Qullaq is a unique collaboration between musicians from Greenland, Scotland, and the Baltic states . The theatrical performance combines the ancient Greenlandic drum dance tradition with Scottish folk music, brought together and given a contemporary twist by Scottish violinist and composer Eiden O'Rourke in collaboration with dramaturges Valerio Peroni and Alisi Okčiali.
At the heart of the action are three Inuit musicians/actors, Nive Nielsen, Hans Henrik Suersak Pulsens and Mike Fenners Thomsen, as well as Eiden O'Rourke himself.
Qullaq — a Greenlandic word meaning "to climb up," "to rise" — sounds like a fitting commentary on the festival's motto, "We live in different times." Different communities and histories coexist in parallel, often without meeting and without knowing much about each other. In Greenlandic culture, shaped by the rhythm of the polar night and midnight sun, light is not just an image — it is a guide and a mean of survival. That is why Qullaq becomes a sign of hope, awakening and resistance.
Participants:
Aidan O'Rourke (violin);
Nieve Nilsen (vocals);
Hans Henrik Særsak Pulsens (vocals/drums);
Mike Fenners Thomsen (vocals/guitar);
String ensemble with musicians from Estonia and Latvia.