Fully booked Spanish Festival at Deichman

Spanish FestivalSpanish Festival.The festival last year ....... 2017. Photo: Spain's Embassy in Norway.

260 young people from 16 high schools and youth schools in Oslo and Akershus are expected to attend the Spanish festival at Deichman Main Library and Deichman Majorstuen Between the 20th and 23rd of September.

 

The Spanish festival in Oslo celebrates the Spanish language for the second year. Eight Spanish-speaking embassies in Oslo are co-organisers in addition to UNICEF Norway, and Norad, who are partners. The Embassies represent Spain,Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico and Cuba.

‘’The festival is organised under the theme “Together for a Global Language”. Interest from upper secondary schools and youth schools in Oslo has been overwhelming, I hear.It makes me happy to experience such commitment to learning a new language,” said library director, Knut Skansen, who speaks Spanish fluently.

A popular language

‘’Each year we celebrate the Spanish language in conjunction with various activities for Spanish students in Norway.The goal is to emphasise the importance of foreign languages in the global environment we live in,” said José Carlos Esteso Lema, cultural and administrative adviser in Spain’s Embassy in Norway.

Today, Spanish is the second largest mother tongue in the world (and English is not the biggest!). Spanish is also one of the most studied in Norway. 90,000 students of all ages and educational levels learn Spanish in Norway according to the Spanish embassy.

A young audience

At this year’s festival, the activities are mainly aimed at students in upper secondary schools in Oslo and Akershus.

‘’A school with special education, HLF Briskeby kompetansesenter AS has also confirmed its participation. We are so happy because diversity is so central to us. We look forward to welcoming teachers and 260 young people. Interest was great and in fact we had to say no to 200 students because of capacity,” said José Carlos Esteso
Lema.

Video competition and language cafe

“It’s three days of the festival with a colourful program that mixes lectures, competitions and language training,” said Anne Kari Holm, Program Manager at Deichman Main Library.

“The focus this year is on the UN’s sustainability goals. Students have been assigned to create relevant films in Spanish.There will be a film show at the festival, and the winner will have a cultural trip to Spain,” said José Carlos Esteso Lema.

“I am particularly pleased that the library has become a meeting place for users with different backgrounds and who speak different languages.It is a place where we learn together. I am looking forward to the festival. It’s fun to see how the Spanish festival has evolved since last year,’’ said the head of the library at Deichman, Knut Skansen.

 

Source: Kulturbyen Oslo / Norway Today