Our Philosophy
Non-judgemental
Invisible People Contemporary Dance is a non-profit organization dedicated to uplifting marginalized voices through contemporary dance, with a special focus on the Sámi people and other Indigenous and underrepresented communities.
Founded as a platform for artistic expression, education, and collaboration, the organization creates professional performances, workshops, and cultural events that challenge stereotypes and make the invisible visible.
Through meaningful partnerships, including with Sámi artists and international collaborators, Invisible People empowers dancers, choreographers, and cultural workers to tell their stories, celebrate heritage, and build bridges across cultures.
The organization also works with young audiences and promotes dance as a tool for dialogue, inclusion, and transformation — both locally in northern Sweden and globally.
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Our workplace
Jillat - Sami Dance Center
Since November 2024 Invisible People Contemporary Dance Company has its home base in Jillat Sami Dance Center. The non-profit organization runs a lot of Jillat's activities. The hours that Invisible People Contemporary Dance spends in the house is partly financed by The Swedish Arts Council and Region of Norrbotten, Sweden.
Jillat has a dance studio, a music studio an amphitheater and an area for costume design, making it a perfect place for freelancers to create and develop within the arts field.
We offer
Art residencies
With the support we get from the Swedish Arts Council and the Region of Norrbotten, Sweden, we arrange art residencies for dancers, musicians, actors, authors and other artists.
To be able to apply to our arts residencies, you will need to be a member of our non-profit organization. This is because many of the funding organizations for art ask for an organizational structure and a member base, for the organization to be qualified for bigger support. We also found that we have a great opportunity to share in between the members, when it comes to work opportunities and other kinds of sharing.
You find all open calls on Jillat Sami Dance Center's webpage.
Behind Our Business
Meet the board
Liv Aira
Chairman
In office one term 2026-2027
Educated dancer and choreographer at the Institute of the Arts Barcelona. Lulesami from Jokkmokk who often highlights her Sami heritage in her art. She is the founder of the dance company Invisible People Contemporary Dance Company, founded in 2017, which was previously run through various associations and her company Aira Dance Company AB. In 2023, this association took over parts of her activities and become an association that promotes dance in Sápmi and silenced topics in society.
Marika Renhuvud
Secretary
Incumbent two terms 2026-2028
Marika is a trained dancer and has been active in her profession since 2018, where she often highlights her Southern Sami perspective in her art. She sits on the board of several Sami associations and contributes knowledge from Sweden's southernmost Sami village. She is active with a wide range of Sami productions and films and can contribute with extensive experience working in the field that this association promotes.
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Jimmy Lundegård
Treasurer
Incumbent two terms 2026-2028
Comes from business development and
industry change and has worked with the company Invisible People Contemporary Dance Company since 2020. Jimmy has thus gained an in-depth insight into the Sami culture and worked as a performing arts producer/sales for several Sami dance groups/performers. Jimmy is a shared project manager in the development of Jillat together with Liv and has a very good
outside perspective on how to run the business around the performing arts more entrepreneurially than traditionally, while protecting the free art.
Sebastian Björkman
Board member
Incumbent one term 2026-2027
Sebastian is a dancer with his Sami roots in Ammarnäs but also among the families who were forced to migrate south from the Karesuando area in the 1930’s. Through his dance he invokes the voices of his origins while keeping one leg firmly planted in urban dance cultures. In his artistry he is exploring versatility as a mover, interested in the body as ancestral yet also experimental when it comes to claiming his own history through dance.
Marit Shirin Carolasdotter
Substitute
Incumbent one term 2026-2027
Has a bachelor's and master's degree in dance. Has Sami and Kurdish roots and often deepens her art in reflection on her origins. Marit has a wide network of contacts when it comes to professional performing arts in Sweden, where she sits on several boards and selection groups for unions and the like. Marit is also the director of the indigenous residency Jåhrr at the National Theatre, with which the association collaborates on the residency.
Rebecca Tornberg
Substitute
Incumbent one term 2026-2027
Rebecca is based in Umeå and has extensive experience in Sámi cultural production and community engagement. Through her work as a producer and organizer, she contributes to strengthening the visibility of Sámi arts and creating meeting places where culture, dialogue and new collaborations can grow. Her broad network and commitment to cultural development bring valuable perspectives to the association’s continued work.
INVISIBLE PEOPLE
CONTEMPORARY DANCE
Membership benefits
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You can apply for residencies that we announce from Jillat
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You get discounts on all professional training that we arrange. Often they are totally free for members.
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If you are a freelance artist, we offer you one free hour of consultancy time where you can ask us freely about how you can develop the things you need around your art. If you are interested in our new program for producer support through our partner organization Aira Dance Company AB, we can brief you about that too.
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You get access to pre sales and 10% discounts on events that we arrange in Jillat and elsewhere.
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You can also get your own profile page where you can share information about your art and links to your social media and contact info. This is for artists with at least a three year education in their art form or had art as their major source of income the last three years.
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If you visit Jillat live in Vuollerim, Sweden, you will have the opportunity to watch movies in the amphitheatre. You could also be invited to our movie nights. We have an active Swedish Film licence to do this legally.
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As a member you can also apply when have open calls for different types of artistic jobs. This is for artists with at least a three year education in their art form or had art as their major source of income the last three years.
MEMBER