From 12 to 16 September 2023, the 17th International ASSITEJ Festival in Kristiansand will take place, AND it’s our 30th anniversary! In 2023, the festival will also host the extensive Creative Europe supported project ConnectUp. We look forward to creating a strong international performing arts program, a razor-sharp professional program, and good networking opportunities with programmers from all over the world. Now we have the pleasure of announcing an Open Call for performing arts productions for the young audience between the ages of 0-19 and contributions to the professional program!
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
This year’s festival has been entitled What Matters Most and seeks to explore what we consider truly important. In Norway we say that things are “death-important” but also “life-important”, which can both mean vitally important. In short, we are looking for performances about everything that is a matter of life and death – about what matters most.
ARTISTIC PROGRAM: WHAT MATTERS MOST – LIFE-IMPORTANT / DEATH-IMPORTANT
There can be completely different things that are experienced as death-important or life-important for different people, both between generations and at an individual level, between different cultures and societies. We look for performances that are about something death- or life-important where it is made, or among those for whom it is made.
- What is the difference between life-important and death-important?
- What is life- or death-important where, when, why and how?
- What is important to me but not to you? What can you live without, but I can’t?
- What do I take for granted, but for which you fight for with your life at stake, and vice versa?
- What is most important on the edge of the cliff?
- What is life- or death-important for the very youngest children?
- Contrast between what is life- or death-important in one part of the world, one society, one culture versus another part of the world, another society, another culture?
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM
As always, our professional program is closely linked to the themes of the artistic program. We look for content for our professional program that is either directly linked to an artistic production and/or that stands on its own.
The professional program will consist of practical workshops and seminars that shed light on the subject matter or relevant working methods for those who work professionally with performing arts for the young audience. Describe the workshop/seminar, target group and desired duration of the workshop in your proposal.
THE NORWEGIAN ASSITEJ FESTIVAL IN KRISTIANSAND
ASSITEJ Norway is one of around 100 member countries in ASSITEJ International – the world’s largest performing arts network. Delegates from all over the world are invited to our international performing arts festival! The festival is organized in close collaboration with, among others, Kilden theater and concert hall and the University of Agder.
We look forward to receiving many exciting proposals for our Open Call! The application deadline is 15 November, and the proposals will be reviewed by an artistic council. A bunch of children and young people will assist us in the process.
TERMS
For the productions that are selected for the Norwegian ASSITEJ Festival, we offer the following:
- An agreed upon performance fee
- Travel and transportation
- Accommodations
- Access to the festival program in general
