A communication concept about the importance of sheep in Arctic regions, with a focus on Vesterålen and Northern Norway.
GaiaDrøv is a communication concept about the significance of sheep in the Arctic regions, focusing on Vesterålen and Northern Norway. The target group is primarily children and young people aged 6-18 years. The purpose is to create interest in agriculture, as well as contribute to increased recruitment.
The importance of sheep in the Arctic
GaiaDrøv is a communication concept and a traveling exhibition about the importance of sheep in the Arctic regions, with a focus on Vesterålen and Northern Norway. GaiaDrøv aims to interconnect past, present, and future in a narrative that unites the cultural, natural, and agricultural history of Norway. The ruminant will be in focus, initially with the sheep as an example. The project can be further developed to include cattle in the next phase.
GaiaDrøv is intended to do the job that the grandparents of the 70s and 80s generations did. It is no longer the case that most people in grassland areas have a grandmother and grandfather who run a farm. A lot of important basic understanding of the things farmers do and depend on is disappearing from the population as the number of active farms continues to dwindle.
The purpose is to generate interest in agriculture and to contribute to increased recruitment, as well as to create an understanding in the population about the use of outlying pastures. The goal is that at least 10,000 individuals will be reached through the project’s various activities.
UNITES THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY WITH MAJOR R&D ENVIRONMENTS, THE CULTURE AND MUSEUM SECTOR, AND THE MEDIA INDUSTRY.
GaiaDrøv unites the agricultural industry with major research and development environments, the culture and museum sector, as well as the media production industry. This makes the project unique in its approach and the composition of partnerships. The agricultural industry is involved as a partner in the project. The Arctic Competence Center for Sheep SA and the local branches of the Farmers’ Union in Vesterålen are part of the project’s steering group.
The Sheep’s Turn to Shine
The same week as the day of “fårikål” commenced and the Norwegian people gathered around dining tables across the country to eat top-quality Norwegian lamb, the starting signal was given for a unique collaboration intended to highlight the sheep’s important role in the development of Northern Norway.
Partners in Gaia Trials
The project partners are the Arctic Competence Center for Sheep SA, the Agricultural Societies of Vesterålen, NIBIO, Sortland Upper Secondary School dept. Kleiva, Deadline Media, Sintef, Museum Nord/GaiaVesterålen.