Finland and Nordic culture on display in London
Minister of Education and Culture Sanni Grahn-Laasonen attended on Friday 13 January the opening event for the Nordic Matters series at Southbank Centre in London. The opening event for the year-long series of cultural events showcasing Nordic culture in Britain was attended by each country’s minister of culture. An unofficial ministerial meeting was also held as part of the opening event.
It extends to all fields of arts and culture, and new events will be introduced during the year. Finland features prominently in classical music, literature and children’s culture, among other fields. In March the WOW Women of the World festival will even reach Finland when WOW Finland takes place in Tampere.
Central themes of the Nordic Matters festival are sustainable development, gender equality, learning through play and children and young people. There are talks and debate throughout the opening weekend discussing these topics.
Nordic Matters is organised in collaboration with the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic Embassies in London, the Finnish Institute in London and each Nordic country’s arts councils. Southbank Centre curates the festival year.
The Nordic Matters opening event also included an unofficial meeting of the Nordic ministers of culture. The ministers discussed intellectual property rights and creative economy.
“Our societies have left the post-industrial age and moved to an age where creativity is a key factor of production and an international asset. Productivity growth needs skills and ideas, and these are becoming increasingly important. Education, research and culture are the key,” Minister Grahn-Laaksonen said in her speech.
The Nordic ministers also learned about British initiatives in the field of culture and creative economy from the British representives in the meeting, Minister Matt Hancock, MP Ed Vaizey and Creative England chair John Newbigin. The ministers also visited the British Film Institute.
Inquiries:
- Heikki Kuutti Uusitalo, Special Adviser, tel. +358 50 302 8246
- Annika Söderlund, Counsellor for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture, tel. +358 295 3 30382,
- Nordic Matters: Kirsi Väkiparta, Arts Promotion Centre Taike, tel. +358 29 5330724