The following is the speech awarding Niva Stiberg-Hansen this year’s youth stipend award, presented by Longyearbyen Mayor Arild Olsen during this year’s May 17 gala at Kulturhuset.
This year’s winner is 17 years old and attends the first-year secondary program at Longyearbyen sSchool. She has lived in Longyearbyen all her life.
She started at Longyearbyen Cultural School when she was only five years old, when it was a musical play for those starting school in the kindergartens.
The winner is active in the culture school, has become a skilled pianist and – not least – an accompanist. In February 2020, she continued in the UKM youth talent showcase at the regional level in Troms. She always says “yes” and practices thoroughly. She has a very good ear, and has a good overview of notes and theory. She is a positive girl who is always focused and who is prepared. She is very good at promoting others in the culture school, and always positive to collaborate with others across ages and stages.
In Sirkus Svalnardo she is active, and has been an instructor for younger children and young people. Together with their friends there, they have won many awards and went in 2018 to the national UKM showcase in Trondheim.
This year’s winner participates in a wide area of sports in Longyearbyen as a participant, instructor and user. From the age of 12 she has been an assistant coach. From 2017 she has been on a training course – and safety course. She may thus be responsible for her own teams as she is an A-coach in turn with an approved turn-trainer education.
Although this year’s award winner is good in music and sports, she is not the type that puts herself first. In addition to working hard within self-development in music, she is also passionate about children and young people having good leisure opportunities in Longyearbyen.
Congratulations on Youth Culture Scholarship 2020 winner, Niva Stiberg-Hansen!