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Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from supperssion to imagination

 

Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from suppression to imagination

July 8, 2025

Written by Kate Ngan Wa Ao

Saba Pouyeshman, multidisciplinary artist from Iran (Photo: Kate Ngan Wa Ao / Safemuse)

Saba Pouyeshman was born in Karaj, Iran, in 1997 and grew up in a large family. She discovered her passion for acting at a young age, often dressing up and improvising for hours, creating characters. Acting has been a way for her both to connect with the world and to disconnect from it when it becomes overwhelming; it creates a unique safe space for her.

Saba studied Cinema and Screenwriting at university in Iran, but her passion for acting never faded. She eventually pursued a career in theater. After working as an actress for nearly a decade, her journey was challenged by the harsh realities of censorship and the suppression of creative freedom. While working in Iranian theater, she experienced firsthand how freedom of expression was often manipulated as a tool of propaganda. Performance content and dress codes were strictly controlled, making it increasingly difficult for Saba to continue her work.

— When I was working in the theatre in Iran, I was often asked and forced to change my clothing not based on my character’s story, but solely to comply with the Islamic Republic’s strict dress codes, covering my hair and any exposed skin. I was constantly in conflict with myself while performing; I felt like a liar. The more I acted, the more suffocated I felt. Saba says.

— I developed a deep anger toward the endless, senseless limitations placed on artistic freedom. These obstacles not only affect individuals, but they also shape narratives, enforce propaganda in art, and destroy valuable cultural expression. I stepped away from acting, overwhelmed by depression. Saba recalls.

For a couple of years, I felt disconnected from all art forms. Being an artist under censorship and suppression often felt hopeless. But thankfully, art is more powerful than any dictatorship; it is part of what makes us human and cannot be silenced so easily. Slowly, the spark within me was reignited through a new artistic practice.

— Saba Pouyeshamn

Saba as an actress back in Iran in 2018 (Photo: published with the artist's permission)

Where Art Could Begin Again

Saba and another multidisciplinary Iranian artist, Pouya Pour-Amin, participated in Safemuse’s Safe Haven artistic residency program in Hvitsten in the spring of 2024 together, organised in collaboration with local partner Hvitsten Salong. Later, they spent the second part of their residency in Oslo, in collaboration with Nordic Black Theatre.

In Tehran, where she lived in an apartment surrounded by some hostile neighbours who supported the regime, Saba was under constant threat and anxiety, and was close to losing the strength to be an artist. But after moving to Hvitsten, she found herself inspired by the landscape and nature, and since then, she has spent nearly every drawing and painting.

From Tehran to Hvitsten, from a small, tense apartment to a beautiful house in the woods, right beside the fjord. From hostile, watchful neighbours to the amazing, open-hearted, and warm community of Hvitsten. This shift made me want to be bold and free in my art again. I was finally able to relax and create, says Saba.

—  Saba Pouyeshman 

Saba’s drawings were exhibited at Hvitsten Salong in 2024. The residency coordinator at Safemuse and the director of Hvitsten Salong, Jon Lundell, welcomed her and Pouya to their local community. He recalls:

— Saba, who has a multidisciplinary background, worked in several different art forms at Hvitsten Art Haven. She has a prominent role as an actress in the making of the play Prison Episodes together with Pouya Pouramin, and she has also been exploring and working more comprehensively with drawings.

— Both Saba and Pouya were a delight to have in Hvitsten! It is not always easy to come into a new reality in a small community like this, but their personalities, presence, warmth, and genuine interest in other people made it a simple joy to work with and facilitate.

Exhibition view of Saba’s drawing at Hvitsten Salong 2024 (Photo: Cronje Strøm / Hvitsten Salong)

Reborn in Dark Mytholog

After a temporary farewell to acting, Saba became interested in the theoretical side of art, particularly art history. She studied The History of Modern Art and The History of Modern Sculpture independently, and researched motifs in Iranian fabrics and pottery, as well as modern painting in Iran. These studies of visual traditions and symbolism, especially those rooted in mythology, have become the main inspiration for her artistic work now.

During her artist residency in Norway, Saba developed a new way to connect her past and present, merging performance and visual art into a distinctive practice. She once again dressed up as characters, but this time used her body and gestures not only as expressive tools, but also for mark-making, storytelling, and reclaiming her voice through the whole process of image-making.

— For example, in Fairy Invoker, I draw from Iranian folklore about the Fairy Caller, who traps fairies for good or bad purposes, some to save the world, others to destroy it. I imagine myself as one of these trapped fairies, each carrying different emotions and stories: fleeing, struggling, angry, calm, or meditative. I set up my camera to capture my movements and gestures as those fairies. Later, I drew the characters I once created and performed, Saba says.

— This is where my artistic practice lives, connected with storytelling, memories, and folklore. I want to explore what lies between reality and the supernatural; the visible and the invisible; the spoken and the unspoken. My performances are based on imagination, ancestral ghosts, childhood fears, and playful spirits. For me, life is aligned with magic, talismans, jinns, demons, fairies… Saba says.

Saba Pouyeshman, Fairy Invoker, carved in a wooden box, 2025 (Photo: courtesy of the artist)
Saba Pouyeshman's sketches, 2025 (Photo: courtesy of the artist)

Myth, Wonder, and New Beginnings

Saba has many dreams to fulfill and continues to look forward. Now being in Norway, she is excited to learn more about Norse mythology, not just through books, but through the landscape, people, and living traditions. One of her artistic goals is to explore stories from the dark realms of mythology through different artistic media. She is deeply drawn to the mysterious, magical, and sometimes eerie elements of folklore and believes these stories hold powerful potential, not to frighten, but to inspire imagination, strength, and curiosity. Her goal is to create work that speaks to a raw and honest sense of wonder, inviting deeper questions and new ways of thinking.

— Mythological stories have the power to plant a seed of doubt, and I believe doubt is a beautiful and essential part of life. It’s often the first step toward thinking differently, asking deeper questions, and ultimately creating something new. Doubt opens the door to wonder, and through my art, I want to offer that door to others, says Saba.

Since July 2025, Saba has joined Safemuse as part of the Aspirant Scheme, a fellowship supported by Arts Council Norway. The programme will provide her with opportunities to gain experience in the arts and culture field, while also supporting her development as an artist. She will be working with Safemuse as well as other organisations and festivals, including Hvitsten Salong, Nordic Black Theatre, Empowering Voices, and JM Norway, with exciting possibilities for new collaborators to join along the way.

We are very much looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Saba and witnessing how she shares her magical spirit with the world.

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

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Pouya Pour-Amin: An artist’s journey from fear to freedom

 

Pouya Pour-Amin: An artist’s journey from fear to freedom

June 20, 2025

Written by Akari Izumi Kvamme

Pouya Pour-Amin is a multidisciplinary artist, born in Tehran and currently an artist-in-residence with Safemuse. (Photo: published with the artist's permission)

Pouya Pour-Amin is a multidisciplinary artist with over twenty years of experience in music, composition, sound design and performance. Born in Tehran in 1983 into a family that worked in the arts, Pouya grew up in a creative environment. His mother was a puppeteer and actress, his father was a cinematographer, and his grandfather was an instrumentalist who played the tar – a traditional Iranian string instrument. Pouya began learning music when he was five years old and by his late teens he was making his own music.

As a university student, he began to study computer science, music and theatre, but dropped out three times because he felt that the studies and academic system did not have much to offer him. He continued to study through self-learning and private teachers. Pouya played the guitar, but his love for the low frequencies led him to take up the double bass, which he coincidentally discovered while studying at the Tehran Conservatory. Later Pouya joined the contemporary chamber orchestra, The Camerada Orchestra, where he spent a decade of tremedous musical growth under the guidance the conductor Kayvan Mirhadi, who had also been his musical teacher. His very first works as a composer were performed by Mirhadi’s orchestra.

Looking back, Pouya’s grandfather, Akbar Jeddikar, and the conductor of the Camerada Orchestra, Kayvan Mirhadi, were his biggest inspirations growing up:

— They were both very special people to me, opened my eyes to the worlds of music and literature and became my window to the world beyond the strict religious Iranian society, he says.

— My grandfather first of all influenced me as a human being. He was not religious and did not believe in God, something which was very rare for his generation and in Iranian society in general. We had a very close relationship. He was open-minded and introduced me to politics and critical thought through his vast collection of literature. Kayvan Mirhadi, the conductor, was also my classical teacher, but did not have the dogma-point-of-view that most educators had. Instead he was wise and had an open view to the arts and to different kinds of music. He introduced me to Western contemporary music, which opened my eyes and made me realise that there was so much to explore and learn, Pouya recalls.

Pouya played the double bass for many years before beggining to explore new sounds and artistic disciplines. (Photo: published with the artist's permission)
“While living in Iran, I worked a lot in fear. I had to find secret ways, like put my phone in the microwave to avoid being tapped, and I lived under the constant fear of getting in trouble with the authorities.”

— Pouya Pour-Amin

The struggle for artistic freedom

Artists in Iran who refuse to stay silent in the face of the country’s authorities and current sociopolitical situation pay a high price for their expression. Over the last years, the Iranian government has taken on increasingly harsh measures to suppress artistic freedom of expression and exert control over artists through threats, censorship and persecution. 

Pouya laments the ongoing situation in his homecountry whereby artists, writers and journalists are frequently subjected to superveillance, interrogations, detention, imprisonment, torture, and even the death penalty to punish those who dare to question or criticise the system. Pouya has many friends and colleagues who have received death threats, been forced to flee the country and live in exile. He, too, has felt the heavy burden of being an artist without freedom of expression.

— While living in Iran, I worked a lot in fear. I had to find secret ways, like put my phone in the microwave, to avoid being tapped and I lived under the constant fear of getting in trouble with the authorities. Sometimes I chose not to put my name on my work to avoid getting in trouble. The thought that someone could call the door bell to detain me, plant evidence and present untrue allegations was constantly in the back of my mind, he says.

Pouya also worked with theatre, TV and cinema in Iran. (Photo: published with the artist's permission)

Pouya used to work with different people from various creative industries in Iran, but in his first act of conscious political reaction, he decided to stop working with TV and cinema because he felt like the cultural scene was corrupted and a channel for propagating the state’s lies. He began to work with theatre, but it became evident that this industry, too, was a corrupted sphere. In a culture where questioning and confronting was highly discouraged, Pouya  refused to be silenced and raised the question of why the industry did not pay its artists properly. After he took to the street and joined the marches during the Green Movement in 2010, Pouya was imprisoned twice. During the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in 2022, Pouya again took to the streets to partake in the demonstrations that were televised across the world, and felt the fear more than ever before.

— Artistic freedom for me is twenty years of struggling with propaganda, with censorship and a corrupted economy, he says. Even when you are independent, you are at risk if you want to raise questions about politics, the regime or religion, human rights. And it’s only getting worse and worse.

1st of May 2025: Pouya celebrates International Worker's Day for the very first time in by attending the annual parade in the streets of Oslo. - A long-awaited experience. (Photo: Akari Izumi Kvamme / Safemuse)
“To have artistic freedom now is a totally new feeling for me. I didn’t know how it would feel. When I look back at this short period I have worked in freedom, I can see that things have started changing in the ways that I think and create art.”

—  Pouya Pour-Amin

In 2019, Pouya released his second album, "Prisoners Episodes". He is currently working on a multidisciplinary performance about political prisoners' experiences and based on the music from. the album. The artwork for this album is by the prominent Iranian contemporary artist and grave marker Barbad Golshiri (Photo: published with the artist's permission)

From prison to Safe Haven and the rebirth of an artist

Since 2011, Pouya has expanded his work to include theatre, juggling the roles of musician, actor and director. His music has gradually transitioned into the more experimental and electronic realms. In May of 2024, he travelled to Norway to partake in Safemuse’s Safe Haven artistic residency program. The first part of his artistic residency was spent in the idyllic coastal town of Hvitsten, organised in collaborations with our local partner Hvitsten Salong. Thereafter, Pouya has spent the second part of his residency in Oslo, in collaboration with our partner Nordic Black Theatre.  

Through the Safe Haven program, Pouya has continued to evolve as a multidisciplinary artist and developing his creative practice through a blend of music, performance and theatre. Since arriving in Norway as an artist-in-residence, he has composed several works and performed at Ultimafestivalen – the largest contemporary music festival in the Nordic region, as well as Hvitsten Salong and at Caféteatret.

— When I arrived Norway and could breathe out after so many years of living in a state of exception and survival mode, I also realised that I was worn-out after having denied and neglected my own needs and wellbeing. I realised the constant fear I had been living under and how worn-out I was. Living in Hvitsten surrounded by beautiful nature, I was for the first time feeling everything I had not had the chance to feel prior to arriving Norway, especially related to my experience in prison and how hard it had actually been, Pouya says.

The residency coordinator in Safemuse Jon Lundell, is one of many that have worked with Pouya since his arrival to Norway and been impressed by his dedication, versatility and courage to explore new artistic directions:

Pouya have been exploring and digging deeper in composing new music for different scenes in Oslo and Hvitsten; commissioned work that has challenged him to seek new ways of composing and combining digital and analog instruments and sounds. He has also taken the work with his play Prison Episodes further and is developing it with different artists and partners.

In 2015, Pouya released his first album “Lullaby and Down the Quod” based on his own experience as a political prisoner. His second album, “Prison Episodes” (check out the Bandcamp link), which was released in 2019, was inspired by his study of other Iranian prisoners’ experiences. During his residency in Norway, Pouya’s main artistic ambition is to complete his project Prison Episodes which he has been developing over many years. Together with Safemuse, partners and other artists, Pouya is planning a multidisciplinary performance that combines music, dance, theatre and visual technology to tell the story of the tragedy of political prisoners and their subjection to torture, suffering, solicitations and death. On top of that, he has also begun to record a new album, which he hopes to release in 2026.

Pouya says he has learned a lot of things through the Safemuse residency, not just artistically, but about life and himself:

— I love my culture and I cannot cut that string, but now I am in a position to decide how I want to work with it and to tell my story. To have artistic freedom now is a totally new feeling for me. I didn’t know how it would feel. When I look back at this short period I have worked in freedom, I can see that things have started changing in the ways that I think and create art. When you no longer have barriers in your mind, you starts to think differently and your passions start changing. With no imposed limitations, I think my artistic language has already started to change. I feel like the blinds are gone. While I have been working on my newest album, I can see that I am going in new directions that I would never have imagined before.

Safemuse looks forward to continue the collaboration with Pouya and share more about his upcoming events and projects!

Safemuse organisation Norway
In September 2024, Pouya was invited to perform at Trekanten in Oslo, during Ultimafestivalen, the largest contemporary music festival in the Nordic region. (Photo: Nabeeh Samaan / Ultimafestivalen)
Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from supperssion to imagination

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12 November, Album release of “Qaf” by Ghawgha @Nasjonal jazzscene, Oslo

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Altyn Kapalova – A fearless advocate for feminist & queer art

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Altyn Kapalova – A fearless advocate for feminist & queer art

Altyn Kapalova — A fearless advocate for feminist and queer art

October 28, 2024

Written by Akari Izumi Kvamme

Altyn Kapalova - former Safemuse artist-in-residence and a woman of many trades and talents. (Photo: Courtesy of artist)

Altyn Kapalova is a woman of many trades and talents: a visual artist, researcher, writer and feminist activist based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. She creates experimental artworks that combine research, art and politics, and the results of her anthropological findings are transferred into artworks and curated art projects that aim to elevate vulnerable voices and influence political decision-making processes. As an anthropologist, at the University of Central Asia, she has researched cultural policy and creative industries in Central Asia. Her vast curatorial experiences include, among others, visual multimedia art, theatre and creative writing. Kapalova is one of the initiators behind a Feminnale and the Central Asian Museum of Feminist and Queer Art (MoFA+).

In the fall of 2023, Safemuse had the honour of hosting Kapalova at our residency program Hvitsten Art Haven, in an idyllic coastal town situated south of the capital and along the Oslo fjord. Kapalova was among the first artists to attend the then newly-established residency, organised together with our local partner Hvitsten Salong.

— In the open call process for the residency Altyn stood out with her multifaceted background and fearlessness in the eyes of the Kyrgyz authorities. We were eager and excited to meet and work with whom we more and more understood was an important figure in a progressive feminist movement in Kyrgyzstan. Her artistic vision in presenting female traditional Kyrgyz arts and crafts in her own way and in this context was also very interesting, says Jon Lundell, residence coordinator in Safemuse. 

Altyn Kapalova and founder of Safemuse, Jan Lothe Eriksen, at the Safe Havens Conference 2023 in Athens. (Photo: Fredrik Elg / Safe Havens Freedom Talks)
Altyn Kapalova held a presentation at the Oslo World festival 2023. (Photo: Akari Izumi Kvamme)

Activism, threats and a need for peace and time

In her home country Kyrgyzstan, Kapalova and her colleagues are facing constant risk of persecution for their work promoting feminist and queer art. The authorities have on various occasions opposed and even cracked down on artistic projects that give platform to minority voices and shine a spotlight on societal challenges. Kapalova has over the years been targeted with insults and threats, and many of her friends and colleagues have been arrested. 

— My activism didn’t allow me to engage in art in a safe manner. I felt exhausted and craved the experience of the art-making process without threats, in a secure environment, with ample materials for the making process, and the assurance that my work wouldn’t face censorship. When I applied for the Hvitsten art residency, I wanted some peace and time for myself. I wanted to reclaim myself as an artist, Kapalova says.

When I applied for the Hvitsten art residency, I wanted some peace and time for myself. I wanted to reclaim myself as an artist.

– Altyn Kapalova

Altyn Kapalova's face were among the women featured in this beautiful work created by the artist and curator of MoFA+ Nurperi Orunbaeva. (Photo: Nurperi Orunbaeva)

Promoting feminist and queer art

In Kyrgyzstan, artists, human rights defenders and activists are experiencing an increasingly authoritarian and repressive regime. Art and cultural organisations lose financial support, they experience censorship, threats of violence and imprisonment. Kyrgyzstan has passed homophobic anti-propaganda laws, where speaking out about homosexuality or promoting LGBTQ+ rights can be punished with fines or imprisonment.

Kapalova was one of the initiators of a Feminnale – a grassroot initiative and the first major feminist exhibition in the history of Kyrgyzstan. The Feminnale in 2019, a contemporary art exhibition that took place at the National Museum Fine Arts in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, illustrates the difficult situation that artists and cultural workers in Kyrgyzstan face. 

The exhibition, which was programmed to last for 17 days, was dedicated to the memory of 17 women and children, amongst them labour migrants, mothers and victims of domestic violence. The exhibition raised some important questions and critiqued the scale of violence against women and children, state corruption, police violence and patriarchal structures upholding so-called ‘traditions’. However, following the Feminnale’s official opening, the team behind the project, participants and museum staff were subjected to insults, provocative acts and threats of physical violence and murder. Among the most active opponents were members of the reactionary ultra-right group Kyrk Choro. The director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Mira Jangarecheva, was forced to leave her post and the exhibition was censored and closed down.

A painstakingly lengthy visa process

Although Kapalova was only planning a short-term stay for her art residence, the application process to obtain a visa to Norway was lengthy. Those who live in Kyrgyzstan have to travel to the Norwegian embassy in Kazakhstan in order to submit their application. Moreover, the task is outsourced to commercial players and it is a process characterised by a lot of bureaucracy and excessive documentation requirements. It took a whole eight months and two trips to Kazakhstan before Kapalova received her temporary visa. The residency, which originally was planned to last six months ended up being only three.

This visa process, like that of many other former Safemuse residence artists, points to the organisation’s main challenge in running art residencies, namely the painstakingly lengthy process of issuing temporary residence permits to censored, threatened or persecuted artists by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) – a process that all too often ends in long delays or rejection. 

— Safemuse’s main funding comes from the Norwegian government, because our goals align with that of the Norwegian state, to promote artistic freedom and human rights through strengthening individual activists. When we are hindered from doing our job, due to unnecessarily lengthy and expensive processes, activists like Kapalova are the ones to suffer, says general manager in Safemuse, Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor. 

Producing art during Hvitsten Art Haven

Kapalova describes the three months she spent in residency in Hvitsten as “a time and place where [she] could breathe and freely work with [her] art.” 

— For the first time in my life, I thanked myself for everything I had done to protect human rights in my country, including advocating for the freedom of creative expression. Gradually, I started to feel the desire to work again. During this time, I had the pleasure of meeting wonderful people, including the artist Maria Waagbo. Together, we collaborated on a textile work addressing femicide, titled “Slap”. Through our collaboration, we exchanged skills, engaged in meaningful discussions, and worked together and separately, Kapalova said.

The artwork ‘A Slap’, which Kapalova worked on during her residence, was exhibited at the Artistic Freedom Conference in March, after she had returned home. The piece was created from fabric, thread and beads and shown on five mannequins in collaboration with the Hvitsten-based artist Maria Waagbø in the fall of 2023. The work is an artistic critique of domestic violence that permeates society and the harsh expectations placed upon women. As described by the artists:

It begins with a single slap, followed by another, and then the tightening grip around your throat. The violence escalates to include blows to the stomach, and then you find yourself enduring kicks, strikes to your kidneys and thighs, leaving you with more and more bruises until you’re covered in them. Ultimately, it ends with your life being taken. Domestic violence is shrouded in societal expectations of being a dutiful wife, daughter, and mother. The reluctance to bring dishonour to the family prevents escape through divorce. Domestic violence remains hidden behind traditions that demand adherence even at the expense of one’s life.

Looking back at her art residency and the process of creating the piece, Kapalova says:

— The artwork we created during this residency is something I doubt I could replicate in my home country at the moment (hopefully things will get better). “A Slap” is composed of thousands of small fabric pieces intricately sewn together to form dozens of amulet-like circles. Such meticulous work demands significant diligence, time, and tranquillity. I am so grateful to Safemuse for providing me with the opportunity to create such a meaningful piece.

Future ambitions

Following the end of her artistic residency in Norway, Kapalova returned to her home in Bishkek. 

— Now that I’m home again, life is crazy-busy as usual. I often miss the calm and quiet work environment I had in Norway. But I’m thankful for the habit I cultivated during my months at the art residency, the habit to create my own artistic pieces. Since coming back, I’ve made two new pieces. I try to remember that I’m an artist and keep the feeling of creating alive in my mind. It helps me find time for myself and my art.

The Central Asian Museum of Feminist and Queer Art, of which Kapalova is one of the founders and curators, has already made a commendable effort to raise voices, support and connect artists, and increase knowledge about artistic freedom of expression in the region.

In the aftermath of the Feminnale in 2019, which was closed down by the authorities, the museum has been collecting works that promote women’s and LGBTQIA+ community’s freedom, and gender equality. Kapalova says that it was also established in order to use art as a channel to stand up for civic rights, especially those of women and queer people. Kapalova and her colleagues strive to create a safe space for creative queer people that can support minorities and increase the visibility of female and queer artists in public spaces that have been occupied by men for centuries.

Safemuse is currently, together with Kapalova and MOFA+ preparing a project to highlight the ongoing challenging situation for artists in the Central Asian region and to promote artistic voices that are normally silenced or not given the platform they deserve. If all goes according to plan, then Kapalova will be back in Norway to share her valuable insights and showcase the diversity of artistic works produced in Kyrgyzstan and its neighbouring countries. 

 

Sources: 

Interviews with Altyn Kapalova

MoFA+ homepage: https://femmuseum.org/about/en

“Altyn’s response.” ADAMDAR/CA, 4. December 2019, https://adamdar.ca/en/post/altyn-s-response/168?lang=en-USAccessed 10 May. 2024.

Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from supperssion to imagination

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Varun Narain – A universe of puppetry, botany & queer survival

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ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE VARUN NARAIN: A universe of puppetry, botany & queer survival

March 7, 2024

Written by Akari Izumi Kvamme

Varun Narain held an an artistic intervention at the Artistic Freedom Conference 2024 in Oslo. Photo: Jannik Abel
If you find yourself in Oslo between the 10th and 13th of March, you have the rare opportunity to experience ‘Dark&Delicious’ by artists Varun and Shaad at Nordic Black Theatre — a unique artistic performance combining botany, poetry and queer survival.

Imagining freedom and inclusion

Varun Narain is a queer puppeteer and live performance director from India. He combines modern and traditional puppetry and works on articulating gender fluidity and sexuality. Narain has taught Puppetry and contemporary communication at Jamia Millia University for over 10 years, as well as at the Guru Gobind Indraprastha University in New Delhi. Moreover, he has a degree in botany and through his artistry he explores intelligence and survival strategies in the natural world.

— I am very much inspired and healed by the world of plants, lichens and fungi and their physical presence in the cites. I believe in blurring physical, mental and biological boundaries, Narain says.

For many years Narain has been working on gender-fluid characters inspired by what he calls the “wood-wide web”. In recent years, Narain has increasingly faced challenges and a restricted space for expression. He experienced censorship due to the themes reflected in his artistic work and is currently one of Safemuse’s artists-in-residence in Oslo.

— As an artist in residence with Safemuse here in Norway, I hope to rediscover free expression and interact with students and artists to create ways to imagine new possibilities of freedom and inclusion, he says.

This spring Varun and Shaad will perform 'Dark&Delicious' at Nordic Black Theatre in Oslo. Photo: Nordic Black Theatre

“I hope to rediscover free expression and interact with students and artists to create ways to imagine new possibilities of freedom and inclusion.”

– Varun Narain, Safemuse artist-in-residence  

A universe of puppetry, botany & queer survival

During his residency, Narain has worked on ‘Dark&Delicious’ – a collaborative performance with his artistic partner, actor and poet Shaad. The performance, which combines botany, poetry and queer survival, will be set up between the 10th and 13th of March at Nordic Black Theatre in Oslo.

— Having Varun with us, and working with him has been interesting on so many different levels, says Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor, Safemuse’s general manager. Visually interesting, challenging us intellectually, all while being extremely funny. It has been fascinating to get an insight into his creative processes and the stories behind each of his colourful puppets. We are very much looking forward to his performance at Nordic Black Theatre and invite everyone to come see the show!

For the past months, Varun has been enjoying a creative collaboration with Nordic Black Theatre  (NBT) and preparing for the performance in Oslo. The artistic director at NBT, Cliff Moustache, is looking forward to presenting ‘Dark&Delicious’ on his stage.

— Very rarely do we get the opportunity to experience such beautiful puppets that convey deep and reflected drama in a simple and sincere way. The narrative grabs and engages thanks to the strong qualities of the artists as the puppet becomes a third artist on stage. At Nordic Black Theatre we want to give them the opportunity to delve deeply into their artistic universe without fear or restricted by authorities.

Tickets for the show can be bought here.

Check out the facebook-event here.

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Safe Havens 2021: WHAT WE RISK FOR ART

Safe Havens 2021:
WHAT WE RISK FOR ART

December 20, 2021

Safe Havens is the annual summit of the artistic freedoms sector, convened each December since 2013. It provides a unique opportunity for artists and those who defend them to network and build collaborations across the entire globe.

After last year’s Safe Havens Global Stream 2020 focused on a necessary improvement of cultural and artistic policies, this year’s Safe Havens Conference 2021 over 2 – 4 December focused on the artists themselves and the challenges they face at this stressful time of pandemic and creeping authoritarianism. A web-based summit with the overarching theme of Recentering Artists’ Rights in a Time of Crisis.

The program had three key design components, each with its own objectives:

Artistic Interventions: starting with a Keynote Performance instead of a speech, and closing with a multi-disciplinary artistic event live at Sentralen, Oslo. In addition, the conference featured several Artistic Interventions with the aim of re-centering focus on the artists themselves.

“Hive” Discussions: convened by key grassroots regional organizations in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, and followed by an Asia Report.

Artists’ Round Tables: two in-depth engagements, one on perceptions of artistic freedoms and introducing the Majlis concept for the voices of the artists community, and the other on repetitive patterns of definitions of who is “at risk” in arts and culture.

To these were added two debates, one by on Risk, Safety and Wellbeing on managing our mental and spiritual health during current conditions, and the other on the Safe Havens Next Steps and the artistic freedoms sector.

The conference was a closed event for participants only, due to safety for partaking artists at risk. But the closing event was a live performance at the brand new ‘Kronesalen’ at Sentralen in Oslo, titled ‘What We Risk for Art’, featuring the following performing artists:

– Carlos Catun aka Gato (Guatemalan breakdancer)
– Yasmine El Baramawy (Egyptian musician, Oud performer, composer)
– Per Oddvar Johansen (Norwegian jazz percussionist/drummer, composer)
– Ahmed Tobasi (Palestinian actor, director and educator)
– Rezan Betula (Kurdish performance artist)
– Hamid Sakhizada (Afghan musician, dambura performer and singer)
– Naïd Mubalegh (French/Hazara, flute player)
Artistic director: Hooman Sharifi
Moderator: Ingeborg Moa (director of the Norwegian Human Rights Fund)

You can see the full stream of the event here

A big thanks to all making the Safe Havens Conference possible in 2021, and see you all next year.

Safe Havens Conference 2021 was produced by Safe Havens and Freedom Talks (SH|FT) with support by The Fanak Fund, Swedish Arts Council, Swedish Institute, Artists at Risk Connection and Safemuse.

More about SH|FT here

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About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

Safemuse søker programmedarbeider

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About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

12 November, Album release of “Qaf” by Ghawgha @Nasjonal jazzscene, Oslo

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– Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

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“Qaf” – New album release from Ghawgha

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“The Common Enemy” by Nikan Khosravi

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Altyn Kapalova – A fearless advocate for feminist & queer art

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About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

21 September, “Dancing Into Fire” – Audiovisual performance @National Opera, Oslo

Menu Close Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

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Safe Havens

SAFE HAVENS & FREEDOM TALKS – MOVING ON

SAFE HAVENS & FREEDOM TALKS – MOVING ON

June 10, 2021

Photo Credit: Fredrik Elg

Safe Havens & Freedom Talks is now established as a new Swedish NGO, with Safemuse as fiscal sponsor, or step stone for the build-up of the new organization.

The now well-established international conference initiative Safe Havens is moving into a new phase. From being an annual conference on culture and human rights gathering annually around 200 participants in November/December from all over the world, from changing organizing host environments, Safe Havens is now moving on.

The initiative is now securing the continuity by forming its own administrative body, a non-profit NGO under the name Safe Havens & Freedom Talks (SH&FT).

In Safemuse we are proud and humble being asked to take on the role as fiscal sponsor for the period of establishment. Together with the SH&FT team we are developing the base for the annual conference and associated initiatives like Freedom Talks. And there is more to come – if donors join in.

Yesterday the conference team gathered to start planning for the coming event – probably as earlier, in November / December. Dates will soon be launched. Parallel we are working hard to secure the financial base both for the new NGO, for a new edition of the conference and other activities.

Fredrik Elg – Photo Credit: Sofia Elg

In a newly published article at the Bangladesh independent magazine Shuddhashar.com, the Safe Havens initiator and never resting driver, Fredrik Elg, describes the background and motivation for the Safe Havens initiative and development:

“The goal of all initiatives within the Safe Havens concept is to strengthen the international network, which advocates and protects artists and cultural creators at risk at all levels.

Read the Shuddhashar article HERE

 

Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from supperssion to imagination

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Pouya Pour-Amin: An artist’s journey from fear to freedom

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About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

Meet our newest staff members

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

Meet our newest staff member

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

Safemuse søker programmedarbeider

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

12 November, Album release of “Qaf” by Ghawgha @Nasjonal jazzscene, Oslo

Menu Close Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

– Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

– Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic ...

“Qaf” – New album release from Ghawgha

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists ...

“The Common Enemy” by Nikan Khosravi

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists ...

Altyn Kapalova – A fearless advocate for feminist & queer art

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

21 September, “Dancing Into Fire” – Audiovisual performance @National Opera, Oslo

Menu Close Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

– Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

– Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic ...

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Categories
Safe Havens News

Safe Havens Global Stream November 11.-13. 2020

Safe Havens Global Stream November 11.-13. 2020

November 9, 2020

Julie Ofelia Østrem Ossum and Mai Khoi will perform during the conference Safe Havens Global Stream

Safe Havens Conference is starting up tomorrow: Safe Havens Global Stream – with more than 150 participants from all over the world!

This year the annual Safe Havens is a two phased, streamed conference event. Safemuse is a proud partner and responsible for the artistic program, presenting some fantastic artists, activist and great performers. This includes Hamid Sakhizada with his ‘Dad Raft’-ensemble, Mai Khoi together with cellist and composer Julie Ofelia Østrem Ossum, Egyptian oud performer and sound artist Yasmine Elbaramawy, Iranian metal band Confess, and finally the legendary Belarusian rocker Lavon Volski with his band.

http://rorelsernasmuseum.se/publikationer/safe-havens-conference-global-stream/

Safe Havens – A global network meeting

The annual Safe Havens conference is a global network meeting. The conference is organized in a process of collaboration between artists, different cultural operators and organizations, where focus is directed on the connection between art, culture and human rights.

The conference is a way of visualizing the significant position of culture and academia in human rights advocacy and moving towards sharing and using knowledge between artists, cultural operators, scholars and major human rights and cultural organizations.

Fredrik Elg, initiator of the conference, said: “We are artists, writers, musicians, activists and administrators from all over the world. We are in this together. And, the Safe Havens conference is the place where we come together. The conference is not a step towards establishing a new formal network, it is an open forum for all of us who see a point in meeting, interacting and sharing with new and old friends in order to learn from each other. It is a cosmopolitan space – a platform – where new collaborations take shape.”

Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from supperssion to imagination

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Pouya Pour-Amin: An artist’s journey from fear to freedom

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

Meet our newest staff members

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

Meet our newest staff member

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

Safemuse søker programmedarbeider

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

12 November, Album release of “Qaf” by Ghawgha @Nasjonal jazzscene, Oslo

Menu Close Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

– Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

– Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic ...

“Qaf” – New album release from Ghawgha

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists ...

“The Common Enemy” by Nikan Khosravi

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO SAFE Artists ...

Altyn Kapalova – A fearless advocate for feminist & queer art

Menu Close Safemuse About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists

About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic Freedom Week LIDIO .SAFE Artists ...

21 September, “Dancing Into Fire” – Audiovisual performance @National Opera, Oslo

Menu Close Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

– Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic

– Safe Havens for Artists About Us What we do Our five pillars Our history Who we are Our members Media resources Contact Us News Safe residencies Residency programme Oslo Art Haven Hvitsten Art Haven How to apply Projects Safe Havens Conference Women’s network MoFA+ collaboration Salong på Salongen Artistic mobility Artistic ...

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway