Q & A ABOUT HCA2005

Questions and answers on the 2005 Hans Christian Andersen bicentenary

Q: What is the HCA 2005 Foundation?
A: The Hans Christian Andersen 2005 Foundation was established in 2004. The foundation organises and executes activities and handles public relations related to the bicentenary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen. The foundation aims at promoting the wider awareness and appreciation of the life and work of Hans Christian Andersen. The foundation sponsors and endorses a wide range of events within the arts and culture, education and tourism in relation to the Hans Christian Andersen bicentenary, nationally as well as internationally. In Denmark, the bicentennial celebrations will begin with an opening Fairytale Weekend on 1-3 April 2005 and will conclude on 6 December 2005.

Q: Who are the board members of the HCA 2005 Foundation?
A: Members of the board of directors are: Director of the Danish Arts Agency Poul Bache, (chairman), Councillor Jørgen Lund of the Municipality of Odense, Mayor of the County of Funen Jan Boye, Chief Information Officer at MGT Niels Jørgen Langkilde, Director of the Bikuben Foundation Peter Højland, Director of the Bikuben Foundation Kay Dam Steffensen, Film and drama director Kasper Rostrup, Head of event tourism at the Danish Tourist Board Lars Blicher-Hansen.

Q: Who are employed at the HCA 2005 Foundation Secretariat?
A: CEO and Head of Administration Mette Sigaard, Artitistic adviser Lars Seeberg, Head of Programming Jakob Steen Olsen,  Programme Coordinator Helena N. Jørgensen, Business Lawyer Thomas Abildtrup, Project Coordinator Louise Just, Secretary Helle Vandet Nielsen, Secretary Karin Krohn Sarris, Clerk Lone Kjær. Additionally, Have PR & Kommunikation handles Public Relations.

Q: Who contributes to the Hans Christian Andersen bicentenary financially?
A: The Kingdom of Denmark represented by the Danish Ministry of Culture, the Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs, the Municipality of Odense, the County of Funen, and the Municipality of Copenhagen. These institutions have contributed DKK 150 million, and the Bikuben Foundation has contributed with DKK 80 million.

Q: How is the funding spent?
A: The DKK 230 million is distributed as follows:
DKK 181 million as sponsorship grants
DKK 25 million for the Secretariat (2001-2006)
DKK 24 million for public relations, marketing and website (2001-2006), distributed as the following (as of 26 August 2004):
    
Design of logo: DKK 232,000
Trade mark registering, DK: DKK 11,000 
Presentational material (brochures, press information, film, etc) DKK 3,927,000
National and international press launches and press trips, etc: DKK 1,061,000
Documentation and evaluation of HCA 2005: DKK 964,000
Partnership agreements with Danish embassies, cultural institutions and international PR and advertising agencies: DKK 4,377,000
Translations and ambassadorial appointments. DKK 224,000
Construction of IT portal, editing, hosting, evaluation, maintenance and research, 2001-05: DKK 8,621,000
Partnership deals concerning public relations and communication, 2001-05: DKK 2,615,000
Reserve fund, 8.2 percent of budget: DKK 1,968,000 
Total:  DKK 24,000,000

Sponsorship funds are distributed as follows:
DKK 115 million for the arts and culture 
DKK 16 million for education
DKK 13 million for Danish tourism projects
DKK 10 million for international tourism marketing
DKK 27 million for opening celebration        

Q: Is the HCA 2005 Foundation still open to grant application?
No unfortunately all funds have been allocated. The application deadline was 2 April 2003. However, the Hans Christian Andersen Foundation still extends the opportunity to forge partnerships on the use of the foundation logo. Applications should be submitted in written form.

Q: What is the Fairytale Weekend and why is it held? 
A: The opening weekend celebrations of 1-3 April 2005, called The Fairytale Weekend, marks the opening of the Hans Christian Andersen bicentenary. The anniversary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen is on 2 April.

Q: What will be featured during The Fairytale Weekend of 1-3 April 2005?
A: Different official events will be held in Andersen's town of birth Odense and in Copenhagen. On Thursday 31 March, a performance entitled Kender du Svimmel? will premiere at Odense Theatre. In Copenhagen, celebrations will start on Friday 1 April with the world premiere of Horse Radish Soup and Stuffed Cabbage at the Royal Danish Theatre for an invited gala audience. The same day, Andersen will be celebrated at the Odense Concert Hall with a magnificent firework display conducted by the world-famous French pyrotechnical group Groupe F.

On the anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen's birth, 2 April, the Odense City Hans Christian Andersen Award of  EURO 50,000 will be awarded in Odense. Members of the Danish royal family and other royal families, the Hans Christian Andersen Ambassadors and other VIP guests will visit Odense where an open-air rock concert will be held in the city itself. The grand opening show entitled Once upon a time will take place in the evening at the national soccer stadium in Copenhagen. The show will be televised live to the world. Tickets are still available. On Sunday 3 April, the many Hans Christian Andersen Ambassadors and invited dignitaries and guests will attend a reception at Copenhagen Town Hall.

Q: What is the HCA-abc Foundation?
The HCA-abc Foundation was established in April 2004 by the Bikuben Foundation to build on the legacy and wide-reaching message of the 2005 Hans Christian Andersen bicentenary. The aim of the foundation is to address illiteracy worldwide. To generate funds for this humanitarian cause, the HCA-abc Foundation has entered formal partnership with the Hans Christian Andersen 2005 Foundation to develop the commercial opportunities offered by the 2005 bicentenary.

Q: What is the task of the Hans Christian Andersen Ambassadors?
A: Hans Christian Andersen Ambassadors are celebrated public figures who have agreed to engage in the promotion of the wider awareness and appreciation of Hans Christian Andersen in the bicentennial year. They are also to lend their support to the HCA-abc Foundation. The goodwill ambassadorship is purely voluntary.

Q: Who have been appointed Hans Christian Andersen Ambassadors?
A: The Hans Christian Andersen Ambassadors represent the 2005 Hans Christian Andersen bicentenary in their home countries. Short profiles of all Hans Christian Andersen Ambassadors appointed until now are available at the official website of the Hans Christian Andersen bicentenary

Q: What is scheduled to take place until the bicentennial closing event on 6 December in the town of Odense?
A: The celebration will continue throughout the year with a wide range of cultural projects in Denmark and abroad.

The official website features an event calendar offering the best international guide to the many events scheduled for the bicentenary.

Please refer questions and inquiries directly to the foundation at Tel.: +45 6613 7206 or to Have PR & Kommunikation at Tel.: +45 3325 2107.