Knowledge – Life – Career
HJERTING
The boardwalk of Esbjerg
HOTEL RIBE
Family-run entrepreneurship
NEW SUPER LAB
ESBJERG ENSEMBLE
A cultural vitamin for the city No. 2 2016
ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY… And neither was EnergyMetropolis. Nevertheless the south western part of Jutland has always represented establishment and development of business. As the Viking’s market town Ribe in year 850 or as the centre of development for new software companies in Esbjerg in 2015. We build and develop. Therefore, in this year’s issue of EnergyMetropolis we visit some of the many people that continuously contribute to making Esbjerg municipality a modern metropolitan area with room for diversity and ambition. In this issue you can meet Esbjerg Ensemble – a very special cultural institution that gives Esbjerg much more than fantastic music. You can also meet the active woman behind the helicopter company Bel Air, Susanne Hessellund. She is a successful managing director, helicopter pilot and mother of six.
Publisher: Business Development Esbjerg Editor: Marketing Manager Birgit Bech Jensen Editorial team: Business Development Esbjerg, Related and KIRK & HOLM Text/Editing: Related and Business Development Esbjerg
In Ribe we visit the entrepreneurial couple Tinne Rieck and Niels Toft who has turned a worn out pub into a cosy hotel. It is a special lifestyle and therefore the whole family is involved. You can also read more about the new international IB programme at Esbjerg Gymnasium & HF. The programme has been requested for years to accommodate the educational needs of expats and international families in Esbjerg municipality. Another story from the educational institutions is about the new super lab at Aalborg University Esbjerg. A new and state of the art laboratory provides researchers and students very good conditions for research within energy, bio-tech, mechanical and electronical engineering. Lastly, we visit Hjerting, the beautiful suburb that attracts many visitors every year. The impressive boardwalk and scenic beach park create
Design: KIRK & HOLM Print: Rosendahls Photo: Red Star Photo, Esbjerg Byhistoriske Arkiv, Nikolaj Lund and Niels Linneberg Editing was completed: 1 December 2015
a buzzing environment that both tourists and locals love to be part of. In this issue of EnergyMetropolis you are invited to be part of Denmark’s largest construction project – the construction of EnergyMetropolis Esbjerg. I wish you happy reading, Birgit Bech Jensen Head of marketing, Business Development Esbjerg
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INDEX
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Hotel Ribe 4 Entrepeneurial spirit and the challenges of starting something new.
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Bel Air 6 Dreams, ambitions and a solid foothold made it all happen for Susanne Hessellund. Hjerting 9 The stockbroker belt of Esbjerg with sailing club, seaside hotel, boardwalk and vivacity.
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IB programme 12 Full circle international educational opportunities in Esbjerg.
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New super lab 14 Esbjerg’s new 4,500 square metre playground for scientists and students. Metropolis Culture 16 Art, culture centres, music, theatre, shows and much more.
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Esbjerg Ensemble 18 The city’s cultural flagship. Back
2016 Events
EnergyMetropolis – 3
FAMILY-RUN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Tinne and Niels, an entrepreneurial couple from Ribe, have seized the opportunity to transform an old worn out pub into a cosy hotel with dining room. Friends and family helped them during the long and hard process and now they have a small, successful family business in the heart of Denmark’s oldest city.
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n the heart of Ribe among the beautiful town houses you find the white and claret-coloured building from 1873 that once housed Hotel Sønderjylland. The place had its golden age many years ago and was in recent years best known as a smokefilled bar with regulars. It was therefore a golden opportunity for Tinne and Niels to transform the place into something new. Niels has been running one of Ribe’s well known bars ‘Stenbohus’ for 24 years and therefore, he has a very good understanding of what Ribe needs. ‘The memory of Hotel Sønderjylland from its golden age and the fact that many tourists visit Ribe every year are the reasons we did this. Along come lots of new ideas, and we simply just grab the ones that feel right. I do not think there is a name for what we do. I mean, we are primarily a hotel, but we also have a dining room for parties and a small and quiet pub as well as we host concerts and cultural events. We have created something that we think Ribe has needed, and it seems like people agree’, Niels explains.
his step-father fixes furniture. Tinne’s father, mother and step-father cook and bartend on occasions. It is indeed a family-run business. With a little help from our friends The process of transforming the worn out and neglected premises into Hotel Ribe required both funding and many hours of hard work. However, Tinne and Niels approached the challenge in an alternative way. They reached out to family and friends on Facebook and asked for their help, which lead to 74 enthusiastic people helping them paint, clean and babysit – one of them even came all the way from Australia. However, their friends have also been there with financial support and faith in the project when no banks were interested. The funding was a struggle and almost foundered the project. ‘An accountant helped me draw up the paperwork and I went to four banks asking for loans. Initially I was met by locals who were enthusiastic about the project and really saw the potential, but the economic part of it was impossible.
So we actually ended up taking loans from private individuals who believe that we can actually do this’, Niels explains. More than a hotel Hotel Ribe being more than a hotel is obvious when the couple mentions the wide range of events and parties they host. They put an effort into establishing a more catering-like business in their dining room and it shows as they have a well booked calendar. They host parties of all kinds, from birthdays to weddings and anniversaries. Nevertheless, developing their business and finding new ways are important to them. ‘We are constantly thinking about new ways to encourage people to go out. We would love to have a more British pub-like setting with families coming here for dinner, a soccer game on TV or just to have a nice time. Therefore we try to come up with new initiatives and events. We already have dance nights, poker tournaments, concerts, Christmas parties etc. — and there will be more. The only limit is our imagination’, Niels concludes.
A family-run business Having a business in the hotel and catering industry takes a certain drive and lifestyle that Tinne and Niels have embraced. They are a family of six, so the decision to start a hotel was with special consideration for their four sons. This type of business gives the family a flexibility that they really appreciate. ‘Our boys drop by during the day and we often meet over dinner here in the pub. In spite of the fact that we work even more hours than previously it gives us time and flexibility to be together. Our boys know where to find us, when they need us, and that is the most important thing for us’, the couple points out. Also, the day-to-day running of their business includes family. Their sons assist around the hotel, Niels’ mother cleans and tidies up when needed and
The couple’s four sons are all a big part of the daily operation at Hotel Ribe. EnergyMetropolis – 5
WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF LIVING IN THE ESBJERG AREA? ‘The nature — we are close to the forest, the sea, the beach etc. Additionally there is a rich cultural life and good educational institutions. It makes it possible for the family to be close. It is important for me that our employees’ families also thrive when they move here to work for Bel Air.’
WHAT DOES THE GOOD LIFE MEAN TO YOU? ’The good life is primarily that my kids and people close to me thrive and are feeling good. Also, I care about my 7th child Bel Air and that all the employees are doing well.’
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Bel Air has been elected Gazelle company for two years and in 2013 Gazelle company of the year.
THE BEL AIR FAMILY Childhood dreams, family ties and a profound desire to make a difference – these are the three things that Managing Director Susanne Hessellund from the helicopter company Bel Air in Esbjerg Airport is propelled by.
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he attractive combination of familiar location in the native town Holsted, an effective region and strong family ties was the decisive factor that made Susanne Hessellund move from Jels to Holsted and establish the helicopter base Bel Air in 1997. But the dream about helicopters goes way back. ‘I actually decided to become a pilot when I was around seven or eight years old. My family and I were, by incident, driving by a test flight at Maersk in Esbjerg and I was so fascinated.’ However, Susanne’s parents where convinced that pilot training where either for military training or rich kids. But neither wealth nor military suited their family so she had to come up with a new dream. ‘As time passed I learned that this was not true and if I really wanted to be a commercial pilot, I had to find a way to pay for it myself’, Susanne Hessellund explains.
Going against the tide During the next years Susanne worked hard to save money for pilot training, attend the Higher Preparatory Examination Course and keep all of her plans from her parents. ‘They really wanted me to find an ordinary job’, Susanne says with a smile. Everything went according to plan and at the age of 19 Susanne had saved enough money to start the theoretical part of the pilot training. However, the many years of secrecy was interrupted by a phone call to her parent’s house concerning a cancelled theory class. Fortunately they came around and eventually gave her their blessing to follow her dream. ‘I completed the training for commercial helicopter pilot in 1994 but at that time you only have around 100-150 flight hours of experience. My dream was to fly offshore helicopter at Maersk’s base in Esbjerg which requires around 1,000 hours of flying. So my then husband and I started Bel Air the same year so that I could gain enough flight hours to live my dream’, Susanne Hessellund reports.
Regional authorities made it happen It took four years before Bel Air was transformed from temporary helipad in Jels to fully functioning heliport in Holsted. The turning point was when the pilot couple decided to move to Holsted in the former Ribe County. ‘The regional authorities turned out to be very accommodating. People were interrupting their holidays to work on permits and many other things to ease the process. They were really dedicated to make things happen and it actually caused that the permits were approved in Holsted before we even began to think about Jels. Bjarne’s parents lived in Jels and mine in Holsted so we knew that we would like to live one of those places. At the time we had three children and we were both pilots’, Susanne Hessellund explains. A dream came true In 1997 the dream came true and Susanne was hired at Maersk in Esbjerg. At the time she was co-owner of Bel Air, mother of three and back in her native EnergyMetropolis – 7
town with her family. But dreams tend to change, and so did Susanne’s when Maersk Helicopters shut down in 1999. Thereafter, Susanne worked at the worldwide helicopter company CHC and was here trained to be a captain. ‘I had a deep desire to be in a company where you care about your employees and each other, also when things are difficult. Therefore, I ended up leaving my safe and good job to dedicate my time 100 percent in starting up the helicopter company DanCopter in Esbjerg in order to keep my focus on the offshore industry’, the popular Managing Director states. Bel Air was still flying smaller one-motored helicopters from Holsted Heliport at that time.
From the ashes When Susanne’s shares in DanCopter were aquired in 2007, because of disagreement in management, she decided, along with her sister who was also fired from DanCopter, to see how Bel Air could develop. ‘After the dismissals my sister and I sat down over the morning coffee to discuss our future. I dreamt about gathering members from my previous team and one day they actually called us to join our new Bel Air team’, she continues. However, the new day in Bel Air turned out to be less successful than Susanne had been dreaming about. After several tough years with red numbers the luck
changed when a German/Italian investor, after a visit at the helicopter base in Holsted, decided to invest in Bel Air and Susanne. With the financial boost, in form of financing of the first offshore helicopter at a price of DKK 80 million, Bel Air’s offshore orders in the North Sea and the company’s finances, finally made progress. There is more to life than money Even though Bel Air has had a growth of more than 5,500 percent over the past four years and despite the fact that Susanne Hessellund today is in the top 100 on Berlingske’s list of the richest people in Denmark, the pilot from western Jutland has never compromised on her core values: family and loyalty. ‘Solidarity and that we care about each other is very important to me. We have a strong focus on safety and take our job very seriously, but there has to be room for fun’, Susanne points out. She is proof that being considerate and decent goes very well with success. Bel Air’s international environment Bel Air’s development has been phenomenal and today the company in Esbjerg attracts attention from international people. ‘Even though we are a Danish company we have many international employees who all have the opportunity to become integrated with thorough help from Esbjerg Municipality. The International School in Esbjerg also makes it easier for us to attract international employees with the right qualifications and their families’, Susanne Hessellund explains.
Susanne’s motto is:
‘Where there is a will, there is a way’
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For Susanne it is important that Bel Air can be an extended family for the employees that are far away from home. ‘Bel Air’s motto is: ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’. It means that we always find a solution. Also when it is difficult exactly as you would do for your family. This also applies to our customers and colleagues’, she concludes.
HJERTING
– THE BOARDWALK OF ESBJERG At the seaside north of Esbjerg you find one of Denmark’s most beautiful beaches and residential areas – Hjerting. The suburb is an old and cosy fishing town that has steadily grown into a luxurious area.
The boardwalk and beach encourage to play, exercise, hang out, eat icecream and have a good time.
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jerting is beautifully located with a view of Ho Bugt and unique conditions for a rich maritime environment — only 10 km from the centre of Esbjerg. Every day the area reminds the citizens of Esbjerg and visitors how amazing it is to live by the sea. Back to the seaside hotel For people living in Hjerting the beach is an important part of their everyday life. The many improvements along the beach e.g. renovations of houses, art on the beach and the 600 metre new boardwalk has brought along more visitors and vivacity. The blooming activity at the beach has also been noticed at Hjerting Badehotel. After 40 years of camping and charter holidays the Danes now seek the beach
life and the amazing view of the Wadden Sea. This has caused changes and started renovations at the more than hundred year old seaside hotel. ‘We try to open up our property towards the sea. We build more patios and replace windows with doors to let in more light and create easy beach access. We want our guests to experience the beach when they are here. They simply have to go out and feel the Wadden Sea’, the owner of Hjerting Badehotel Peter Pedersen explains. Clean bathing water Today Hjerting’s coast line is beautiful, but it has not always been. In the 1960s and 70s Ho Bugt was no place for swimming because of pollution. It caused the beach life in Hjerting to almost disappear. Fortunately, in EnergyMetropolis – 9
Fresh air, beautiful sunsets and culinary experiences have attracted visitors to Hjerting Badehotel for more than 100 years.
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the early 1980s Esbjerg municipality began cleaning up the bay and thereby made bathing safe again. ‘Since the bay was cleaned the area has gained people’s attention. We have experienced rapid growth of visitors from both the local and surrounding area. Our guests are often surprised how beautiful it is here in Hjerting and many of them come back to our seaside hotel year after year. We have definitely noticed that Hjerting Strand is a popular destination’, Peter Pedersen states.
The stockbroker belt of Esbjerg The chairman of Ho Bugt’s sailing club, Bjarne Lindquist, agrees with the hotel owner: ‘Hjerting is an old fishing town but this has definitely changed. Today Hjerting Strand is like the stockbroker belt of Esbjerg with expensive houses along the shore. However, many different people live here: students, families with small children, teachers, engineers and CEOs. Hjerting has really become a many-sided area in Esbjerg’.
‘Our recruitment activities are quite limited because the beach simply does it for us.’
In the sailing club they have also noticed an increasing interest among citizens of Esbjerg. Since the club merged with the windsurfer association a few years back, the number of members has almost doubled. ‘Our recruitment activities are quite limited because the beach simply does it for us’, the chairman explains. Today the sailing club has members from Esbjerg, Hjerting, Ribe, Varde, Tjæreborg and Darum – and even a few commuters from Copenhagen. A place to visit During the past years Esbjerg Municipality has established a more than 600 metres long boardwalk and remarkable art at the beach. At the seaside hotel and in the sailing club they agree that the efforts attract more tourists and local visitors to Hjerting Strand. ‘There have been many efforts to improve the area. Hjerting is now the place to go for nature experiences. Both people from Esbjerg and the surrounding area come here for a walk, to eat an icecream or a relaxing weekend stay. We have noticed an increased focus on recreational activities especially when young people are here on holiday or a business trip. They are very interested in running routes, fitness and wellness. And you can find all of that here’, Peter Pedersen from Hjerting Badehotel concludes with a smile. ‘In the sailing club we now have better facilities. This has caused more members e.g. people who go for a swim in the morning before work. Also, we offer training for our members e.g. surf and dinghy courses for young people and adults who want to improve their skills. All of this makes the area vivid and authentic’, Bjarne Lindquist points out.
EnergyMetropolis – 11
The programme has been created in cooperation between companies in Esbjerg, Esbjerg municipality, Business Development Esbjerg, Esbjerg International School and Esbjerg Gymnasium & HF.
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ESBJERG’S NEW INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA PROGRAMME After years of hard work, the international diploma programme IB is now an interesting opportunity for young people in the south-western part of Denmark.
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or years, an international diploma programme has been requested in Esbjerg – a so called International Baccalaureate (IB), and now it is a reality. The new post-secondary education programme increases the educational opportunities for many expat families in the city, but also Danish parents who wish to give their children a global future. At the private school Esbjerg International School, Principal Timothy Veale has a positive view on the possibilities of the programme: ‘The need for this programme in Esbjerg is substantial. At the international school we only offer classes up to 9th grade and thereafter our students previously had to go to Kolding. This has caused many international families to leave Esbjerg’. Valuable cooperation The new diploma programme is not just an opportunity for many young people in Esbjerg. Also, the area’s various companies are delighted. At Esbjerg Gymnasium & HF there are many positive words about the cooperation between companies, local politicians and educational institutions which have resulted in the approval of the diploma programme.
‘Around 20 of Esbjerg’s energy and offshore companies expressed their joint support for the programme. They, of course, see possibilities in attracting more international employees because we can offer an IB to their teenagers’, Principal of Esbjerg Gymnasium & HF Erling Petersson explains. International league Timothy Veale, who is a native Canadian, sees the diploma programme as an asset for Esbjerg’s international brand. ‘With an IB we can compete against some of the other international energy-cities. I have lived in Esbjerg for 6 years and have visited Denmark for more than 16 years and it has occurred to me that Esbjerg is much more globally oriented than e.g. the larger cities in Eastern Jutland. I think it shows that Esbjerg municipality really has an interest in the future and well-being of the city’s international citizens. Among other things the IB is proof of that’. A big step for Esbjerg On a national scale there are more than 200 Danish gymnasiums and only 13 approved IB schools so the new international diploma programme is a prestigious and essential part of Esbjerg’s strategy for growth towards
2020. With the rapid growth in the energy and offshore sector, Esbjerg has evolved into an international city with the need of both Danish and international employees. ‘The IB makes it possible to attend school in Esbjerg with a global orientation. We know from a number of potential newcomers that without the IB or Esbjerg International School they would work in Esbjerg, but live elsewhere. Now we have all options here’, Erling Petersson points out. High expectations The administration of Esbjerg Gymnasium & HF is looking forward to starting up the 2-year IB in the summer of 2016. The interest for the programme is considerable in the Esbjerg area. Already in August 2015, around 30 students started the 1-year preparatory course, ”Pre-IB”, to improve their language skills. ‘We do not yet know the exact number of students admitted but we hope that around 35-40 young people will join the programme in 2016. When our IB programme is fully up and running with all classes we will have around 120 students – that is pretty good’, the proud Principal concludes.
Principal Erling Petersson looks forward to welcoming the new students. EnergyMetropolis – 13
‘As a PhD student you contribute to a whole industry – not just one company’
The new part of Aalborg University Esbjerg is a low-energy building.
NEW SUPER LAB
IN ESBJERG
Both scientists and students at Aalborg University Esbjerg have been longing to see the results of the construction work happening in extension of the university’s old laboratory. In July the construction of the brand new 4,500 square metre laboratory was finally done. The expectation is that the new facilities will contribute to increasing research results at the already internationally acknowledged research and educational institution.
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alking around the new and modern facilities at Niels Bohrs Vej, you can still smell the fresh paint. Even though the new laboratory just recently opened, the scientists have already made the building their own little play area. State aid for technical research In 2008 the Danish government offered all technical institutions in Denmark a financial contribution via the National Budget to rebuild, expand and renovate existing laboratories. In total DKK 90 million was allocated Aalborg University Esbjerg (AAU-Esbjerg) and on top of that, Aalborg University invested a sum of DKK 40 million in research as well as campus environment in Esbjerg. ‘In recent years we have been dreaming of expanding and embedding the construction of research that happens here at AAU-Esbjerg and in the city. In fact we have five well-functioning research units in Esbjerg’, Anders Kristensen, Head of Campus at AAU-Esbjerg, points out. The facilities at Aalborg University Esbjerg had obviously been worn down by the scientists’ and students’ many hours of hard work during the past 50 years. An extensive renovation was therefore essential. Along with the renovation new facilities have been established as well as a fresh and appealing working environment for both students and employees.
turbines. Additionally, a hydraulic system has been set up for use in the existing study programmes within mechanical-, electronical- and energy engineering. Also, the research unit in chemistry and bio-technology have new surroundings for research in oil, gas, chemistry and bio-technology. All these things will benefit PhD student Petar Durdevic in the future. ‘In our research, height and water pressure are very important. We hope that the new laboratory can help qualify our research results’, explains Petar Durdevic who conducts research in optimising the separation of oil and water in oil and gas production in the offshore industry. The employees are pleased Together with his research partner, PhD student Simon Pedersen, Petar looks forward to using the new laboratory and continuing the offshore research project which is carried out in cooperation with Maersk and Ramboll. ‘As a PhD student, you contribute to a whole industry – not just one company’ Petar states when arguing for his choice of PhD. However, a determining factor has been the close connection to the business community in Esbjerg:
‘I hope that the results of our research will be used by the companies in the near future’, the ambitious PhD student and Master of Engineering states. A benefit for the city In Esbjerg there are continuous efforts to internationalize the city. These efforts have attracted many international companies that employ many of the students that each year graduate e.g. as engineers. ‘I have experienced, in the business community, that our students’ competencies live up to international standards. So we hope that our new laboratory can strengthen our international profile even more by e.g. attracting more business PhDs’, Anders Kristensen ends. The new laboratory is situated at Niels Bohrs Vej in Esbjerg. It will contribute to enhancing the qualifications of Esbjerg’s future study programmes within engineering and strengthen research within the areas of engineering and natural science. On 1 September 2015, 337 new students joined Aalborg University’s department in Esbjerg.
‘The rebuild has given us a new perspective on how we work in the laboratories and therefore also an opportunity to see how we can improve ourselves’, Anders Kristensen explains. ‘In the end, the rebuild will hopefully contribute to attracting more skilled scientists and give our students even more opportunities within the prime of research’. New facilities for research at AAU-Esbjerg AAU-Esbjerg now has a range of new and exciting research facilities within the field of energy research. Among other things there have been established a wave pool and a combustion system to be used for advanced research as e.g. floating wind EnergyMetropolis – 15
METROPOLIS CULTURE TOBAKKEN music venue Gasværksgade 2 6700 Esbjerg
150
concerts in 2015
30,000
concert goers in 2015
CULTURE CENTRES Konfus
Huset Esbjerg
Musikhuset Esbjerg
cultural youth centre
music venue and culture centre for students
Esbjerg’s central venue for music, shows and theatre
Danish National Academy of Music
Kulturskolen
Ribe Kunstmuseum
music venue and educational institution
cultural education for children — music, ballet, theatre, art and writing
art museum with classical collection of work by e.g. Skagen Painters
Ribes Vikinger
SeminarieHuset
Esbjerg Kunstmuseum
historical museum about the Viking Age
culture centre in Ribe
museum of modern art
Ribe Vikingecenter
Fiskeri- og Søfartsmuseet
Libraries in Esbjerg municipality
museum with real life experiences from the Viking Age
museum about Esbjerg’s fishing heritage and the animal sea life
books and cultural events for children and adults
ARTISTS’ OPEN DOORS Open studios in Esbjerg, every year in September. Blå Døre
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ART TOUR SOUTH-WEST JUTLAND Arts and crafts in south-west Jutland Kunstrunden Sydvestjylland
Art in the city of Esbjerg: Granite sculptures in Herups Have, ‘The Gospel of Esbjerg’ mural by Erik Hagens, ‘I am your yesterday – and you are my tomorrow’ sculpture in Hjerting Strandpark by Rui Chafes, Robert Jacobsen’s mural by the alter in Hjerting Kirke, ‘Man meets the Sea’ and much more.
MUSIC FESTIVALS
Esbjerg Rock Festival
Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival
Good vibes, classic rock, pop bands and DJs June 2016
Classical music across genres and nationalities August 2016
Folk & Fæstival
Ribe Jazz Festival
Made in Esbjerg
Folk music from all over the world April 2016
Local, national and international jazz musicians in a cosy atmosphere July 2016
Upcoming bands and established names with connections to Esbjerg August 2016
Fanø Rocker
Grøn Koncert
Rued Langgaard Festival
Island festival with focus on good music and atmosphere May 2016
Popular national bands on joined tour in Denmark July 2016
Classical music in context of the local composer Rued Langgaaard September 2016
THEATRE FOR CHILDREN Børne- og ungdomsteatret www.teaterhuset.org Theatre run by volunteers Examples of plays: • • • • •
Peter Pan The Wizard of Oz Oliver Twist Cinderella The Swineherd
Drakomir Teater Fugl Føniks Skarntyden
DEN NY OPERA Musical regional theatre with two shows per year
60 - 70
yearly performances National tour with two adult productions and one childrens show.
STRANDVEJEN’S ART TOUR Open studios two weekends a year, exhibitions and happenings. Strandvejens kunstrute
EnergyMetropolis – 17
ESBJERG ENSEMBLE A CULTURAL VITAMIN FOR THE CITY The ambitious and highly skilled Esbjerg Ensemble is a unique cultural institution that contributes to Esbjerg being a multicultural city. The projects are many-sided and reflect the ensemble’s constant process of creativity and innovation.
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n the chambers of Esbjerg Ensemble in Norgesgade there is a vibrant buzz and an ear pleasing flow of music. Katrine Ganer Skaug, Artistic and Managing director of Esbjerg Ensemble, welcomes us and jump right into a passionate explanation of the recent events in the ensemble. Esbjerg Municipality has just recently guaranteed Esbjerg Ensemble’s existence and this has obviously created renewed spirit and energy. ‘We shook each other’s hands and this was the beginning of a new relationship. The story is important because people have realized that we actually represent Esbjerg as a cultural city and contribute
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to a multicultural environment in Esbjerg’, Katrine Ganer Skaug explains. High standards Esbjerg Ensemble was created in 1967 by a visionary Head of the Music Academy and five musicians from Copenhagen. Today the ensemble consists of 10 handpicked musicians from all over the world divided into wind quintet, string quartet and percussion instrument. The musicians are all soloists and play chamber concerts, they teach music at the Music Academy and they function in different orchestras in the region. This constellation brings a fresh and healthy dynamic, not only to the ensemble, but to Esbjerg in
general. The musical level of Esbjerg Ensemble is very high. It has increased over the years and is now attracting musicians from all parts of the world. ‘When your ambitions are high, you need the best on your team. We hold auditions because there are so many talented musicians – and we simply pick the best adapted for the purpose. This gives us an amazing team and I am proud to say that the musical level is really high right now’, the Artistic and Managing Director states and continues: ‘The high standard of the ensemble is what put Esbjerg on the map as a cultural city. When we play concerts in and outside Denmark we are very good ambassadors’.
Cultural significance The cultural significance of the ensemble lies not only within the classical music, but also in building bridges between other musical genres and types of art. The primary function of the ensemble is seasonal concerts of classical and new compositions and musical cooperation in Esbjerg and the region. However, Esbjerg Ensemble is continuously working on making classical music more accessable for the general population who perhaps do not have any specific knowledge of or preference for the classical music genre in the traditional form. ‘Within classical music there is an implicit knowledge that you may not understand if you are not a part of the environment. We, of course, trust the music but know that it can be difficult to comprehend. We therefore cooperate with a theatre instructor and visual artists that help us stage some of our performances as being more visual and storytelling. We also have a very close relation to the Ballet Academy at Kulturskolen here in Esbjerg. The skilled ballet dancers are a part of the New Year’s concert and some future projects’, Katrine Ganer Skaug explains.
Also, there are workshops with the music school students and concerts with regional children’s choirs. The projects are many and contribute to the fact that Esbjerg is the Danish city with the highest rate of music school students per capita. ‘People take our concept with them because we give so much for so little. In relation to the funding we receive we have a high activity level – almost as much as a symphony orchestra. So we are a small powerful unit, like a vitamin pill for the city’, Katrine Ganer Skaug concludes.
‘Esbjerg is the Danish city with the highest rate of music school students per capita.’
Role models The concept of Esbjerg Ensemble has been a role model for many other cities all over the world since it was established almost 50 years ago. The ensemble is always on the move if not physically then creatively and this results in many interesting projects. The size makes Esbjerg Ensemble very adaptable and versatile, and therefore able to develop and participate with short notice. Esbjerg Ensemble is also a role model on a more local scale as it is deeply involved in outreach projects. The ensemble teaches children about the facets of classical music and mentor young classical musicians at Kulturskolen. This year, two new productions have been tailored for the smallest kids with fascinating stories of e.g. ‘The Ugly Duckling’.
Esbjerg Ensemble can celebrate 50 years anniversary in 2017.
EnergyMetropolis – 19
EXPERIENCE THE ENERGY The best way to experience EnergyMetropolis Esbjerg, is by taking part in events throughout the year.
EVENTS
OPEN DAYS AT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS February
THE NIGHT WATCHMAN’S ROUNDS IN RIBE May–October
ICE HOCKEY ESBJERG ENERGY August–April
OYSTER SAFARI September-April
VESTKYSTLØBET 2016 June
CONTAINER ART AT ESBJERG HARBOUR August
VADEHAVSFESTIVAL September
CULTURE NIGHT October
CHRISTMAS IN RIBE December
IT HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER TO MOVE TO ESBJERG The newcomer service headed by Relocation Coordinator Pia Enemark offers newcomers in the Municipality of Esbjerg a one-stop shop. This is especially useful if they do not speak Danish.
Newcomers are able to approach Pia Enemark, for example, if they need help with the practical formalities involved in moving, registering for childcare and schools, house hunting, finding jobs for partners, choosing a doctor, locating
social networks, associations in the municipality, language lessons etc. The newcomer service is offered both as a personal service at Esbjerg Town Hall, but also as an e-mail and telephone service.
Relocation Coordinator Pia Enemark, Municipality of Esbjerg T: +45 7616 1616 M: +45 2047 3206 E: piene@esbjergkommune.dk
Marketing Manager Birgit Bech Jensen Business Development Esbjerg T: +45 7512 3744 E: bbj@eeu.dk www.EnergyMetropolis.com
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