Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Experience the Norwegian Riviera
A festival for everyone
By Helene Toftner
Every year the SAND Festival challenges the traditional conception of theatre, as it brings children and youth together to take part in innovative and engaging performing arts. One of last year’s highlights was a big forest made of paper, while the upcoming festival will boast dancing curtains and a bird’s nest, allowing the audience to be a part of it all. SAND International Festival of Performing Arts for a Young Audience has become something of a must-see in Kristiansand, the jewel of the Norwegian southern coast. While traditional theatre is typically characterised by a quiet audience and performing artists on stage, the SAND Festival’s foremost aim is to engage. “The festival is playful, exploratory and experimental, and while it is targeted at children and youth we see that grown-ups are just as excited,” says Hilde Annette Aakre, general manager at organiser ASSITEJ Norway. This year’s festival takes place from 15 to 17 September, with big names such as Rimini Protokoll from Germany, who will be performing music by John Cage on audio instructions from a group of young asy-
lum seekers in Athens. “Many of the performances combine entertainment with real-life issues,” Aakre explains. One visitor and participant from last year’s festival who is likely to return is 11-year-old Marcus. “We were taught not to smile or laugh as our roles were to scare the grown-ups. It was quite difficult but it was a great experience to be on stage, and I would definitely recommend others to go.”
Photo: Sivert Lundstrøm.
Time and place: Kristiansand, 15-17 September 2016 Venue: Kilden Performing Arts Centre
For more information and booking, please visit: www.sandfestival.no Pop-up art with local children. Photo: SAND Festival.
The cultural capital of the Norwegian Riviera After a 40-year wait, a brand new library was opened in 2011, making Vennesla a mecca for cultural understanding. By Pernille Johnsen | Photos: Vennesla Kulturhus
“The ability to express who and what you are helps bridge the gap between societies, which ultimately decreases the differences between us and shows us that we have far more in common than that which divides us,” says head of culture at the centre, Arnstein Haakonsen. Representing history
The building itself is a great example of how architecture can develop a community. Vennesla has a long history of forestrybased industry, making the choice of predominantly wooden structures simple when deciding on materials for the massive 1,900-square-metre building. Vennesla Kulturhus is a meeting place that hosts concerts and theatre shows for children as well as readings, conferences 28 | Issue 90 | July 2016
and a culture school for 250 students. The different venues are available to book for events of all sizes. An adult learning centre, catering to asylum seekers and refugees, is located right next to the library and adds to the core mission of offering a space for everyone. Vennesla also sports a new swimming pool, which adds to the objective of offering a wholesome range of activities and catering to tourists and locals alike. “Culture is the most important bridge in mitigating the gap between people and the society and the cornerstone of every library and culture centre,” Arnstein concludes. For more information, please visit: www.venneslakulturhus.no
Vennesla is strongly rooted in the forestry industry, which is evident in the chosen materials.
