"This is a wonderful recognition to get from those who work actively with audience development both nationally and internationally. It is amazing to be chosen among 60 good projects and skilled colleagues in the industry, and especially when this is a project we have worked with internally and with our partner Chili, "says Maria Utsi, director of the festival.

Both national and international arts and culture actors were present when the Arctic Arts Festival, representatives of both years of the Pilot project and strategic partner Chili presented the experience after two years of targeted work to reach new audiences. Festival director Maria Utsi emphasizes the importance of the project for the Arctic Arts Festival:

"With 12 brave, open and wonderful Harstad locals, we have for two years shown that art can become more important to new users. Now these amazing locals have also impressed the national and international cultural industry with the way they have met the Arctic Arts Festival and art in general. This project is unique and we hope it can inspire more people to work to include more audience groups in their communication and dissemination of art, "says the enthusiastic festival director.

The aim of the award is to identify and promise good audience development to understand what works. The jury emphasized the innovative approach the project has for so-called non-users; The audience who usually does not feel at home in the art world:

"The Arctic Arts Festival can show significantly increased growth in the last two years. The jury considers this as a result of strategic management with clear goals for artistic development and audience development. The Arctic Arts Festival wins the prize for its work of making art important for more and different types of users than those normally in the cultural market. "

Jury's reason for the nomination:

• New leader (2015) succeeds in incorporating new groups while preserving existing audiences and deepening the relationship with both groups.
• Effect: doubles public figures for the first year (2016) - keeps the same high level in 2017
• The nomination focuses on in the "Festival Games", an innovative commitment to building relationships with "non-users"; the audience who usually does not feel at home among the arts and culture elite
• The festival games are at the same time an innovative dissemination concept
• The festival games create content for digital platforms that increase involvement among groups that did not relate to the party games previously
• The festivities are not just an element in a market mix but a core activity for artistic director who participates in the pilots' "journey of travel"

About the NPU Prize

The NPU Prize was awarded for the first time in 2014. The goal is to understand key drivers for positive results and share it with the rest of the field. The number of nominees has increased for each year. This year there were 60 institutions nominated for the awards. 39 were evaluated thorougly, resulting in 12 nominated institutions. The selection is based on tips and advice as well as the NPU's overview of the field. It is a goal to to cover different industries and geographical areas and different types of institutions with different types of purposes and practices. 

The 12 Candidates for the NPU Prize 2017 are divided into four categories:

Best Practice

1. Increases the most:
can indicate a significant increase in inflows that are not due to coincidences

2. Communicate best:
can demonstrate significant effort in disseminating their art form / cultural offerings relative to their own community assignments, capacity and resources

3. Includes the most:
can demonstrate significant efforts to increase the socio-demographic diversity in the audience relative to their own existing audience, community assignments, capacity and resources

Next practice:

Can show exciting, innovative, promising, ambitious, innovative measures to achieve one or more of the goals above.