Our history - Scenekunstbruket

Scenekunstbruket was established as a national dissemination scheme for independent professional performing arts under Performing Arts Hub Norway (DTS) in 1994.

In 1995, DTS received funding for a pilot project to develop the scheme and the counties were invited to apply for participation. After assessment in consultation with the Arts Council Norway, four counties were selected to participate in the pilot scheme, including Aust-Agder, Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal and Oppland.
In 1996, 30 performances were shown to 3,831 spectators and, after receiving project support from the Arts Council, the most important financial contribution in the scheme is offered, namely reimbursement or organizer support.
From 1999, Scenekunstbruket receives funding via item 78 in the national budget - a milestone. The dissemination network is expanded to 10 counties and Teatermarkedet in Sandefjord (later Markedet for Scenekunst) becomes an important partner in creating an annual professional arena for organizers.
After very positive publicity for the scheme and Scenekunstbruket in the evaluation report from the Arts Council Norway "Theater out to villages and towns?" this year 2000, work begins on the development of The Cultural Rucksack (DKS). Scenekunstbruket becomes the main actor in the field of performing arts and receives funding to develop a performing arts database to make the repertoire more accessible.
Over the next few years, operations will be expanded to include all counties and Scenekunstbruket will further develop the price calculation system and receive more funding for organizer support, and collaborate with the Arts Council of Norway on production support for performing arts for young audiences.
In 2005, Showbox was organized for the first time in collaboration with Black Box Teater, and has today grown to become Norway's largest international performing arts festival for a young audience.
As of 2008, Scenekunstbruket is the national actor for performing arts in DKS. 2009 is the year when Norsk scenekunstbruk AS becomes a separate company from DTS, with its own board of directors, a general manager employed on a fixed-term basis and the establishment of an artistic council. In addition, at the request of the ministry, we take over the administration of production funding for children and young people from the Arts Council and establish an online application system.
Scenekunstbruket's Young Voices will be established in 2012 in connection with the Showbox festival. And we continue to develop cooperation with various cultural actors, nationally and internationally, for seminars, professional discussions and the professionalization of the performing arts for young audiences. Our collaboration with the organizers in the organizer network, follow-up and dialogue with artists and applicants are always central to our work.
Over the next decade, we will also participate in several EU projects with a particular focus on artist development - PUSH and PUSH+ as well as the voice of young people in the performing arts - the T.E.E.N projects and how we can make the performing arts a place where young people want to be - 3Place.
In 2015 Scenekunstbruket starts Kloden theater. After many years of close contact with the art field, the needs are clear and Kloden will be an institution designed for the performing arts for young people and for artistic development. In 2023, our ownership of Kloden will be discontinued, and Kloden will now stand on its own two feet.
In connection with its 25th anniversary in 2019, Scenekunstbruket establishes Gulljerven, an award that will honor those who work with the performing arts for young people. Gulljerven is constantly launching new additions to relevant but often under-recognized categories, and over the course of five years it has become a recognized award with a twinkle in its eye.

If you want to read more about the history of Scenekunstbruket, you will find a lot of information and interesting articles in the anthology Scenekunsten og de Unge, which was published in connection with the 20th anniversary in 2014. The first 20 years form much of the basis for what Scenekunstbruket is today.