The goal of the project is to inspire composers and performers to create a new circumpolar music tradition, between the Nordic traditional and classical music and jazz and improvised music. UWE wishes it to reflect the circumpolar Arctic – before and after. What does the Arctic inhabitants have in common?

The initiative for UWE originates from the Music conservatory at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The cooperation today consist of students and employees at the artistic institutions in Yakutsk (Russia), Winnipeg, Brandon and St. John’s (Canada), University of Highlands & Island (Scotland) and the World Music Institute (New York, US).

The project is supported by the UiT The Arctic University of Norway, as a part of marking their 50th anniversary.