Scene Norway - Opening Speech

Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to be here at Kings Place, the city’s new, impressive cultural arena, to open Scene Norway. This mini-festival under the umbrella of the London Jazz Festival gives a unique opportunity to present expressive Norwegian art in Britain. Over the next ten days, Scene Norway will showcase not only jazz, but also modern art, film and literature – all art forms which are presently going through an exciting development in Norway.

The festival is especially relevant now that Norwegian contemporary music, above all jazz, rock and electronica, is enjoying considerable success internationally. Here in Britain, both established and up-and-coming names have attracted attention in the media and found a new audience. As a result, Music Export Norway has recently opened an office in London to meet an increased demand.

It is, however, not only within music Norwegian artists draw international attention. Historically famous names such as Edvard Munch, Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Grieg do of course ring a bell with most people. But today, a new generation of contemporary writers, artists and film makers are making an impact. More Norwegian fiction is being translated and published in English than ever before. A growing number of Norwegian art exhibitions can be seen across Britain and around the world, showcasing an impressive range of innovative and cutting-edge works. And not least, Norwegian films continue to scoop prestigious awards at international festivals.

London is an extremely important artistic arena, both within the UK itself and in an international context. When the Crown Princess and I lived here 5 years ago, we appreciated very much the wide range of cultural activities available, and continue to enjoy this every time we are back. For many Norwegian artists, London is their home away from home and a place they often return to for work and inspiration in a stimulating artistic environment.

It is therefore a particular pleasure to be here at Kings Place and declare the festival Scene Norway open.

Thank you