Podcasts Culture MIAAW.net Icelandic Cultural Practices

Icelandic Cultural Practices

Published: May 28, 2021, 7 a.m.

Icelandic culture offers many surprises for an alert visitor: not least in the sheer amount and quality of it.

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In this episode Owen Kelly talks with Hafd\xeds Bj\xf6rg Hj\xe1lmarsd\xf3ttir and Vera K Vestmann Kristj\xe1nsd\xf3ttir from the School of Business and Science at the University of Akureyri, a city of approximately 20,000 people in the north of Iceland.

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They talk about the by-now unique naming convention in Iceland and how it acts as an example of cultural continuity. Akureyri houses a professional theatre, a professional symphony orchestra, and a very active cultural centre. They move on to discuss the reasons for the Icelandic investment in culture, and the participatory nature of cultural activities.

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Vera and Hafd\xeds explain how books still form an important part of the fabric of Icelandic life and an essential part of Christmas celebrations.

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The web page for this episode at https://miaaw.net contains numerous links to explanatory articles and examples of the nature of cultural funding in Iceland.