Sandra Márjá West will be the next festival director

Riddu Riđđu´s next festival director brings an indigenous network from around the world, wide experience from politics and leadership, and a strong connection to the coastal Sámi heritage. Sandra Márjá West (27) will be the next festival director of Riddu Riđđu.

Broad experience

West is currently training as a goldsmith, and takes the certificate in spring 2018. She is also the parliamentary deputy of the NSR Assembly Group. West talks North Sami, has had a great deal of commitment to Sami and indigenous art since the early years, and has also studied Russian language. «Sandra's many years of experience from organizational work and volunteering, not least for Riddu Riđđu, makes her well prepared to lead and motivate Riddu Riđđu's staff, and I am sure she is the right person to lead the festival forwards», says a very pleased chairwoman, Christina Henriksen. West will be in training with the outgoing festival director Karoline Trollvik during this summers festival before she takes over the artistic leadership on September 1, 2018.

Strong envolvement 

West is raised in Gáivuotna / Kåfjord, and has spent many summers as festival staff. For many years she participated and led the extensive youth initiative of the festival, which creates a meeting place for young indigenous people from all over the world. Current festivals director Trollvik praises her successor;  «Sandra's long-standing commitment to Sami and indigenous art and, not least, her political commitment is a great force into the future, at the same time as she is a part of the Sámi culture and, in particular, Gáivuotna / Kåfjord. She will no doubt lift our valuable and important festival to new heights!»

The dream job 

West says herself that she is looking forward to joining the job and working with Riddu Riđđu's wonderful staff, and to work with the festival she has grown up on. And the next festival director is quite clear that she has now got the dream job;
 «Throughout my life, Riddu Riđđu has meant incredibly much to me personally as a young coastal sami person, and I have seen what the festival has done for coastal sami pride in the region. I will take responsibility for leading and developing the festival. The festival has a major social responsibility - bringing Sami pride to present and future generations. Riddu Riđđu has given me a lot and now I'm ready to come home and give something back».