New Faces at Riddu Riđđu

We can finally share that Helene Olsen has been appointed as our new Project Manager, alongside Mona Steffensen, who joins us as our new Festival Producer!

These appointments mark an important strengthening of the organization, bringing both new external expertise and the further development of the experience and knowledge that already exist within the Riddu community.

Helene Olsen has been hired for a two-year Project Manager position. She previously worked at the Sami Council, where she was involved in communications and project development for the international project ReCap ASáp. She also has experience from the Centre for Sami Studies at UiT and the Lásságámmi Foundation. At the same time, Olsen is far from a new face at Riddu Riđđu. Over the years, she has held several roles within the festival, including serving as coordinator for one of the festival’s core projects, People of the Year.

"Helene knows Riddu Riđđu well from the inside and has already demonstrated great commitment and leadership through her many roles within the festival. At the same time, she brings valuable experience from Sami organizations and international project work," says Festival Director Sajje Solbakk.

Olsen holds a degree from King’s College London and has worked with Sami culture, society, and communications both nationally and internationally.

"Riddu has always been one of the most enjoyable and educational weeks of the year, and it has meant a great deal for the Sami community in Kåfjord and the Coastal Sami areas. It has also been an important arena for developing my own interest and desire to promote Sami culture and society. Being able to contribute even more to that work in the years ahead is something I am very much looking forward to," says Olsen about her appointment.

Mona Steffensen has been appointed to the permanent position of Festival Producer. She joins from her role as Head of Production at the Festival of Northern Norway, where she played a central role in planning and delivering one of Northern Norway’s largest cultural festivals. Through a career spanning the cultural sector, festivals, and the film industry, Steffensen has built extensive expertise in production management, financial administration, logistics, contract management, and leading large teams.

"We are very pleased to welcome Mona to the team. She is a highly experienced producer who brings valuable expertise and is eager to help further develop Riddu Riđđu," says Henrik Olsen, Managing Director of the festival.

Steffensen has roots in the North Troms region and has maintained a close connection to Riddu Riđđu and the Coastal Sami area from which the festival originates for several decades. Steffensen is looking forward to getting started:

"After working in Kåfjord in the mid-1990s, I became very familiar with the municipality and Riddu, and I have attended most of the festivals since then. It was an exciting and important period for the revitalization of Coastal Sami culture and identity. I am truly excited to finally work with the festival and return to Kåfjord and North Troms. It will feel like coming home."

Both Mona Steffensen and Helene Olsen will move to Kåfjord as they take up their new positions, these new appointments will help strengthen local employment opportunities and settlement in Nord-Troms. 

"Riddu Riđđu is one of the most important Sami cultural institutions in Norway, and we believe that knowledge-based jobs connected to Sami arts and cultural life must be located in Sápmi. The fact that both Mona and Helene are moving to Kåfjord to take up these positions demonstrates that it is possible to build strong professional environments in smaller Sami communities as well. This is important to us, and it is important for the continued development of Sami cultural life," says Solbakk.

Olsen and Steffensen will take up their respective positions on 15 September 2026 and 1 October 2026.