The node evaluation: Førdefestivalen fulfills with flying colors!
The Ministry of Culture's evaluation of Førdefestivalen as a hub festival has ended, and the conclusion left no doubt: Førdefestivalen fulfills its purposes very well and appears as an artistic leader in its field in a national context, while at the same time being able to assert itself well internationally. In other words: Førdefestivalen fulfills the hub mission with flying colors!
The positive evaluation of the festival was also underlined in the meeting with the Ministry in mid-August. Also present were the County Director of Culture, Ingebjørg Erikstad, and the Municipal Director of Culture in Førde , Trond Ueland, was present, together with board chair Kristin Hille Valla and director Hilde Bjørkum. –Based on the positive evaluation the festival has received from all parties, this was of course a very positive meeting, says Bjørkum. –I am both proud and happy when I see the feedback we have received through this process. It shows that we have actually thought right when we have focused on standing out in the festival jungle. We have been clear in our profile, focused hard on quality, and took our hub assignment very seriously. The evaluation shows that we have succeeded with our strategy. And the festival director receives full support from municipal manager Trond Ueland: It is very nice to have confirmation also from the Ministry of Culture that we have one of the most professional, innovative and stable festivals in the country. In terms of cultural policy, it is also particularly important that we have professional cultural institutions in our part of the country. Førdefestivalen has been able to put us on the international map and ensures that we also Førde and Sogn og Fjordane are in the cultural elite division.
Background to the evaluation
As part of the Ministry of Culture's evaluation of the hub institutions, the Arts Council was tasked this spring with evaluating several hub festivals. The Arts Council will particularly assess the artistic side of the festivals, especially in light of the criteria "artistic leadership" and "innovative and development-oriented". Other parties look at the festivals' results according to these criteria: Anchoring to a city. Festival activity every year, coordination and cooperation, national and international orientation, audience development, good resource utilization and regional participation.
The evaluation of Førdefestivalen was planned to take place in 2014, and the festival in the years 2010-2013 is the basis for the assessments that have been made. In the process, the festival is assessed by other hub festivals, by partners at local, regional and national levels, and by the county and municipality. In addition, the ministry collects extensive documentation from the festival itself.
About the evaluation of hub festivals – on the Arts Council of Norway's pages:
http://kulturradet.no/nn/musikk/vis-artikkel/-/vurderer-knutepunktfestivaler
Overview of hub festivals – with awards in 2014:
http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/kud/tema/kultur/knutepunktfestivaler.html?id=562959