THE PROGRAM FOR THE OLSOKS DAYS 2025 IS READY!

THE PROGRAM FOR THE OLSOKS DAYS 2025 IS READY!

In a year where we mark 200 years since the first Norwegian emigrants left for the USA and the theme for the Olsok Days is BORDERS, it is a great pleasure to announce the comprehensive program for the Olsok Days 2025. A Stiklestad profile known for his social commitment and his power of communication, an Olsok artist who highlights valuable stories from society's margins, a rich podium program, and an opening concert with DDE and actors from Verdal Teaterlag are some of the things you can experience at Stiklestad from July 24-29.

The theme BORDERS forms the framework of the festival. "We live in a time when the world is perceived as both more borderless and more border-oriented. Discussions about community and exclusion are a prominent part of the public discourse and more and more people are fleeing war, climate change and political regimes. BORDERS is therefore an almost uncomfortably relevant theme and I am enormously proud of the program we are now announcing," says Heidi Anett Øvergård Beistad, director of Museene Arven.

This year's Podium Program focuses on BOUNDARIES in the past, present and future and in everything from major societal issues to personal questions. We get to know Stiklestad profile Ingeborg Senneset better in "Boundaries for what to tolerate? Community engagement and what it costs". The Oslo exhibition "Multiple Voices" with the National Center for Outsider Art provides close encounters with people who have found refuge and expression for their identity in art. We get to know them even better in the conversation "Valid stories from the fringes of society" with Simone Ritter, Nina Wester and Jon Arild Johansen. Jeanette Solstad Remø shares her story as a trans and human rights activist in "Border-breaking identity and human rights", a collaboration with Verdal Pride. Ole Marius Hylland gives a critical look at the connection between emergency preparedness and culture in "Culture, emergency preparedness and nationalism. Borders and border upheavals". In "The borderless king? Traces of Olav at home and abroad" we delve into the Olav legacy from India to Verdal together with Øystein Ekroll, Agnar Løbakk, Kjetil Utne and Roald Veimo. Gunnar Bovim meets Jostein Holmen and Ingrid Storholmen in "HUNT. Stories from a groundbreaking health survey". Ingjerd Veiden Brakstad thematizes Norwegianness and the legacy of World War II in "Limits for Norwegianness? Norskjødic life and the greater society in the post-war period", a lecture in collaboration with NTNU Fellowship. Together with the Medieval Center NTNU, we invite you to the conversation "Nationality and power in the Middle Ages" with Margrethe Stang, Erik Opsahl, Peter Sigurdson Lunga and Bodil Østerås. Church Council Leader Harald Hegstad looks more closely at "Norsehood and Christianity: On the role of the church for Norwegian identity in a diverse society", a collaboration with the Nidaros Diocesan Council. And in the Oslo Dialogue 2025, a collaboration with the bishop of Nidaros, Herborg Finnset, Vebjørn Selbekk and Ingrid Rosendorf Joys meet on the topic "A struggle for values? When Christianity is used as a means of income for authoritarianism."

This year's play is the second under Nina Wester's artistic direction. Last year's artistic team, led by Ingrid Forthun, is still with us and Nils Golberg Mulvik returns in the role of Olav. “The feedback on last year's edition about The Saint Olav drama were extremely positive. We, and the rest of the large play family, are very much looking forward to this year's performance and to showing what power and relevance the play still carries. And we are of course very proud that Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery has agreed to give the official opening speech,” says Ingegerd Eggen, museum director at Stiklestad National Cultural Center. This year, the young talent who fills the role of Co-Player of the Year is also connected to the play: the conducting student August Iversen from Verdal. Last year he already got to try his hand at the orchestra pit and this year he is back, in close collaboration with musical director Torodd Wigum.

In addition, the Olsokdagene program includes a diverse cultural offering. The opening in Stiklestad Church is based on Amerikabref, which is themed in text and music by Beate Mordal and the Olsokkoret. The chairman of the Norwegian Museums Association, Ole Aastad Braaten, is responsible for the official opening. As an expression of the close bond between the National Jubilee jubilee relay and the emigrant jubilee, this year's Olsok bonfire will be lit by Tora Aasland, chairman of the emigrant jubilee. In the opening concert, DDE will meet soloists from Verdal Teaterlag, 10 years after the smash hit “Vinsjan på kaia”. This year's Olavsvake concert will be conducted by Sigvart Dagsland and Karoline Krüger. As is tradition, there will be a singing evening with Verdal Teaterlag. On Saturday, we invite you to the Children's Olsokdag with a program tailored for the little ones. Furthermore, there will be a wide selection of exhibitions, tours and museum experiences as well as ample opportunities for good food experiences and pleasant meetings at Scandic Stiklestad. “In other words, there are many reasons to take a trip to Stiklestad during the 2025 Olympic Games. We are looking forward to it!” says museum director Eggen.