KEY NOTE SPEAKERS

---

LISE ​HOVIK

From interactivity to intra-activity in performing arts for children ​

Lise Hovik, Professor of Drama and Theatre. Photo by Daniel Almli.

The presentation will give an introduction to dilemmas of making interactive theatre for children based on findings from the SceSam Project. This artistic research project bridged artistic practice and theoretical perspectives on interactive dramaturgies in the context of cultural politics, interdisciplinarity, and participatory art. Further developments in our critical times of mass extinction and climate change, turn our interest away from the focus on human interactions towards the intra-actions of more-than-human agents of children’s theatre; space, materials, environments, nature and ritual entanglements.

---

INE THERESE BERG

The boundaries of participation
​

Ine Therese Berg, Associate professor in Theatre. Photo by Sigrun Drivdal Johnsen.

With examples from her recently published PhD thesis "Negotiating the Participatory Turn. Audience Participation in Contemporary Theatre and Performance" Berg addresses the current discourse on audience participation in the performing arts and its ideological and cultural political context. What do we mean when we talk about participation, and who is it really for? Are expectations that participation represents a democratization of the arts realistic, or is this an aspect of interactive and participatory theatre projects that is over-emphasized? How has critique against neoliberalism ideology come into the current discourse, and how relevant is this critique in the Norwegian context?

---

HILDE BRINCHMANN

The actor in the immersive theatre
​

Hilde Brinchmann, Theatre Director and Artistic Director of Tigerstadsteatret. Photo by Morten Quist Hammersand.

Hilde Brinchmann presents her discovery on necessary tools for the actor in the immersive theatre. With examples from the production "The Wizard of Oz" in 2014, "the Jungle" in 2020 and "TigerCitykids" from 2017, Hilde will lead us through highlights of her important tools for the actor in the immersive theatre where the audience is moving around together with the actors.

---

CHRIS
​COOPER

Moved
​to Connect
​

Chris Cooper, Playwright, Theatre Director and Teacher. Photo by Li Songshu.

The Covid pandemic has accelerated processes already well under way, particularly the atomisation and digitalisation of our lives. This can isolate us from both ourselves and each other. Isolation breeds loneliness, fear and alienation. The erosion of public space, allied to the trivialisation of culture and our appetite for distractions, threatens to isolate us further. We need seriously playful, participatory dramatic and theatre spaces for children and young people to explore the world and the relationship between ‘self’ and society. A public space that dramatises a different story, a story of connection, understanding, inclusion and of the human. 

Read more about the key note speakers here

WORKSHOPS

---

GABOR TAKACS 

The labyrinth
​​

Gábor Takács, Artistic director of Káva Kulturális Műhely. Photo: Gabriella Csoszó.

The workshop is based on the TiE (Theatre in Education) performance "The Labyrinth" of Kava Theatre. The workshop can be interesting to theatre-makers who are interested in the active investigation of moral/ age specific/societal questions, issues/topics with children and youngsters. 

---

HILDE BRINCHMANN

The actor in the immersive theatre​

Hilde Brinchmann, Theatre Director and Artistic Director of Tigerstadsteatret. Photo by Morten Quist Hammersand.

Hilde Brinchmann shares her discovery on necessary tools for the actor in the immersive theatre. With examples from the productions "The Wizard of Oz" in 2014, "The Jungle" in 2020 and "Tiger City kids" from 2017, Hilde will lead us through her important tools for the actor in the immersive theatre where the audience is moving around together with the actors. 

---

CHRIS ​COOPER

Moved
​to Connect​

Chris Cooper, Playwright, Theatre Director and Teacher. Photo by Li Songshu.

Working on the momentums of the theatre, this workshop will explore the drama of theatre in education that creates the event occurring both on stage and within us, as well as the role of the facilitator in opening up that event.
Cooper runs the same workshop twice during the conference - choose your preferred time:

OTHER SPEAKERS

---

RAGNHILD TRONSTAD, 
​Kulturtanken

Interactivity
​that matters ​

Ragnhild Tronstad, Senior Adviser Performing Arts. Photo by Erik Fosheim Brandsborg.

Skillfully applied, interactivity is an ingredient that may boost engagement and enhance the performance experience of a young audience. Otherwise, it can lead to confusion, banalization and even embarrassment. What are the parameters for interactivity to be experienced as meaningful, and when is it unproductive? Equipped with theories of meaningful play, and referring to examples from The Cultural Schoolbag, Tronstad will sketch a model of meaningful interaction in performing arts aimed at a young audience – interactions that matter.

---

KRISTIAN N. KNUDSEN,
​Assitej Norway

Theatre Mediation programme​

Kristian Nødtvedt Knudsen, Associate Professor in Theatre. Photo from uia.no.

The Theatre Mediation Programme is part of the European project ConnectUp and is about sharing expertise through professional training and co-operative theatre work in order to develop innovative strategies for advanced audience development with a socially, politically and culturally mixed audience. Part of the programme is facilitated via an online educational platform, where artists and teachers are developing and exploring different kinds of strategies for working in the crossover between theatre, education and young audiences. Theatre Mediators will become artistic team members of the professional productions and create accompanying work around them such as co-creations, workshops, talks etc.​

---

THE PARTICIPATE IN YOUR LIFE-PARTNERS

A pecha kucha about Participate in your life​

A gathering of happy PIYL-partners. Photo: Káva Kulturális Műhely

The partners of the Participate in your life network present their journey in the project. With funding from Nordic Culture Point and Nordic Culture Fund, they have shared knowledge and explored interactivity and participation in theatre for young audiences since 2018 through discussions and workshops.

The presentation will be in a pecha kucha format; a storytelling format where a presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds of commentary each.​m such as co-creations, workshops, talks etc.​

Read more about the speakers here

PERFORMANCES

---

ROMEO & JULIET

K:13 scenekunst
​NORWAY​

Photo: Joanna Jakubek

“Romeo & Juliet” is an interactive performance made with simple but effective tools to engage the audience. 
This classical, timeless love story tells us about human nature, responsibility and about how our choices can be life changing. Two actors tell the story while moving back and forth in an aisle with the audience on both sides, using their voices, bodies and hands - and audience interactivity - to visualize Shakespeare's dramatic play. 
​
Winner of Nordic Fringe Network Award og Fringe Spirit Award. 

Target group: 13+
Duration: 60 min
Language: English 

---

THE KING OF THE HILL

National Kaunas Drama Theatre LITHUANIA​

Photo: Donatas Stankevičius

"The King of the Hill” is a performance based on a contemporary interpretation of William Golding's novel “The Lord of the Flies”. 

​It raises questions about human nature and how, under certain conditions, the lowest instincts in humans get nourished and spread like a disease in society. Although we see an escalation of tolerance and compassion in the world, in reality, we are on the brink of World War III. What is the cost of humanity? Who gives birth to hate and fear? Where does unlimited power lead? What can we do to prevent the horrors of war from happening again? The audience is involved in the discussion of these issues through interactive parts, throughout the performance. 

Target group: 13-16
​Duration: 120 min
Language: Lithuanian with English subtitles. English in interactive parts.

---

SPOR

Bird & Bat
​ICELAND

Photo: Owen Fiene

“SPOR” is an interactive installation where the audience travels into a mysterious world. Guided by animalistic creatures, lights and sound the children explore the energy in nature and the energy within themselves.
​
​In SPOR, the focus goes back and forth between enjoying a performance and interacting with the environment. The space is created to invite the children to be active; see lights and sounds change with the input from their body, react on movement speed and scale or make sounds with touch pressure. In this way the children can relate physically to their environment and explore their own energy in the adventurous world of SPOR.
​
Target group: 4+
Duration: 45 min
Language: No words

---

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

Káva Kulturális Műhely,
​HUNGARY​

Photo: Káva Kulturális Műhely

We meet a family falling apart- a mother raising her children alone, a teenage boy searching for his own way, a skeptical teenage girl and a father away from home. Through the story, the actors and dancers reflect and address together with the 12-14 year old participants, how a person in this situation can prevent losing themselves within and through the situation of a family in crisis.

The performance is interactive in all parts and built up by textual, theatrical scenes, dance scenes, verbal and movemental scenes. 

Target group: 12-14
Duration 150 min (with 1 intermission)​
​Language: Hungarian. Interpreter from Hungarian to English in interactive parts.

---

THE TIGER BUS

Tigerstadsteatret,
NORWAY​

Photo: Lars Opstad/Oslo Nye teater

Tigerstadsteatret's vision is to provide children and young people with theater experiences that will mean something to them for the rest of their lives. In the spring of 2021, they premiered "The Tiger Bus holds a theater in its stomach", an interactive performance in a specially built expo trailer that seeks out the audience whereever they are.

​Tigerstadsteatret has extensive experience with interactive performances, including the recent immersive production "The Jungle" for youth (2020).

Target group: 6+
Language: Norwegian
​Duration: 60 min

---

THE BLACK SHADOW

Eventyr i parken,
NORWAY

Photo: Eventyr i parken

A black shadow spreads across Bergen and make people sick. As an exhausted young girl arrives at Bjørgvin holding a mysterious book, there is a whisper about an old lady dressed in black, walking around the city. Where can we go - is there any hope out there?

Eventyr i parken (Fairytales in the Park) is a theater company that through various events and happenings creates outdoor cultural experiences for children. The audience follows a walk through the park and is involved in influencing the action.
​
Target group: 5+
Duration: 60 min
Language: Norwegian (English handouts to observers)

The performances are interactive and for children and youth as participants. Therefore we offered observer tickets for conference pass holders. As there were not room for many observers in the Tiger Bus and SPOR performance, we offered tours instead.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

DISCUSSIONS

---

Democracy in performing arts:
​What space is there for democracy in interactive theatre?​​

MODERATOR:
​RAGNHILD FRENG DALE 

Ragnhild Freng Dale is a social anthropologist, cultural worker and theatre critic. She has collaborated on a number of theatre productions in recent years, most recently on the arts-science collaboration Talking in the Rain with Ferske Scener (NO) and Reality Research Centre (FI). Ragnhild holds a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge and works as a researcher at the Western Norway Research Institute. Photo John Trygve Tollefsen/AYF.

• What space is there for exploring democracy and participation when making theatre for young audiences? 
• Can interactivity and audience involvement stimulate participation in democratic processes? 
• What challenges do artists meet in different countries across Europe when developing participatory performances?​ 

​Panel:
Zsofia Balassa // Project mangager
(Káva Kulturális Műhely)
Kristian Nødvedt Knudsen // Associate professor (University of Agder)
​Hilde Brinchmann // Theatre director (Tigerstadsteatret)
​Vibeke Flesland Havre // Artistic director
(VFH-produksjoner/Bergen Borgerscene)

---

The value of interactive and immersive theatre for a young audience
​

MODERATOR:
​MARIKEN LAUVSTAD

Mariken Lauvstad is a dramaturg, theatre pedagogue- and essayist/critic. She has produced and participated in numerous theatre productions over the past decade, both in and outside of pedagogical institutions. Mariken has a masters degree in comparative dramaturgy from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Photo Erica Hebbert.

• What is the value of interactivity and participation in the performing arts for children and young people? 
  
• How does the interactive and immersive theatrical experience differ from other audience experiences, and how does this affect a young audience in particular?
  
• ​Does interactive theatre for young audiences necessarily require a pedagogical entrance point?

​Panel:
Mine Nilay Yalcin // Theatre director and stage artist
Venke Sortland // Dance artist (Landing)
Katrine Heggstad // Assistant professor (University of Western Norway)

---