Lantern Lectures 2025: My Arctic Home: Growing Up and Speaking Out in Svalbard
By Embla Abild
This event was recorded live at Artica Svalbard on 16 December 2025 as part of the Lantern Lectures series.
Growing up in the world’s northernmost community means living with constant contrasts. In this talk, Embla Abild, leader of Longyearbyen Youth Council 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.
At the same time, life in Svalbard is marked by increasing political tensions. Embla speaks about how recent changes — including the removal of voting rights for a significant portion of the population and growing pressure for a stronger Norwegian presence — have left many residents feeling unheard and excluded from decisions that shape their everyday lives.
Drawing on her own experiences, Embla explores how growing up in Svalbard has shaped her values and political engagement. She reflects on why she continues to fight to preserve what she calls the “Svalbard DNA”: an open, inclusive, and vibrant society that she believes is worth defending. Because Svalbard, she reminds us, is far more than an Arctic outpost — it is home.
About the Speaker
Embla Abild is an 18-year-old raised in Longyearbyen. She has been involved in local politics for five years and has served as leader of Longyearbyen Ungdomsråd (the Longyearbyen Youth Council) for the past two. Alongside her political engagement, she is active in local cultural life, sports, and dog sledding, and has a strong connection to Svalbard’s natural environment.
About Lantern Lectures
This event is part of the Lantern Lectures series, a collaboration between Artica Svalbard and Svalbard Museum. Inspired by the 19th-century magic lantern lectures, the series invites local voices and visiting experts to share stories, images, and reflections on life in the Arctic.
Held during the dark season, these talks create space for community, conversation, and deeper understanding of the rapid changes shaping the region today.
