Marcus Andersson är forsknings- och analysansvarig på Geobrands, som räknas till den ledande konsultfirman inom platsmarknadsföring i Sverige. För tillfället rådger han bl.a. BaltMet Promo-projektet i frågor som rör place branding-strategi och har tidigare arbetat för Baltic Development Forum, bl. a. med ett projekt som gick ut på att skapa en varumärkesimage för Östersjöregionen. Han har tidigare också arbetat för Europeiska Kommissionen och den svenska regeringen. Han har utfört forskning inom nation branding och region branding och har blivit publicerad i flera internationella tidsskrifter, bl.a. Place branding and Public Diplomacy, Journal of Place Management and Development och Crossing Perspectives – the Baltic Sea Region. Han är medlem i expertgruppen i den Berlin-baserade Association of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy och har en ekonomie magisterexamen och en politices magisterexamen.

Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdottir har de senaste 16 åren bott och arbetat i Storbritannien. Hon har avlagt MA i radio vid Goldsmith's College och arbetade med radio och TV under åren 1992-1999. År 1998 grundade hon manager- och konsultföretaget Hill Media som koncentrerade sitt arbete kring rockgruppen Bellatrix. Hon har sedan 1998 arbetat med flera isländska och brittiska musikgrupper, festivaler och skivbolag. Anna har också varit aktiv medlem i Music Managers Forum, Association of Independent Music och i New Acoustic Music Association. Var glad och njut av musiken! www.icelandmusic.is

Annika Sigurdardottir (b.1977) is since 2008 the Director of Internal Affairs at the United Nations of Norden. She earned her Doctorate in political history from Ralahine Centre for Utopian Studies with a dissertation on Native Pragmatism: Historical Foundations and Future Challenges of Nordic Diplomacy. She is also the founding member of the Feminist Movement Theology at Harvard Divinity School. Currently, she divides her time traveling between US, Europe, and Japan - lecturing widely on cultural strategies and analysis as the acting Secretary General of the Swedish Colonial Society in Philadelphia and as the Nordic market researcher for Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçon. Annika was the mastermind behind Rei Kawakubo's recent "body meets dress dress meets body" series, and is working on the theme design of the brand's first flagship store opening in Stockholm scheduled for autumn 2010.

Bergljót Jónsdóttir tillträdde som direktör för Kulturkontakt Nord den 1 april 2007. Hon kommer från Island och har studerat och arbetat i internationella sammanhang i flera år.


Bergljót Jónsdóttir (f. 1954) har fått sin utbildning vid konservatoriet i Reykjavík. Hon har en MA i musik-och konstförmedling från universitetet i Illinois, Champaign/Urbana, USA och diplomstudier i European Cultural Management. År 1986-1994 var hon direktör för Islands musikinformationscenter och år 1995-2004 direktör för Festspelen i Bergen. Bergljót Jónsdóttir har bl.a. varit medlem i Norsk kulturråd, styrelsemedlem i Den Norske Opera och i Nasjonalmuseet i Oslo.

Nils Erik Forsgård, f. 1968, är docent i idéhistoria och chef för den finlandssvenska tankesmedjan Magma. Han har tidigare verkat bl.a. som gästprofessor vid Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin och som professor i historia vid Helsingfors universitet. Han har publicerat ett flertal böcker, av vilka kan nämnas 10115, Berlin. Nedslag i en europeisk huvudstad (2005, Atlantis / Söderströms) och Heartlands. Anteckningar från en resa genom USA (2007, Atlantis / Söderströms). www.magma.fi

Born 1945 in Flensburg, Northern Germany; studied political science, Nordic philology, philosophy, and psychology at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich; M.A. in 1972; doctor of philosophy in 1974, doctoral dissertation entitled: Die Politik des Einzelnen. Zur Genese der skandinavischen Ziviltheologie ; qualified as professor in 1984 on the basis of a second thesis, in Germany generally referred to as Habilitationsschrift , entitled: Der Wohlfahrtsstaat Schweden; 1985 Theodor-Eschenburg-price; visiting professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and guest lecturer at the universities of Zurich, Hamburg (University of the Bundeswehr ), Trier, Erlangen-Nürnberg and the Free University of Berlin (FU); 1991 Research Awardee of the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Foundation and the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Fund and fellow at the Swedish Collegium for the Advanced Study of the Social Sciences (SCASSS), Uppsala; 1992-2002 professor of Scandinavian studies and (founding) director of the Department of Northern European Studies , Head of the Baltic Sea School, Berlin ,2002: professor of political science, culture and politics in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea Region at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald : 2002-03: director of the Alfried-Krupp-Wissenschaftskolleg, Greifswald ; 2004: visiting professor at the Centre for German Studies , Södertörn University College (Stockholm), and the International Science Centre (ISC) at Örebro University, Sweden; since 2005 honorary professor at the Department of Political Science , University of Copenhagen , and professor of Scandinavian and Cultural Studies at the Department for Northern European Studies, Humboldt University, Berlin .

Kökkenchef paa Restaurant Slotskökkenet, Dragsholm Slot, Danmark
Tidligere souschef paa restaurant NOMA Köbenhavn
Chef of the year food and Fun Reykjavik 2009.
www.dragsholm-slot.dk

Ted Hesselbom är chef på Röhsska museet. Sveriges enda museum för mode, design och konsthantverk, Röhsska museet ligger i Göteborg.Ted Hesselbom är utbildad grafisk formgivare på Konstfack, Stockholm. Sitter i styrelsen för Slöjdföreningen, Paracas stiftelsen, Form museets Vänner och är ordförande i prisnämnden för Torsten och Wanja Söderbergs pris. www.designmuseum.se

Akademigastronom
Projektleder for Nordisk madkultur og Ny Nordisk Mad
Nordens Hus, Reykjavík Island
www.nordice.is

Katrin Jakobsdóttir, född 1976, är Islands undervisnings-, forsknings- och minister och ordförande för de Nordiska samarbetsministrarna och för Nordiska ministerrådet/kultur.

2004
Master’s Degree in Icelandic Literature from the University of Iceland.
1999
Bachelor’s Degree in Icelandic with French as minor subject from the University of Iceland. 1996
Professional experience
2009 -
Minister of Education, Science and Culture. 2009 -
Minister of Nordic Cooperation.
2007 -
Member of Althingi for the Reykjavík North Constituency representing the Left Green Movement.
2006 - 2007
Part-time lecturer at the University of Iceland, the University of Reykjavik and Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík.
2005 - 2006
Editorial work at the Publishing House Edda and JPV Publishing.
2004 - 2007
Teaching for the Institute of Continuing Education at the University of Iceland, various centers of continuing education and Mímir- Continuing Education.
2004 - 2006
Program planning for broadcasting and literary work for various media in Iceland.
1999 - 2003
Part-time linguistic adviser for the news departments at The Icelandic National
Broadcasting Service as well as numerous summer jobs.

Luba Kuzovnikova, kurator, er oppringelig fra nordvest Russland. Har studert lingvistikk ved Pomor Universitetet i Arkhangelsk, kunsthistorie ved Utica College of Syracuse University, USA, Universitetet i Tromsø og Universitetet i København, MA i Cultural Management, Manchester University. Eablerte Senter for Samtidskunst, ArtHangar, (2001-2004). Därefter Moskva for å ta MA i Cultural Management ved Moscow School of Social and Economic Studies. Drev samtidig med kunst og kultur prosjekter i Moskva og andre steder i Russland, bl.a. i nordområdene: - fra 2004 til 2008 en årlig internasjonal konferanse i Norilsk i Sibir på oppdrag fra Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation. Fra høsten 2006 har hun vært kunstnerisk leder i Pikene på Broen – et kollektiv basert i Kirkenes med Barents som lekeplass. Siden starten i 1996, har Pikene på Broen drevet med kunst og kultur prosjekter med det grenseoverskridende og brobygging som sin signatur. www.pikene.no

Verksamhetsledare för internationella frågor vid Kulturrådet sedan 2008. 2002 – 2007 konstnärlig och administrativ ledare för Centre culturel suédois www.ccs.si.se och kulturråd vid Sveriges ambassad, Paris. Stockholm – Europas kulturhuvudstad 1998; konstnärlig och administrativ ledare för programmet med teater och dans 1994-1997. Utrikesdepartementet; konstnärlig och administrativ manager för det internationella kulturprogrammet i samband med Sveriges EU ordförandeskap år 2001. Programmering och kommunikation för Kulturhuset i Stockholm, Dansens Hus, Stockholm och för flera internationella festivaler och samarbetsprojekt i Sverige, producent för flera stora internationella kulturevents. Varit residensgäst i Japan många gånger och mottagit stipendier för att studera performing arts. www.kulturradet.se

Colin Mercer is an international expert in cultural mapping and cultural planning at local, regional and national levels. Having introduced the concepts and practice into Australia in 1990 he was responsible for the Brisbane Cultural Development Strategy in 1991, the Joondalup Cultural Plan in 1992, Cultural Development in South East Queensland and similar initiatives in Asia, Australia, and Europe including Denmark, Estonia, Norway and Sweden. Since 1998 he has advocated and developed these principles and practice in local, regional and national contexts and they underpin his book,Towards Cultural Citizenship: tools for cultural policy and development published in 2002. His work in the wider field of cultural policy and planning has now been published in seven languages. He is now an Expert Evaluator for the EU Directorate General for Education and Culture (DGEAC) and a Thematic Expert for the URBACT II Programme.

Colin was Deputy Director and Director of the Institute for Cultural Policy Studies at Griffith University (1987-1995), from 1999 UK’s first full Professor of Cultural Policy and Director of the Cultural Policy and Planning Research Unit at The Nottingham Trent University (1999-2003). Since then has been a freelance researcher specialising in building the operational knowledge base for cultural policy and the creative economy for government agencies, the private sector and NGOs.

Tone Tjemsland (1960) ble ansatt som ny direktør i selskapet Carte Blanche med tiltredelse den 1. september 2008.Tjemsland kommer fra stillingen som rådgiver i Bergen kommune med ansvar for musikk, scenekunst og elektronisk kunst. Hun har blant annet ledet arbeidet med å utarbeide Bergen kommunes nye handlingsplan for det profesjonelle kunstfeltet, Kunstbyen Bergen 2008 – 2017. Tjemsland har tidligere vært ansatt som daglig leder i dansekompaniet Kreutzerkompani, som produsent i Jo Strømgren kompani og hun var programkoordinator for scenekunst og musikk i Kulturby Bergen 2000. www.carteblanche.no

Restaurationschef og sommelier Dill restaurant.
Tidligere Restaurationschef og sommelier, restaurant VOX, Reykjavík.
Foremand for Islandsk sommelierforening.
www.dillrestaurant.is/

Souschef paa Dill restaurant Reykjavík, Island.
Uddannet paa Restaurant Saison, Köbenhavn.
Tidligere kökkenchef paa Restaurant VOX, Reykjavík.
Siden Maj 2009 medlem af det Islandske kokkelandshold
http://dillrestaurant.is/

Designer
EDUCATION
1982 – 1986 Parsons School of Design, New York BFA, Fashion Design, with honours.
1981 – 1982 Reykjavík School of Art, Iceland.
TEACHING
2008 Fashion Institute of Technology New York, Master Class in Knitting
2007 Fashion Institute of Technology New York, Fashion Design Art Advisory Board
2000 – 2006 Icelandic Academy of Art Lecturer, teacher and critique.


AWARDS – HONOURS
2008 Winner of the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize
2008 Myndstef Award, Nomination
2008 FKA – The Icelandic Association of Women Entrepreneurs Award
2007 Winner of “Ginen 2007”, Nordic fashion awards.
2007 Awarded by the President of Iceland the “Knight´s Cross” of “The Order of the Falcon”
2006 Icelandic Visual Art Award, Nomination
2006 Saga Fur Workshop, Copenhagen
2003 Designer of the year award in Iceland, “Menningarverðlaun”
2000 Finalist in Enkamania Design Talent
1992 A member of Who´s Who, published in England
1986 Adri Gold Thimble Award
1986 Norman Norell Scholarship
1985 Norman Norell Scholarship
1985 Carmelo Pomodoro Silver Thimble Award
1985 Designer of the Future, Knitted Textiles Association
Various Museum Exhibitions
WORK EXPERIENCE
2000 – Present, Founder and Creative Director of STEiNUNN.
2000 – 2002. Design Director La Perla Ready to Wear.
1995 - 2000. Director, Senior Designer, Gucci Group
1989 - 1995. Director, Senior Designer Calvin Klein Inc.1988 - 1989. Freelance Designer
1987 - 1988. Designer Polo/Ralph Lauren Collection

Chris Torch is artistic director at Intercult, a production and resource unit focused on intercultural performing arts. Founded in 1996, it is a publically-financed institution, based in Stockholm. Intercult is a Europe Direct office (Stockholm), which is coordinated within the institution’s European Resource Center for Culture since 2009. Intercult has focused on international exchange and co-production. Projects like LANDSCAPE X (1998), HOTEL EUROPA (2000) and TRANS//FUSION (2002) have challenged Intercult to develop strategies for cultural border-crossing. Intercult has always had a special eye towards the European Neighborhood. This is reflected in the platform SEAS, which focused in the first version on artists from 11 countries around the Baltic and Adriatic Seas.
Apart from large-scale production and project design, Torch plays a role in the development of intercultural policy, in Sweden and in Europe. He lectures regularly and leads workshops in strategy and analysis. He currently serves as Vice-President for Culture Action Europe (The European Forum for Arts & Heritage). He is also on the Board of Directors for culturebase.net, a european consortium maintaining an online database for World Artists and is an active member of the Steering Committee for the Platform for Intercultural Europe. www.intercult.se

Henning Warloe er født i Bergen 1961, og er utdannet fra Norges Handelshøyskole (NHH) i 1987. Har hatt ulike stillinger innen handel og markedsføring. Medlem av Bergen bystyre 1995-2003. Byråd for finans, kultur og næring 2003-2007. Byråd for kultur, næring og idrett 2007-2009. Er nå Stortingsrepresentant for Høyre og medlem av komitè for kirke, utdanning og forskning.