The Nordic Council

Das sagt der/die Künstler:in:

The Nordic Council is a contemporary circus collective that creates performances exploring Nordic identities and drawing inspiration from the artists’ shared Northern heritage. The company was founded in 2017 by Merri Heikkilä (Finland), Bjarni Árnason (Iceland), and Jakob Jacobsson (Sweden), while the three were still studying at Codarts Circus Arts in Rotterdam.

Built on a foundation of shared humor and common experiences, the trio naturally found this to be the driving force behind their very first creation. Their debut show was conceived as a way to celebrate and communicate their cultural heritage—not only with audiences who recognize and relate to it, but also with those encountering it for the first time. This merging of distinct Nordic perspectives into a collective identity has remained the core motivation behind their touring and artistic output ever since.

Since its beginning, The Nordic Council has performed at festivals across Europe, from Iceland to Italy. The collective has been recognized with awards at both STOFF in Stockholm and the Reykjavík Fringe Festival. Their premiere of Häppy Hour received a 5/6 star review from ISCENE, Denmark’s leading stage performance publication.