Company Uusi Maailma strongly condemns Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We are an independent performing arts group and our values are freedom of expression, inclusivity and solidarity. In these times our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their country and right to democracy.
The Open Call was for Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian musicians since the war of aggression has affected the lives of people from these countries. It is aimed as a platform for artists who oppose the Russian aggression, and as a call to collaborate with members of Company Uusi Maailma. Our wish is that artists and musicians have the opportunity to continue to practice their profession during the difficult times.
The name of our group, Company Uusi Maailma translates as “new world” in English, which the project’s original title NOVYJ MIR referred to. We have a long history of using variations of the company’s name as the name of our projects and shows. These include A Next World, WORLD X and Upper World. However, we understand that a Russian name can evoke unwanted associations in this context and we will therefore rename the project.
We want to sincerely apologize to the Ukrainians who feel they can not work with Russians right now, and felt offended by the proposal. For now, the Open Call is postponed and we will proceed by consulting the views of Ukrainian artists as a starting point of the project.
Thank you to everyone who contacted us in person and were willing to explain your point of views and to participate in the conversation. Please send us an email if you are still interested in the collaboration and would like to be kept updated about the future of the project.
Further information: company@uusimaailma.org