Meet new OGAE Australia President Bente Tullberg
Following the departure of much-loved OGAE Australia President Lachlan Woods, we sat down and had a chat with freshly-elected OGAE President Bente Tullberg about all things OGAE and Eurovision!
Thanks for agreeing to have a chat with Aussievision Bente.
Tell us, how did you first become a Eurovision fan?
Growing up in Denmark, Eurovision has always been part of my DNA and was the one thing to watch in May every year. According to my mum, my first Eurovision crush was the drummer from Mable (who represented Denmark in 1978 with Boom Boom - I was three years old!
Do you remember the first Eurovision you watched?
Yes, watching Herrey's win for Sweden in 1984 is my first memory of watching the full contest. I think the real interest came after Carola (Sweden) came third the previous year.... Then followed some very good years for Denmark with Hot Eyes getting Denmark some great results.
Eurovision in the 80's was legendary!
Which Eurovision song or performance made you fall in love with the contest?
Has to be Herrey's Diggi Loo, Diggi Ley. They were so different to everyone else and just targeted a younger audience.
Who is your favourite Australian Eurovision representative, and why?
Jess Mauboy would be my favourite. Loved her performance in 2014 and her official entry as Australia representative in 2018, and to top it off, she is just an absolute joy.
So, what made you decide to put your hand up for president of the Australian OGAE Club?
I think it was a natural progression from being Vice President for the past two years. I have been a member of the fanclub since its beginning, and I am one of 68 members who have held a continuous membership for the lifetime of the club.
What does becoming President mean to you personally?
I am really proud to have been voted in as President! Eurovision has always been a passion of mine, and to be able to share this with the fan community and represent my "new" country Australia, makes it even more special.
What do you think OGAE does particularly well at the moment?
I think the Club has found a really stable grounding, and the Committee is very coherent.
The Club has produced some very successful preview events over the years, as well as out-of-season events i.e. Singo Bingo and the latest 10 year Anniversary events have all been well received.
Trying to make Eurovision an all year event and sharing the joy of the event is something we are very proud of.
How do you plan to attract new members, particularly younger Eurovision fans?
Our latest membership stats actually show that our member base is getting younger, but we still need to be engaging with the younger demographic.
I would also like to engage school teachers, as Eurovision is such a fun way of learning about geography, culture, diversity etc. But, also hoping the artist selected to represent Australia next year would be appealing to the younger demographic.
What are your priorities for your first 12 months as president?
It is going to be a very interesting first 12 months. The introduction of Eurovision Song Contest Asia and the EBU Eurofan community brings new ways to celebrate the contest but also raise the question of the relevance of OGAE fan clubs around the world.
There is a lot happening behind the scenes, so, yes a very interesting 12 months ahead!
If you are interested in becoming a member of OGAE Australia, you can join via their website!
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