Youth Served in Lillehammer YOG Culture and Education Program

(ATR) Within the culture and education program of the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games, even the musical acts are young.

"We have been programming it based on having as many performers as possible under the age of 30," Eirik Høyme Rogn, head of Culture and Education, tells Around the Rings.

While that means they could still be twice as old as the youngest YOG competitor, it gives the program a youthful vibe.

Nico & Vinz, indie electronic duo Lemaitre, boy band The Main Level, DJ Matoma and rapper Lars Vaular (who is, gasp, 31) are among the home-grown talent in the program, which also includes lectures, films and art.

Høyme Rogn says there are 120-130 different acts doing around 200 events at 13 venues in Lillehammer – plus side programs in Hamar, Gjovik and Hafjell/Hunderfossen.

All of the events and acts are Norwegian.

"For us it’s important when we have people coming from all over the world to show the best we have of young Norwegian culture," says Høyme Rogn. "That being said, we also have quite a few acts that maybe are even bigger outside Norway than inside Norway."

Nico & Vinz had a worldwide hit with "Am I Wrong" in 2014.

"It’s a really extensive program," Høyme Rogn says, "much bigger than we initially thought it would be. It’s the result of the word of mouth. Suddenly the word spread and so many people wanted to be part of it."

Perhaps the coolest venue is the Igloo Disco, made of snow and ice in Sjogg Park, where the Olympic flame now resides. The Igloo, which holds 100 people, had to be "rescued" after the uncharacteristically warm weather. It was designed by two young architects who did their masters theses on temporary constructions of snow and ice, "which comes in handy when you’re making a winter Olympics in Norway," Høyme Rogn says.

Other venues are also unusual, including the Tyrili Climbing & Café and the ice rink at the Kulturehuset Banket. The most popular acts will appear at Bruket, which has standing room for 900, and the Sjogg Tent, with a capacity of 4,000.

However, Høyme Rogn says visitors don’t have to be teenagers to enjoy the concerts or other activities.

"Of course, everything we do is mainly targeting youth, that’s the essence of the Games itself," he says, "so the programming is done towards a young target group. I know for a fact that a lot of the things that go on here are very interesting for people both below 15 and above 60."

The best way to find out information on the cultural festival is through the Lillehammer 2016 app.

Høyme Rogn, who was in his 20's when he was hired but is now 30, says a lack of funding delayed the planning process. With a budget of around 11 million krone (about $1.3 million), work began in September as staff grew from two to 30.

"We have been trying to find films and speakers that reflect our slogan, ‘Go beyond, create tomorrow ," Høyme Rogn says. "YOG is supposed to be culture, education and sports in one big melting pot."

Inspirational speakers include athletes who have overcome adversity and famous ski racer Kjetil Andre Aamodt, who, unfortunately for international visitors, will give his talk only in Norwegian.

A treasure hunt – with prizes -- is also part of the Sjoggfest. "It’s basically just our way to activate people to get them to explore the town, to answer questions," Høyme Rogn says. "Some of the answers will really only lie in the heads of people you meet, or in the walls of the igloo in the park. It was important for us just to make sure that as many people as possible really find the hidden gems of Lillehammer."

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Written by Karen Rosenin Lillehammer

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