London to host Nordic culture festival
Minister for Culture Bertel Haarder said:
-With a cultural venture of this nature and size we can put not only Danish values and culture under the microscope, but also our shared Nordic values and culture. This major project will thus be able to both inspire and be inspired beyond the borders of the Nordic Region. At the same time, we’ll have a great opportunity for cultural exchange. We might even learn something about ourselves and the links between the Nordic countries.
Jude Kelly CBE, artistic director of the Southbank Centre, said:
-It’s a great honour for the UK and Southbank Centre to have been chosen for the Nordic Cultural Project in 2017. The Southbank Centre is perfectly placed to celebrate the very best of Nordic culture through our award-winning festival programme and we are delighted that this year-long partnership will enable us to present a truly authentic cultural exchange showcasing the richness and diversity of the Nordic countries, including the more ‘hidden voices’ of Greenland, Åland and the Faroe Islands. Inspired by the Nordic countries’ enlightened approach to culture and education, the theme of ‘play’ will be at the heart of the project, from outdoor play to literature, music, dance, performance, design and visual arts. Let the collaborations commence!
With a cultural venture of this nature and size we can put not only Danish values and culture under the microscope, but also our shared Nordic values and culture. This major project will thus be able to both inspire and be inspired beyond the borders of the Nordic Region. At the same time, we’ll have a great opportunity for cultural exchange. We might even learn something about ourselves and the links between the Nordic countries.
More about the venture
The Southbank Centre project has been selected from a number of proposals from around the world, which have been considered by around 80 organisations and institutions from across the Nordic Region. Criteria such as quality, innovation, local demand, budget etc. served as the basis for the selection.
This cultural venture will take the concept of “play” as its starting point and will continue throughout 2017.
New framework for joint Nordic cultural ventures
In addition, the ministers for culture have today adopted a framework for future joint Nordic cultural ventures. A working group led by the Danish presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers has drafted a concept paper for joint Nordic cultural ventures inspired by the “Nordic Cool” project in Washington in 2013 (link to document). The paper will form the basis for the cultural venture at the Southbank Centre in 2017 as well as other future ventures.
Concept for joint nordic cultural ventures
