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Innovation, Trade and Rural Development November 30, 2007
Newfoundland and Labrador Culture Shines in Iceland Newfoundland and Labrador culture shone during the recent trade mission to Iceland with its food, music and dance being widely acclaimed. Led by the Honourable Trevor Taylor, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, a key outcome of the trade mission was the considerable appetite that Icelanders have for the province�s cultural heritage. "A part of Iceland�s attraction to Newfoundland and Labrador�s heritage stems from our common Irish ancestry. Like our province they have strong ties to Ireland and we are both keen on exploring and celebrating our history," said Minister Taylor. "With this in mind, this trade mission presented the opportunity to showcase our province�s culture to a captivated audience and led to considerable success for the mission�s participants." Capitalizing on the shared history and ties to Ireland, participants of the trade mission were able to forge new relations, develop joint-marketing arrangements, and enhance the province�s position on the international stage. �The trade mission was a rewarding experience for our company. We had the opportunity to perform with world-ranked dancers and the World Dance Council,� said Shawn Silver of iDance, Newfoundland and Labrador�s premiere Irish dance company with locations in Grand Falls-Windsor and St. John�s. �Like Newfoundland and Labrador, culture is extremely important and we will be partnering with one of the world�s top dance companies to form iDance Iceland. Iceland is a key market for us and there is much potential for us to blend our Irish and Viking ancestry.� Two of the province�s most renowned chefs � Roary MacPherson of The Fairmont Newfoundland and Brian Abbott of Restaurant 21 � also brought a taste of Newfoundland and Labrador to a buyers� showcase and designed a menu for two of Iceland�s most prestigious restaurants for two nights. �We were able to deliver a taste of Newfoundland and Labrador to the Icelandic community and the response was incredible with both nights being completely booked,� said Chef Roary MacPherson. �Bringing our cuisine directly to the Iceland market presented us with a unique opportunity to position the province as a hub for world-class cuisine,� added Chef Brian Abbott. The province�s film industry and the local jazz festival also received a boost from traveling as part of the Iceland trade mission. Duane Andrews from the St. John�s jazz community performed at a marquee event with one of Iceland�s top jazz musicians connecting Iceland and Newfoundland and Labrador and growing the respective jazz communities. �By going to Iceland we were able to develop a relationship with the Reykjavik Jazz Festival to co-market our festivals in both markets, along with establishing a musician exchange program,� said Kirk Newhook, executive/artistic director of the St. John�s Jazz Festival. "This represents a significant opportunity to attract more talent to our festival and jazz fans from Iceland to our event. We are also excited to announce that we will partner with iDance to explore a rural-based Celtic festival with Iceland showcasing traditional Icelandic dancing and traditional Irish dancing.� �Having the opportunity to showcase my work in Iceland, we were invited back for January�s Iceland Film Festival where we will show Hard Rock and Water,� said Barbara Doran of Morag Loves Company. �January�s festival will include producers from all over the world whose subject matter focuses on Iceland and its people � this is an exciting opportunity both for me and the local film industry.� The Provincial Government is helping companies from rural and urban communities identify new markets and audiences through its export development strategy. In the last fiscal year, the Provincial Government led 89 companies in various national and international trade missions. -30- Media contact: 2007 11 30 10:55 a.m. |
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