Culture

Norwegian staff shake their shoulders as a weekend-warm-up. Read more >

One hundred and fourteen years have passed since Italian forces were beaten at Adwa in their attempt to colonize Ethiopia. In the 1930/40s- Mussolini’s Fascist regime tried again through a bloody occupation of Ethiopia. But unlike many other countries who have suffered bloody invasions and conquests, Ethiopia has embraced many cultural traditions from its former foe. Read more >

The Ethiopian giraffe Tsehai is the star of an internationally recognised children’s TV. The programme, which teaches Ethiopian kids critical skills and values, was awarded the 2008 Japan Prize by a jury under Norwegian leadership and partly funded by Norway. Read more >

Scholarship funds amount to NOK 1 million(2.24 million birr) will be awarded to Ibsen related projects worldwide. Read more >

January 7th is Ethiopian Christmas. Throughout that day, millions of Orthodox Ethiopians will break the fast they have been observing for almost six weeks . Accompanying the meat, egg and chicken-based dishes celebrating Christmas, they will also enjoy “Tej”, Ethiopian homemade honey-wine. Read more >

In 1991, UK comedian, actor and writer Michael Palin travelled from the North Pole to the South Pole as part of a TV-series. The journey took him through Ethiopia just after the Derg-downfall, and the episode of “From Pole to Pole” in Ethiopia gives an interesting insight into a country in transition. Read more >

In September, the Knarvikmila-run held in Western Norway raised 246000 ETB for charity-projects supported by the Great Ethiopian Run. This was done together with pupils from a local secondary school- Knarvik Ungdomsskule. In late November 2009, five representatives from the two institutions visited Addis Abeba to hand over their contribution, a substantial part of the 530 000 ETB that was raise... Read more >

The Norwegian Embassy has a tradition of selling smoked salmon at the yearly Diplomatic spouses Bazaar. This year was no different, and after about three hours with a constant stream of salmon hungry-customers, all salmon sandwiches were eaten, and all crates with 200 gram packages of salmon were empty. Read more >

Ambassador Jens Petter Kjemprud and State Minister Ahmed Shide signs agreement worth 900 000 NOK. Read more >

110 artists from five countries joined their creative forces onstage at Millennium Hall on Saturday the 20th of November, giving participants at the Ethiopian National Youth Conference a spectacular show. Norwegian Artists from the Royal Academy of Music and the Oslo Academy of the Arts tied the show together musically in cooperation with Ethiopian colleagues. Read more >

The 4th Ethiopian International Film Festival (EIFF) takes place in Addis Ababa this week, from 23 to 29 November. The Norwegian films, Kissed by Winter and Kitchen Stories, will be screened. Norwegian filmmaker and artist Ingebjørg Torgersen will participate at the festival discussing Norwegian film and film history with Ethiopian filmmakers and audience. Read more >

During the ongoing 17th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES) musicians from World Music Ensemble NTNU, Norway and Yared Music School, Addis Ababa University (AAU), have fused cultural and musical expressions in inspiring performances. This week hundreds of spectators gathered for colourful concerts at the National Theatre and the Gazlight, Sheraton. Read more >

As the 17th ICES conference takes place in Addis Ababa from 2-5 November 2009, musicians from World Music Ensemble, NTNU Norway and Yared Music School, Addis Ababa University, meet again to mix their different musical cultures. The Norwegian Embassy cordially invites you to an Ethio-Norwegian musical evening at the Sheraton Gazlight tonight, 3 November at 20:00. Read more >

The fjords of Norway have once again been crowned the world’s top travel destination in the annual survey of National Geographic Travelers panellists. Read more >

The colours of doors and windows in churches in  Ethiopia  are often very "colourful" and patriotic (see pictures). Read more >

The International Ibsen Scholarships will in 2009 be awarded for the second time, and 1 000 000 NOK is allocated to the cause. The scholarships are awarded to individuals, organizations or institutions within the artistic and cultural community, and are meant as incentives for critical discourse in regards to existential and society-related subject matters concerning Henrik Ibsen (see picture).... Read more >

Professor Bahru Zewde’s latest book “Society, state and history: selected essays” was recently launched at the Addis Ababa University .   Read more >

The Embassy will be closed on Timkat 19 January. For more on the Ethiopian orthodox Timkat celebration, read the following Read more >

The 8 th and 9 th of December, the Core, a Norwegian jazz band visited Addis Ababa for a cultural exchange with Ethiopian jazz musician. It was all kicked off with a concert at the ambassador’s residence at the 8 th of December and followed up the next day with a workshop and a concert at the African Jazz Village in collaboration with Mulatu Astatke. Both the Norwegian and Ethiopian musicians h... Read more >

Ole Bull Himmelstormeren, the story of the most adventurous Norwegian of all time will represent Norway in the European Film Festival in Addis Ababa, showing at the Alliance Francaise Monday 1 December at 20:30 Read more >