your practice and your needs. Whether you are looking for quiet time to work, new inspiration, or local collaboration, we aim to provide the support and setting to make that possible.

We do not have any requests that you produce art during your stay, it can be a work of research, tests or other practices.

Residency periods will also be offered in October/November 2026 – this call is for the spring period. A separate call for the fall will be announced later.

A Secure Indigenous Context for Artistic Exploration

Aejlies offers a Sámi-led residency environment rooted in Indigenous traditions and perspectives.

Here, you’ll be free to focus on your work, connect with the surrounding mountain landscape, and engage with Sámi culture and everyday life. 

There is no requirement to present a finished piece, but we look forward to co-planning some form of public engagement with the local community during your stay.

This could be a talk, a workshop, a work-in-progress performance, an open studio, or another format we define together. 

You can apply as a solo artist or as a pair. If applying as two artists, please submit a joint proposal

Facilities and Environment

Dearna (Tärnaby) is a small Sámi community in northern Sweden, surrounded by mountains, lakes and rivers. You’ll be hosted in comfortable local accommodation and have access to shared workspaces such as: 

• A large studio, with dance floor
• Craft rooms
• Art studio
• Office
• Communal gathering spaces  

Nature is close by, with much to explore. Aejlies will support your arrival and facilitate connections with people in the local community – such as elders, artists, and culture bearers.

Fees and Additional Support

The residency provides an artist honorarium of 35,000 SEK (approximately 5,000 CAD), along with covered travel expenses.

Additional funding is available for local transportation, materials, and other stay-related. It is also possible to apply from Canada Coucil for the Arts, we keep an open dialogue about this funding with all involved.

If your project requires additional production funding or involves more than two participants, please outline this in your application. The final budget will be agreed upon in consultation with the project coordinator and Aejlies' steering group.

How to Apply

Applications are reviewed by a selection group including Indigenous artists, local Sámi representatives, and members of Aejlies. We will assess your application based on your artistic proposal and how you wish to develop your practice within this Indigenous context. 

A number of applicants will be invited to an online conversation before the final decision is made. All applicants will be notified of the outcome in November 2025.

Please submit the following materials via the application form by September 5, 2025. 

• A short biography (approx. 500 characters)
• A brief project proposal (max. 2,000 characters)
• Your CV
• A portfolio with up to five relevant projects (max. three images per project)
• If applying as a pair, include both CVs in the same file
• Tell us how you heard about this residency (open question

Applications are welcome in English or French. If needed you can contact the Canada Council for the Arts for translation help.

Read more about AIAAR: [https://aejlies.se/aiaar]

Contact

 Oskar Östergren Njajta, Director of Aejlies Sámi Center

If you need to get in touch, please contact us through the 'Contact curator' tab. 

About the Organisers

Aejlies is a Sámi cultural centre and gathering space in Tärnaby, Sweden, founded in 2020. Through exhibitions, courses, cultural events, and international residencies, Aejlies supports Sámi and other Indigenous artists across disciplines.

The AIAAR residency is financed by GALI – the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative in Canada – and is part of a long-term effort to build stronger connections between Sápmi and Indigenous communities in the Canadian North.

The aim is to establish a sustainable Arctic Indigenous Art Residency, foster ongoing artistic collaborations, and encourage the development of new projects grounded in Indigenous and Arctic perspectives.