Books, Bold Voices & Big Ideas
Through “A Cause Close to Your Heart” employees across the Grieg Group get the opportunity to nominate projects and organizations they believe in and truly care about. With support from Grieg Foundation these projects receive funding. When people are given the chance to support something they truly believe in, it creates real value – both for the community and for those involved. Everyone should feel the joy and impact of giving back to society.
Who: LitFestBergen
What: LitFest Youth
Why do young people read less than before, and why is it critical? How can we counteract an attention frame equivalent to a TikTok clip?
The goal of the school programme, which runs over three days and engages a thousand students, is to increase interest in literature and reading among young people by addressing topics that engage them and that are meaningful to their everyday lives. LitFestBergen take into account the interdisciplinary themes developed by The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training when shaping the programme, and address topics such as freedom of speech, identity and climate change.
The students receive training in performing on stage, also in front of unknown students and teachers, and they have to speak English with the international authors. The project is worked on over time and involves several subjects, teachers and schools. All of these are elements that distinguish LitFest Youth from other literary programmes aimed at children and young people.
Students, authors and teachers express that the method LitFestBergen propose is inspiring and innovative:
It was an incredibly nice experience to meet the young people who had prepared so well and were so committed. (...) It is good that the world is moving forward and that you are giving young people the opportunity to master and be part of something like this today. They seemed so proud and happy to have made it happen, too, I think, says Author Anne Bitsch in an email after her contribution.
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