(2006)  Luba Kusovnikova, producer and intellect, in Russia invited Maida Withers to attend an indigenous peoples conference in Norilsk, Russia and present a section of Thresholds Crossed as part of the conference.
Title of conference:  Integrity of Cultural Space – the Notion of “Border” in Historical and Contemporary Contexts.”

Russian Dancers, Konstantin Grouss and Anastasia Oleynik perform a duet from Thresholds Crossed.

We were required to have a special visa for Norilsk due to the role of Norilsk in natural metals and also military operations for Russia.

The conference was dedicated to issues shared by indigenous Sami peoples in Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

Norilsk is one of the oldest and most polluted cities in Russia.  Permafrost situation was most interesting. The environment had been drastically  eroded.

Luba also invited MWDCCo to participate in a three-week creative arts residency in Solovky Island in the North Sea of Russia in the White Sea.
This was a summer residency in the village of one of the earliest GULAG sites in Russia.