ARTmania goes to Midgardsblot Metal Festival

ARTmania Festival is preparing to bring a distinctive touch to the ninth edition of the Midgardsblot Metal Festival, a renowned music event in Norway, taking place between August 16 and 19, 2023. Since its inaugural edition in 2015, the Midgardsblot Metal Festival has been known for its innovative approach that combines Viking heritage with the power of heavy metal music.

Set in the enchanting location of the Midgard Viking Center, situated in the picturesque vicinity of Borre, this festival offers participants a captivating journey into an eclectic space that blends history with the contemporary through the lens of rock music and Viking traditions.

As part of the “Musical Bridges Through Cultural Entrepreneurship” project initiated by ARTmania Events in collaboration with the Inferno Metal Festival & Music Conference and the Midgardsblot Festival, the ARTmania Festival team will gain backstage access to the Midgardsblot Metal Festival through an exchange program, learning from Norwegian methods and perspectives in organizing a large-scale music event. This unique opportunity provides participating teams with a conducive environment for idea exchange and the continuous development of the cultural and music industry.

Within this partnership, ARTmania Festival will present the project “The Deep Sound of Maramureș” at the Midgardsblot Festival. This transdisciplinary initiative aims to revitalize and promote ancient Romanian cultures and traditions, with a special focus on the uniqueness of Maramureș and Romania. Through a contemporary audio-visual approach, this project strives to preserve and propagate the cultural heritage of the region, bringing the elements of Maramureș identity into the light of modernity. The Deep Sound of Maramureș will play in the Gildehall on Wednesday, 16th August 2023, from 19:45. 

Led by anthropologist, composer, and experimental musician Peter Gate, “The Deep Sound of Maramureș” introduces an interdisciplinary hybrid vision that reinterprets traditional Maramureș sounds and rhythms through experimental digital means. This unconventional musical exploration breathes new life into the sounds of nature, finding its place in the context of contemporary music and offering a unique perspective on cultural values.

ARTmania Festival assumes the role of a bridge between tradition and innovation, facilitating dialogue between cultures and promoting authentic artistic values. This partnership opens new horizons in the cultural and music industry, creating deep connections between diverse cultural roots and contemporary artistic expression.

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„Musical Bridges Through Cultural Entrepreneurship” is financed with the support of EEA Grants within the RO-CULTURE Programme. The project has a non-reimbursable value of 980.230,30 lei (198.102,36 euro) and is carried out over a period of 12 months.

The EEA Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe. There are two overall objectives: reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). The donors have provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014. For the period 2014-2021, the EEA Grants amount to €1.55 billion. More details can be found on www.eeagrants.org și www.eeagrants.ro.

RO-CULTURE Programme is implemented in Romania by the Ministry of Culture through the Project Management Unit. The Programme aims at strengthening social and economic development through cultural cooperation, cultural entrepreneurship and cultural heritage management. The total budget amounts to almost 34 million EUR. For more details access www.ro-cultura.ro.

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ARTmania Festival, the first Romanian festival that developed the idea of combining art and entertainment in Romania, is a platform dedicated to promoting all forms of artistic expression inspired by rock culture. 

Since 2006, ARTmania has established itself as the main regional promoter of contemporary music projects. Music is the core component, but it is only a part of the experience that ARTmania Festival wanted to offer to art lovers from Romania and abroad. From the very beginning, ARTmania was conceived as a cultural platform to offer the public various events and ways to experience different forms of artistic expression, such as concerts, exhibitions, book launches and film screenings. 

As the longest-running rock festival in Romania and one of the brands with the longest tradition on the regional cultural scene, ARTmania has shaped its own identity through a bold concept and a special environment: the Great Square of one of the most beautiful medieval fortresses in Eastern Europe. 

ARTmania is constantly exploring new directions, building on the experience of previous editions where many important artists have performed. Among them are Steven Wilson, Peter Hammill, Serj Tankian, Devin Townsend, Dream Theater, Opeth, Die Toten Hosen, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Apocalyptica, HIM, The Gathering, The Sisters of Mercy, Anathema, Apocalyptica, Lacuna Coil, Helloween, Lacrimosa, Poets of the Fall and Deine Lakaien.