News / Europe invests in Viking heritage
SHETLAND Amenity Trust has been awarded €1.96 million (just over £1.4 million) from the EU Creative Europe Culture sub-programme for the transnational Follow the Vikings project.
The four-year project aims to make Viking heritage more understandable and accessible.
The Shetland-based trust is the lead partner in the initiative that has 14 full partners and eleven associate partners from 13 countries.
Trust manager Jimmy Moncrieff the project would celebrate Viking heritage throughout Europe.
“I am absolutely delighted that the Trust has been successful in securing this funding on behalf of our Viking colleagues.
“We and our partners have been working towards this for a number of years to make transnational Viking heritage more accessible and understandable to a worldwide audience.
“We hope the project will contribute to maintaining and developing Europe as the number one global heritage tourism destination,” he said.
The money will be used to:
• raise the visibility of the Council of Europe’s Viking Cultural Route;
• create a website and an international touring event;
• train volunteers at a local level and skills exchange.
A key component of the project is the creation of a Viking roadshow visiting twelve key Viking locations throughout Europe and culminating in central Europe.
This will include demonstrations of Viking crafts and arts, Viking games, and shows combining drama, poetry, stories, music, dance and re-enactment and will involve local participation and youth engagement.
The other partners in the project are:
- Iceland Saga Trail Association, Iceland;
- Waterford Museum, Ireland;
- City of Upplands Väsby, Sweden;
- Museum Vestsjaelland, Denmark;
- Ab Bengtskär Oy, Finland;
- Sør Troms Museum, Norway;
- York Archaeological Trust, UK;
- Dublinia, Ireland;
- Lofotr Viking Museum, Norway;
- Concello de Catoira, Spain;
- Vikingveien in Vestfold, Norway;
- Avaldsnesprojekt, Norway; and
- National Museum of Denmark, Denmark
Associate Partners are:
- Destination Viking Association, Sweden;
- Manx National Heritage, Isle of Man;
- Agency of Historical Projects “Ratobortsy”, Russia;
- Axencia Turismo de Galicia, Spain;
- L’Association les Vikings an 911, France;
- Jomsborg Vikings Hird, Poland;
- Rogaland County Council, Norway;
- L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site of Canada, Canada;
- Trelleborgen History Museum, Sweden;
- Orkney Islands Council, UK; and
- Fotevikens Museum, Sweden
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