RE:LOCATION Colin Bradie interview in Norwegian National Press 250512

Translation of interview with Colin Bradie (Promote YT Scotland) in Norwegian national press 25/05/12

Bjergsted Park as a stage When 48 youths from six European countries meet in August for the Re:Location theatre festival in Stavanger, Bjergsted Park will be their stage. At sunset.

"They'll be something here, over there, up on that little hilltop there, by the pistol club there and down by that outcropping over there," said Bjørn Ravn Carlsen, waving in about six different directions in Bjergsted Park. He is the artistic director of Rogaland Theatre's Children's and Youth Theatre.

"The park will be one big playground. The open space will challenge our young actors -- and us, we who will be trying to orchestrate the show," said Colin Bradie, who has been brought to Stavanger as guest director.

First time Re:Location is a new, international festival for youth theatre, and a part of the Rogaland Theatre's nationally funded program for youth and children's theatre.

"All Norwegian theatres that receive national funding are supposed to do something for kids. But most theatres only put on an annual kiddie show. A different way of thinking is to integrate young people in the regular performances. This is what we are doing," said Bjørn Ravn Carlsen, who has received a lot of honour -- both nationally and internationally -- for the way the Children's and Youth Theatre has been driven. Yet he is disappointed that so few other theatres have seen the light.

There are a great many youth theatre festivals around the world, and the Rogaland Theatre's young actors have been to many of them. What makes Re:Location unique, according to project manager Carl Jørn

Johansen, is that the 48 young actors from Scotland, Ireland, France, Denmark, Germany and Stavanger are going to develop and present a performance in the course of ten days in August in Stavanger.

"Usually you go to a festival and do your show. But here the whole point is that we are going to create an international piece, crossing national boundries," said Johansen.

"It may sound mad -- getting 48 young actors from six countries to make something playable in only ten days, but we have a plan and a method."

Fear

The theme for Re:Location is fear. Fear of anything small or large, things at home or the Big Questions about the future. The environment.

War. Economic crisis.

"A lot of young people in many countries are deeply afraid of the future.

I hope we can bring this out in our performace," said the director, Colin Bradie, who has worked most of his life with youth theatre and is a central figure in this area in Scotland. Scotland is a country that really focuses on theatre for young people.

"The background for Scotland's project has a somewhat bigger social dimension than here in Stavanger. You don't need anything more than a room full of kids and a director to make theatre, and the threshold is low -- anybody can participate," said Bradie, who nonetheless strives to make shows that will interest more than proud parents and grandparents.

The six theatre groups have been given the theme, and they are going to each devise a performance about 20 minutes long. When they come together in Stavanger in August, they'll present their individual pieces, and then it will be a matter of combining elements from the various pieces into a full performance piece. Bradie has been photographing various locales in the Bjergsted Park, and he will ask for pieces that fit in with these specific sites.

"The goal is that the audience, while wandering through the park, sees a kind of progression, that each site is unique," said Bradie. He is

especially looking forward to sunset in the park, and the lighting effects that that can create.

"What about the weather?" our photograph asks.

"Good question. We cross our fingers."

Jan Zahl, Stavanger Aftenblad 25 May 2012 For more information on RE:LOCATION visit www.promoteyt.co.uk