Shetland Arts Trust recently played host to 10 members of the Board of Directors and management team from the Norwegian national music organisation ‘Rikskonsertene’, who were invited to Shetland to exchange ideas and share experiences with the Trust, Shetland Islands Council and members of the local arts community on a number of culture related issues and initiatives.

While in the islands the group met with members of Shetland Islands Council in the Town Hall and travelled to Yell to take part in a seminar aimed at identifying and discussing methods of stimulating rural development through music and cultural activity. They also attended a concert in Unst promoted by the Arts Trust, featuring the Chris Stout Quintet, local fiddler Steven Spence and some of the islands younger fiddlers, collectively known as ‘Da Young Een’s.

Also visiting Shetland for the event was freelance music consultant Dave Price who specialises in community music education projects and has a wealth of knowledge in cultural and economical development issues. Mr Price detailed a number of interesting examples of how specific areas have been ‘economically re-born’ through imaginative promotion of local cultural activity and the creation of effective infrastructures to support such ‘regeneration’.

Einar Solbu, Chief Executive of ‘Rikskonsertene’ said that the visit had been a most rewarding experience. He went on “The generous hospitality offered to us in Shetland immediately made us feel very much at home and set the stage for most interesting and challenging discussions relevant to our work. To experience the enthusiasm and engagement which seemed to be a central driving force in your musical life was a great inspiration to us”.

Shetland Arts Trust Music Development Officer Davie Gardner echoed the success of the visit, saying the meetings had been very much a two way process. “Rikskonsertene are an incredibly successful and influential music organisation” he said “not only in Norway itself, but also on the international music scene. They very much enjoyed Shetland and its music, especially the concert in Unst, in spite of the pretty wild weather that accompanied the visit to the island. We collectively learned a great deal from their visit and now look forward to further cultural contact and co-operation with Norway and Rikskonsertene in the future”.

For further information contact Davie Gardner on (01595) 697550.