ARENDALSUKA, Arendal Week
Pictures: Mona Hauglid
Arendalsuka, Norway
For one short week in August, the city centre of Arendal turns into an arena for the big questions of today and tomorrow. Through shared ideas, reflections, discussions and debates, Arendalsuka (Arendal Week) aims to bring more understanding, hoping that participants leave a little wiser than when they came.
Purpose and vision
“Arendalsuka is an annual national forum where delegates from politics, NGOs, industry and the public meet to debate and develop politics for the present and the future. Arendalsuka is politically independent and aims to strengthen a belief in politics, political debate and the power of our democracy”.
Founder and year of establishment
A group of national corporate leaders with connections to the city of Arendal brought the idea of a festival similar to Almedalsveckan to the Mayor of the Municipality of Arendal and the Governor of the region. The festival was established in 2011, but due to the attack in Utøya and the executive government quarter of Norway in July of the same year, the festival was cancelled. The first festival was held in August 2012.
Organisational structure
The Municipality of Arendal owns Arendalsuka, and the leader is therefore always the sitting Mayor of Arendal, supported by the City Council. The administrative leader of the Municipality manages the secretariat. In addition to the secretariat, there is a committee that produces the festival's main programme, which works separately on the main programme with help from the secretariat.
The festival also has an advisory board - the Council – that meets six times a year and consists of political leaders of the southern region of Norway, regional heads from the workers’ union and employer organisation, and a representative from the regional university.
Location and length
The 5-day festival is held in Arendal and takes place in the middle of August. Arendal is located by the sea, 260 km south of Oslo and has 45.000 inhabitants.
Size – number of participants and events
The festival's own estimate of participants is approximately 160,000, or 60,000 unique visitors. In 2023, 1,681 unique organizers participated in the official program with 2,000 events and 180 exhibitions throughout the city of Arendal.
People attending the festival
Attendees include politicians, NGOs, corporate representatives, media, and ordinary people. Arendalsuka has a unique youth program, Arendalsuka Ung (Young), that attracts approximately 4,000 children and young people between the ages of 4 and 19.
PROGRAMME
Main programme
With approximately 30-35 events, the main programme aims to cover important international political subjects and challenges, often through thought-provoking angles and highly acclaimed international names. These events are made by the main program committee, which invites the public to contribute with interesting topics and ideas.
Programme
In total, 2000 events were held in 2023. Everyone is invited and can apply to organize events, as long as they adhere to the criteria set by Arendalsuka. All events must be free of charge, open to everyone, and provide value for society. The project group handles all event and exhibition applications. Arendalsuka engages with the target groups throughout the year to ensure event quality and strong collaboration between organizers.
Arendalsuka Ung – Arendalsuka Youth
Children and youth are a natural part of our democracy. Arendalsuka Youth consists of approximately 50 events that cater to the interests of children and youth. These events are divided into different age groups and encourage engagement in democratic issues.
Involvement of political parties
The secretariat meets with regional and national political parties twice a year to evaluate and plan the week. It is essential for the legitimacy of the festival to have support from these groups. Arendalsuka begins with a debate between the parliamentary party leaders broadcast live on NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Company). All parties have their Arendalsuka coordinator. They usually coordinate accommodation and practical matters as well as which events the different politicians should participate in. All political parties have one hour at one of the main stages at their disposal during the festival, as well as exhibitions at Political Fair. All parliamentary political parties attend the festival, including 60-100 members of parliament (out of the total 169 members). There is an increase in the number of regional politicians attending. All ministers from the government participated in the event at some point during the festival week.