Artica Listens 2020: Part 3 - An International Community

Written By Charlotte Hetherington

When the Covid-19 crisis hit, foreigners truly experienced that they have different social rights in Svalbard than Norwegians. Foreigners on Svalbard do not need residence and work permits, but everyone must have a place to stay and enough economical resources to support themselves. In addition, social assistance is not offered on the island. In this episode we hear several stories from some of those who are affected. We discussed the challenges and opportunities for Longyearbyen as an international community.

For more information about the Artica Listens 2020 event visit here.

 

More Videos

Films
Lantern Lectures 2025: Creeping risks of the Arctic: How Svalbard Science can help us to see, understand and adapt
Lantern Lectures 2025: Creeping risks of the Arctic: How Svalbard Science can help us to see, understand and adapt

Recorded at Svalbard Museum - 12 January 2026

Is the Arctic an early warning system for physical, chemical, and biological risks facing the Earth? In this Lantern Lecture, Gijs Breedveld explores how Svalbard’s unique position in the global system makes it a critical site for understanding slow-moving, often overlooked environmental threats — what he refers to as “creeping risks”.

Lantern Lectures 2025: My Arctic Home: Growing Up and Speaking Out in Svalbard
Lantern Lectures 2025: My Arctic Home: Growing Up and Speaking Out in Svalbard

Recorded at Artica Svalbard - 16 December 2025

Growing up in the world’s northernmost community means living with constant contrasts. In this talk, Embla Abild reflects on her upbringing in Longyearbyen — a place shaped by darkness, avalanche risk, and polar bears, but equally defined by warmth, trust, and a strong sense of community. Svalbard, she argues, is a society built on volunteerism, diversity, and mutual care, where people stand up for one another regardless of background, faith, or nationality.

Lantern Lectures 2025: Goodbye to Heritage: Svalbard’s Past Beyond Conservation
Lantern Lectures 2025: Goodbye to Heritage: Svalbard’s Past Beyond Conservation

Recorded at Svalbard Museum - 11 December 2025

Everything we know will one day disappear. While societies have long developed systems and rituals for letting go — from waste management to funerals — heritage has often been treated as something that should last forever. In this talk, Anatolijs Venovcevs examines why this assumption is becoming increasingly unrealistic in the face of climate change, limited resources, and the sheer volume of heritage sites under protection, a challenge that is particularly acute in Svalbard.

Lantern Lectures 2025: Why Is Svalbard Crying? Climate Change and its Human Impact in Svalbard
Lantern Lectures 2025: Why Is Svalbard Crying? Climate Change and its Human Impact in Svalbard

Recorded at Svalbard Museum - 13 November 2025

The climate in Svalbard is changing at an alarming pace — temperatures are rising, glaciers are retreating, and rainfall is replacing snow. In this talk, Ine-Therese Pedersen, state meteorologist and long-time resident of Svalbard, reflects on how these shifts are affecting daily life in the Arctic and what it means to live in a landscape that is visibly transforming.

The Cold Rush – Geopolitics, Security, and Strategy in the Arctic
The Cold Rush – Geopolitics, Security, and Strategy in the Arctic

Recorded at Litteraturhuset, Oslo – 27 March 2025

This panel event brings together leading voices in Arctic policy, international security, and geopolitical strategy to explore the shifting balance of power in the region—with a particular focus on Svalbard.

Interview with resident artist Inma Herrera
Interview with resident artist Inma Herrera

In the summer of 2022 we welcomed Spanish artist Inma Herrera to the Artica residency. In this new film Herrera, a visual artist living and working in Helsinki since 2014 shares her reflections on the residency experience, her practice and the meditative process of making. 

Interview with resident artist Jessica MacMillan
Interview with resident artist Jessica MacMillan

In November 2021 Artica resident Jessica MacMillan presented Time Line, a one-of-a-kind short term public project which took place for the first time in Longyearbyen.

The Slow Adventure: A Year without Trees
The Slow Adventure: A Year without Trees

In October 2021, Artica hosted the project: The Slow Adventure, a collaborative between artist Floortje Zonneveld and the students of the Svalbard Folkehøgskole.

Interview with Artica Listens 2021 artist Ignas Krunglevicius
Interview with Artica Listens 2021 artist Ignas Krunglevicius

For Artica Listens 2021 Ignas Krunglevičius, created HARD BODY DYSPRAXIA, a sonic installation inside a disused coal power plant in Longyearbyen, Svalbard.

In Conversation: Maja Lunde and Line Nagell Ylvisåker
In Conversation: Maja Lunde and Line Nagell Ylvisåker

In April 2021 during Maja Lunde’s residency, Artica and Longyearbyen Library hosted an in conversation with Longyearbyen based writer and journalist Line Nagell Ylvisåker.

Charlotte Hetherington
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Artica Listens 2020: Part 4 - The Future of Svalbard
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Artica Listens 2020: Part 2 - Nature and Tourism