Chronicle: Great responsibility and great ambitions towards 2030

In recent months, there has been a storm around the Stiklestad National Cultural Center (SNK). A proposal for a game break triggered violent reactions. The debate has created a need for clarification about SNK's position, both in terms of the game and our role as a so-called consolidated museum, with responsibility for five museums.

First of all: SNK has never said that we will stop playing at Stiklestad. We are concerned with the future of the game. Our work with the game is shaped both by the local heritage of Stiklestad and by the framework we have as a museum. This autumn, these frameworks have been characterized by a challenging economic situation. The forecasts for 2019 show a million deficit for the second year in a row, this year of between 2 and 3 million. Then all income, including public grants and sponsorship funds, and all costs are included.

When it was established in 1994, SNK was given a national mission to disseminate and manage the olive heritage. Olavsarven contains a great diversity. It includes a thousand years of interpretations of and ownership of Olav Haraldsson / Olav the Saint. The game is an important part of Olav's heritage. But the olavsarven is not only the game. SNK has a responsibility to promote diversity.

Our focus on the diversity of the olive heritage does not mean that there is a contradiction between SNK's museum identity and our responsibility for the game. The game is an integral part of SNK's museum operations, which we use a large proportion of our public subsidies to produce. The game has great value, both as a media arena and as a brand. At the same time, we have approx. 130 visitors to Stiklestad per year. In recent years, between 000 and 10 of these have seen the game. We also have a responsibility to create valuable cultural experiences for our over 000 other guests.

With the museum reform, SNK gained an expanded area of ​​responsibility. From 2004 to 2010, five museums were merged into one organisation. SNK therefore today consists of Egge museum, Nils Aas art workshop, Stiklestad, Levanger photo museum and Stjørdal museum Værnes. Everyone has collections, buildings and stories that need to be taken care of. As the museum's management, we have a responsibility to look after this entire business. We do this based on the basic understanding that all our museums have great value, and that we are stronger together. We have therefore initiated a process to strengthen SNK as a consolidated museum.

Economy and development are necessary pillars for the SNK of the future. The museums in Norway operate in a demanding financial landscape. Our allocations are characterized by austerity. There are stricter requirements for self-earnings. The impending regional reform creates economic uncertainty. Overall, this makes us vulnerable to financial risk. At the same time, SNK of the future is dependent on development. A museum that does not change in step with society becomes irrelevant. We must therefore carry out innovative museum work and long-term strategic planning. It requires economic stability and predictability.

Both development and economics characterize our work with the game. The game about Saint Olav has always been in development. It is a quality SNK will take care of. At the same time, today's game competes with many other events, which creates a greater battle for the audience. SNK has therefore invested considerable funds in an investigation into gambling at Stiklestad towards 2030. The preliminary study delivered in November concluded the first phase of the work.

Even with long-term thinking, acute situations can arise. For SNK, it happened in the autumn when the results for the summer season showed that we were heading towards a deficit of several million. An important reason, which expressed a trend we have seen over several years, was a decline in ticket sales for the game. Our primary proposed solution was a game break in 2020. That would provide financial breathing space, as well as a year in which future games would be put on the agenda. In order to still open for games next year, we asked for an extra grant for 2020. We did not get approval for that. When there will now be games in 2020, it therefore means that we will have to cut back considerably on the other activities throughout SNK.

We see that the process related to the case should have been better. We are sorry for the trouble this has caused. We still stand by the rationale: The desire to take clear action now to avoid far more dramatic consequences in the years to come.

"No game, no SNK!" has almost become a mantra in the autumn debate. We recognize the great importance of the game. At the same time, Stiklestad was a unique symbolic place for just over 900 years before 1954. Working at Stiklestad and at SNK is a privilege. We have exceptional staff, fantastic volunteerism, and we work with cultural heritage that means a lot to many. SNK therefore has great ambitions for Stiklestad and for the museums at Egge, Inderøy, Levanger and Stjørdal in the lead up to the national jubilee in 2030. On the way there, we look forward to close dialogue with our owners, partners and everyone who has ownership of the heritage we manage. This is how SNK will remain a modern museum that combines strong roots with a forward-looking outlook. And, in the summer of 2020, there will be games at Stiklestad. You are most welcome!                                                                                         

Signed by the board and management team at Stiklestad national cultural center AS