UK artist gets creative for Visit Norway campaign

An exciting online competition launched by Visit Norway has proved the popular old saying that creativity really does know no bounds.

The ‘Norway. Your Way’ campaign, which aimed to find the best creative talent in the UK and across Europe, attracted hundreds of top-class entries, all inspired by Norway’s unique charm.

With such an imaginative and quirky map, artist and blogger Matt Jones proved a worthy UK winner with his entry ‘A Troll’s Journey’. Featuring a caricature of the popular Norwegian folklore figure, the map shows the troll making his journey from the frozen north back to his family in the south, passing through landscapes, Mr Jones said he would like to see himself, including mountains, falls, fjords, forests and lakes.

He will join the other winners - a singer from Germany, a video-maker from Italy, an animator from Russia and a musician from France – on their fantastic ten-day trip through Norway from 13-22 August.

During the trip, Mr Jones and the other winners will use their creative talents to document their journey way from Oslo to Bergen and through the heart of the fjords, using their chosen media.

The trip will not only provide an insight into Norwegian culture and people but also involve some exciting tasks.  The public can meet the winners, see their creative work and chat to them about their experiences on: visitnorway.co.uk/yourway

Catherine Foster, Country Manager for Visit Norway UK, said: “We are delighted that the campaign was so successful and were amazed to see so many entries displaying such a high level of creativity and imagination.

“This made our job of choosing the winner such a tough one, but with his creative talent, sense of humour and excellent grasp of the spirit of Norway, Mr Jones was the perfect choice.”

The winners’ itinerary was put together using suggestions by those that know Norway best – its residents. This was done through the online platform norwayrecommended.com - a creative bank offering a virtual tour of Norway.  Work by the winners will be posted to the site in a bid to encourage future travellers to Norway.