ASSITEJ Magazine 2019

Velkommen til
We are proud to present to
you the Norwegian edition of
the ASSITEJ Magazine, with
a Nordic design and kicked
off with a Nordic article. In
line with the theme of the
ASSITEJ Artistic Gathering
2019, the articles in this
magazine confront the
present, with an eye towards
the unknown, from numerous
artistic perspectives.
In the first article, Niam Ní Bhroin confronts the
perception of the Happy Nordic Child, growing up in
what is widely reported to be the happiest nations
in the world. This article sets the tone for how we
may perceive the productions at SAND and how we
could place a Nordic young audience in context.
Gilles Abel’s piece confronts the often perceived
“educational” function of theatre for young
audiences. He describes an experiment: a show
of invisible theatre that includes a philosophical
dialogue performed at schools. One of the
conclusions is that children do not want answers;
they want debate and confrontation.
Similarly, Leavesley and James from Australia’s
Arena theatre confront the notion of children’s
innate artistry by stating that all children are not
artists, which doesn’t mean that their voice should
not be included, of course. In a way, this article is
a validation of adult artists making art for young
people. It is a reminder that, yes we can work with
youth, and yes we have trained for this and have
something to offer to young people, just as much
as they can offer us their insights, feelings, and
ideas.
The main venue for this year’s Artistic Gathering is the impressive
Kilden Centre for Performing Arts in Kristiansand. Photo by Kilden.
Some of the articles seem to speak to each other.
Aberle warns what young adults impressions of
theatre would be if they only see Shakespeare,
while Park is warning for the same effect if
grade school children only see outdated role
models. While not arguing for doing away with
either Shakespeare or traditional folk tales, they
advocate for more representative choices in
theatrical productions.
We included articles that speak about child
perceptions. Lola Fernández de Sevilla’s poses
the notion that “There is a monster living inside
every child,” pointing to children’s propensity to
explore the unknown in their imaginations and how
art is a school of resilience. The power of a child
10 Towards the Unknown – Confronting the Present