TheIbsen Year 2006 (Norwegian:Ibsenåret 2006) was theNorwegian government's official celebration ofHenrik Ibsen in 2006, marking the 100th anniversary of his death. The Ibsen Year included cultural events in multiple countries, including an opening ceremony inOslo attended by the royal family and international guests, television programs, cultural events in Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, China[1] and other countries, and an International Gala performance at theGreat Pyramid of Giza inEgypt,[2] hosted by the country's First LadySuzanne Mubarak and also attended byQueen Sonja.[3] The Ibsen Year's artistic director wasBentein Baardson and the producer wasNora Ibsen. The chairman of the supervisory committee was former Norwegian Minister of CultureLars Roar Langslet.[4] The planning committee of the Ibsen Year had a core budget of around 70 million NOK, not counting TV productions and various other costs.[5]
Queen Sonja was the Ibsen Year's high protector.[3] TheNorwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassies around the world had an important role in carrying out the Ibsen Year.[6]
The Ibsen Year comprised 8213 separate cultural events, and 83 countries took part in the commemoration.[7]
TheIbsen Year 2028 marks the 200th anniversary of Ibsen's birth.
An International Gala performance ofPeer Gynt took place at theGreat Pyramid of Giza inEgypt, under the auspices of First LadySuzanne Mubarak and attended byQueen Sonja and other guests. It was directed byBentein Baardson and produced byNora Ibsen. Together with the official opening of the Ibsen Year in Oslo, this was the highlight of the Ibsen Year. Several other cultural events related to Henrik Ibsen in collaboration between Norwegian and Egyptian authorities also took place in Egypt.Suzanne Mubarak was awarded theIbsen Centennial Commemoration Award byQueen Sonja, as one of three officials of state to receive this honour (the other ones being the Queen and the Norwegian Foreign Minister).[8]
The Ibsen Year in theUnited States was launched in New York on 1 March 2006 at theBrooklyn Academy of Music.Cate Blanchett, who played the title role inHedda Gabler in theSydney Theatre Company's visiting performance there, was awarded the Ibsen Centennial Commemoration Award, presented by Minister of EqualityKarita Bekkemellem.[9]
The planning committee, a government commission named the National Committee for the Ibsen Initiative (Nasjonalkomiteen for Ibsensatsingen), was appointed by the Ministry of Culture in 1997, and was headed by former Minister of CultureLars Roar Langslet. The committee's mandate ceased in 2006/2007, with the conclusion of the Ibsen Year.[10]
Ibsenåret AS, a limited company, was the secretariat of the national committee, responsible for organising the Ibsen Year. It was first led bySteinar Hansson until his death in 2004, and then byBentein Baardson. Baardson recruited Ibsen's great-great-granddaughter,Nora Ibsen, as the producer of the Ibsen Year.