Our Neighbourhood
Bring the whole family, when we turn asylum centers into neighbourhood parties filled with food, activities and music.
We look forward to seeing you, when VårtNabolag is at Ringsaker reception center on the 9th of June 2024.
By creating music festivals at reception centers we want to initiate dialogue and participation between asylum seekers and people in the neighbourhood. To create something together and to experience a community around music, culture and food can be very important for integration – and we believe that integration starts from day one.
“Meetings between people, artists and audience create interest and understanding for the values in other cultural expressions.”
Alexandra Archetti Stølen, Festival Director
Background
Since 2009 Oslo World has invited asylum seekers in Norway to our annual music festival. The initiative has resulted in participation and dialogue between asylum seekers, the concert audience and artists from all over the world. To some of the asylum seekers that come to Norway without family and friends, this invitation has meant a lot in a difficult time.
In august 2014 we arranged OurNeighbourhood for the first time, at Torshov Transit Center. Since then we have arranged OurNeighbourhood thirteen times, at six different centers.
Although covid-19 put an end to VårtNabolag and the reception centers we have worked with in the past are now closed, VårtNabolag was a successful venture in 2022, held for the first time at Ringsaker reception center. With a strong program the festival was a meeting place that brought together residents at the center and their neighbors.
If you live near a reception center and want to organize VårtNabolag in your home town, please contact info@osloworld.no.
Sponsers: PAF, Bergesenstiftelsen, Sparebankstiftelsen, Arts Council Norway, Ringsaker municipality, the Music Study Association and UDI
Partners: Ringsaker reception center, Hero, Nes Barneskole, Nes Vel, Helgøya og Nes Bygdekvinnelag, the Red Cross, Nes sports club, Hovelsrud farm, Mølstad farm, Ousdal farm, Arrco and Mylift