https://www.telemarksforsking.no

TRI is a Norwegian institute for commissioned research within the fields of cultural policy and regional development. The institute was founded in 1998. Researchers at TRI are working within a various and broad specter of topics. Common for most projects, are the close ties between the academic perspectives and the need for applicable knowledge of decision-makers at different levels. Thus, our projects are often conducted on behalf of – or in partnership with – municipalities, county councils, ministries, enterprises or organizations. We also have projects financed by the Research Council of Norway, Regional Research Funds in Norway and by different research financing mechanisms in Europe. Most projects are employing interdisciplinary approaches and the combination of different methods. TRI has a strong track record within cultural policy research, and the institute is regarded as a leading actor in Norwegian cultural policy research. The subject area of culture has a long tradition at Telemark Research Institute. Research in the area of culture, with an emphasis on cultural policy analysis, has been an especially important theme from the founding of the institute. The subject area is today vital and highly recognized, and TRI has taken part in the development of important networks both nationally and internationally. It has delivered valuable contributions to the production of knowledge in the field.
For this project, TRI will be represented by Ole Marius Hylland, which is the coordinator for cultural research at the institute.

Key personnel

Ole Marius Hylland – Research Professor and coordinator of cultural research at Telemark Research Institute. He combines cultural policy and cultural history research, and has a PhD in cultural history from the University of Oslo. His research interests include the ideology, rhetoric and history of cultural policy, public education and popular culture. He has written a number of articles on cultural policy and cultural history, including articles on the digital cultural heritage, on the topic of bad quality in the arts, and on the term intrinsic value. Hylland has also led and written a number of evaluations of different cultural policy projects, especially within the fields of performing arts, art for children and museology. His most recent book (editor/co-writer) is Aesthetics and Politics. A Nordic Perspective on How Cultural Policy Negotiates the Agency of Music and the Arts (Palgrave, 2018).

Ola K. Berge – holds a Ph.D. and MA in Cultural Studies from University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), and is currently working as a senior researcher at Telemark Research Institute (TRI). Here he leads the department of cultural policy research. His research interests include cultural sociology and international cultural policy, and recent work has i.a. focused on Foreign Cultural Policy, more specifically the Norwegian MFA’s cultural policy responsibility and practice, popular culture and food. Recently, Berge has also done research within the field art and culture for youth and children. Berge has experience from various research and development projects, most prominently from the field of culture, but also research fields like regional development and policies. In addition to his position at TRI, Berge holds an Ass. Professor II-position at the University of South-Eastern Norway.