Her og der - et mentorprogram

Here and there is a mentoring program in which newly arrived artists in Norway connect with established artists. These will serve as mentors for those artists who may benefit from being guided through the art life in Norway. The newly arrived artists get to know how the industry works and they get to establish relevant networks.

Marie Skeie and Motaz Al Habbash started this project. They are themselves artists who know how difficult it can be to get established in a new country. They bring their own experience from Palestine, Japan, Norway and Brazil, because they know how challenging it can be to get in touch with other artists in Norway and to find out which opportunities are out there.

- We started this mentorship program because we wanted a space for artists to share experiences and talk about challenges. Maybe the art field could be a bit more open and more diverse, says Skeie and Habbash.

They meet many artists who are new in Norway and who are settling for the first time in a country where everything is new. Skeie and Habbash want to create a space where the artists can be seen. The goal is to create new collaborations, to make the art community in Norway familiar with new artists, and to make the art field more accessible and open.

- Art life in Norway needs these artists, because they are skilled, professional artists. Diversity should be a given in the arts and we need to be challenged with different perspectives, concludes Skeie and Habbash.