State Secretary Mr Roger Ingebrigtsen

The Closing of "Visions of Norway"

London, 16.08.2000

Your Excellency,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends of Norway.

First of all let me forward to you greetings from our Minister of culture, Mrs Ellen Horn, who deeply regrets that she was unable to visit London on this occasion. Important government matters forced her to stay in Oslo, but what goes on here, and what has taken place in the United Kingdom over the last twelve to fourteen months under the umbrella "Visions of Norway" occupies her very much. We are all deeply grateful for what has been done in order to present Norwegian culture to a British audience.

Almost one thousand years ago, in the year 1014, one of our viking heroes, Olav Haraldson, the later St. Olav, came to London with the purpose to pull down London Bridge, and according to the history he succeeded. And ever since have British children been singing:

"London Bridge is falling down,

falling down,

falling down."

This time, we Norwegians, have been in London, not to pull down, but to build up. To build up understanding and knowledge of Norwegian art and culture – of what it was, and what it is. We have been here for more than a year in order to present ourselves, through our writers, painters, dancers, musicians, actors – through our culture, which covers such a wide spectrum.

Norway is often known for what it was. Our culture heritage, from vikings up to our world famous creative artists, is known as part of our common European history.

This year we have fully demonstrated what we are.

Accordingly, we could not have a better conclusion of this cultural yearlong parade, than a concert by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. It represented a crescendo in a series of highlights. We thank the orchestra, Michelle de Young, the mezzo soprano, and maestro Manfred Honeck. The universal musical language of moving bass tones and expressive mezzo voices speaks for itself, and nothing need to be added.

We called our cultural presentation "Visions of Norway" just because we wanted to present ourselves in a way that created visions; visions for our culture, visions for the future. And in these visions we see, not only ourselves, but a community for deeper and enlarged cultural co-operation between the United Kingdom and Norway, across the North Sea.

The cultural links between our two countries are old and strong. Cultural contact and co-operation is therefore an heritage which we are destined to protect and promote. It’s also a commitment to which the Norwegian government fully subscribes, and it’s our wish and goal that it will be further developed in the years to come.

Contact between artists on a professional level is important. The professionals are torches to look up to, representing the best in our countries, demonstrating the potential of our culture. However, I would on this occasion also like to point to the non-professionals, people who are living examples of their culture, tradition and history, and I would very much like to see that this non-professional aspect is integrated into our future co-operation. What I have in mind is folk music, folk songs, handicraft etc, and groups of non-professionals working in different fields of culture. If we also give these groups the possibility to meet and exchange views we are really preparing the ground for the closest contact between our two peoples. And it is through direct contact and through mutual inspiration that our cultures will grow and develop.

"Visions of Norway" is brought to an end, but has opened up for visions that and beyond what we first saw as the scope of our endeavour. Let us take advantage of these visions. It’s a challenge we cannot avoid.

On behalf of the Norwegian government, and again with personal greetings from our Minister of culture, Mrs Ellen Horn, I want to thank everyone who has taken part in this great project and brought it to such a successful end. Particularly I thank you, Mr Ambassador, who has had the overall responsibility to look after that everything went smoothly and according to what was planned, your predecessor, ambassador Kjell Colding, who so enthusiastically took part in the launching of the project, and of course Mrs Eva Bugge, director general in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is the person behind the whole project, the one who had the idea. Let me put it this way: It’s all well done.

I thank the staff members, the culture administrators from both countries who have seen to all details, and I thank the performers, the actors, all those who have been in the limelight. Some are here, many are not here. I thank you, everyone. You have had the visionary thoughts. You have created and crafted the Visions of Norway programme. You represent these visions.

There is one person here tonight I particularly want to mention. The composer Alwynne Pritchard received the Visions of Norway Scholarship of five thousand pounds in order to take up a two months’ recidency in Bergen. She is now back in Britain and I wish her every success in her future work as a composer.

"Visions of Norway!"

It has been a wonderful time.

But best of all:

It has given to all of us visions for the future.