Culture & Tourism Group

History

The Culture & Tourism Group is one of the six technical groups of the North Sea Commission.

It held its first meeting in Stavanger, Norway 10 February 1995.

The chairman of the group is now Councillor Evalisa Birath Lindwall from Bohuslandstinget in Sweden.

Since the start, Rogaland County Council has been responsible for providing the coordinator of the group. The current coordinator is Mr Geir Sør-Reime. He succeeded Mr Sverre Mauritzen in October 1997. The first coordinator was Ms Anne Kristine Øen, followed by an interim period where Ms Bjørg Ager-Hansen acted as coordinator.

Up till October 1997, the secretariat of the Culture & Tourism Group was shared with that of the Association of North Sea Societies. The latter is now managed by the City of Stavanger, where Mr Harald Hermansen is the Director.

Aims

The aims of the Culture & Tourism Group is to stimulate cultural cooperation and exchange between the member regions around the North Sea, to create awareness of historical and cultural links among the general public, to strenghten the professional cooperation between the members in the fields of culture, heritage and tourism, and to stimulate increased cultural tourism activity around the North Sea.

Achievements and ideas

North Sea Culture Conference

A North Sea Culture Conference, organised by the Culture & Tourism Group, was held in Stavanger 4.-5.October 1995.

It is planned to follow up this conference with one or two-day seminars/workshops on specific themes.

INTERREG IIC-projects

The Culture & Tourism Group has initiated, sponsored and promoted a number of projects to stimulate intensified cooperation among the regions of the North Sea.

Foremost among these are the North Sea Cycle Circuit project and the North Sea Viking Legacy project. Both projects are applying for INTERREG IIC-funds.

Some other projects, that also apply for INTERREG IIC-funding, like the Kings of the North Sea (travelling exhibition on the Migration Period 300-800 AD) and the North Sea Emigration Culture and Tourism Programme.

These projects have also been promoted by the Culture & Tourism Group.

The group also sponsors a pilot project for the establishment of a Standard Information Database on Museums for use by professionals.

Challenges - culture/tourism 2000 and beyond
The Culture & Tourism Group now is discussing further ideas and projects to increase popular awareness of the common North Sea cultural links and heritage, and to sponsor increased cooperation in the field of culture, heritage, sports and tourism, and increased cultural exchange.

A number of ideas have been put forward, including the nomination each year of a North Sea County of Culture, maybe linked to a North Sea Culture Festival.

The possibility of organising North Sea Games, focusing on water sports like swimming, sailing, rowing etc. is also being discussed, as well as a proposal for North Sea Golf Cups for both men and women.

Increased cultural and scientific cooperation through conferences and other events are also on the agenda, as well as specific events like a North Sea Bird Watching Gathering and a North Sea Fishing Festival.

The group will also discuss measures to encourage increased inter-North Sea tourism.

Linked organisation: The Association of North Sea Societies
Throughout its history, the Culture & Tourism Group has worked closely with the Association of North Sea Societies.

The Association of North Sea Societies is currently enganged in a number of projects, like The North Sea History Conferences, the next to be staged in Hull in 1999. The last was held in Rotterdam in August 1997.

A travelling exhibition on a maritime heritage theme called Harvest from a common sea opened December 1997 in Rotterdam, and will also be on show in Hull, Esbjerg and Stavanger.

A Culture Directory has been produced, and plans are under way for a North Sea Sinfonietta orchestra, and in Hull, a North Sea Literature Festival and an International Sea Shanty Festival will be arranged.

Further information on Association of North Sea Societies activities can be obtained from the Secretary, Ms Anne Britt Honorat, at Stavanger City Council, Culture Dept., PO Box 317, N-4001 STAVANGER, Norway, phone + 47 51 50 72 90, fax + 47 51 50 70 11.