Reply to reader posts

Opinion shifts and performing arts for youth 

On 28.01.25, Truls Olufsen-Mehus wrote a reader's post in Kronstadposten with several claims about parts of the performing arts that are shown through Den kulturellter skolesekken (DKS). Scenekunstbruket is a national promoter of performing arts in DKS, and we feel compelled to address some of the impressions associated with the artists and performances that we have in our repertoire (a repertoire bank of 151 performances for children and young people 0-20 years old). Our repertoire is quality-assessed by an artistic council consisting of performing artists with various competencies and a teacher/pedagogue.  

Has Olufsen-Mehus seen the performances he writes about? One of the performances Olufsen-Mehus particularly mentions is the performance Bare en våt munn by Katja Lindeberg productions. There is a lot of information that has been omitted here. The performance is based on interviews with girls and women of various ages. Everything that is said in the performance is their thoughts, issues and experiences.  

 
The performance is not for children, but for young people over 16 years of age and adults. The theme is female identity and how it is encountered and treated in society. Yes, it also touches on sex and porn, because this is part of young people's reality. The performance, among other things, problematizes how women are often sexualized and reduced to an object. Lindeberg Produksjoner has also created a similar performance from a men's perspective that premiered last year. 

In connection with performances in DKS, teachers receive a pedagogical plan with suggestions for different angles for a follow-up work. The plan teachers receive for this particular performance thematizes challenges young people encounter related to sexual power and structures. The introduction to the task Olufsen-Mehus refers to is: "here the teacher can select or also add statements. Some of the statements may be too revealing in some groups. Then select these away". Pedagogical plans function as tools that teachers can use flexibly, based on what is suitable for their student group. There is a wide range in both age and maturity in different student groups, and teachers should be well qualified to assess what is suitable for their group of students. The pedagogical plan for this specific performance has also been updated since it was last on tour in 2021, according to what Olufsen-Mehus refers to. Artists are generally very good at taking the experiences they have in meeting their audience seriously and making necessary adjustments accordingly. 

We agree on one thing: “We have a responsibility to protect our children, while ensuring that they experience art and culture that inspires, challenges and can teach them something.” However, we cannot escape the fact that children and young people, like the rest of the population, have different tastes, different thoughts and experiences regarding the art experiences they encounter both in DKS and elsewhere. Fortunately, this in itself is not harmful. Art can challenge us, put things on the forefront by staging a situation, a theme or an action. Children and young people should, just like adults, have access to a wide range of opinions, interpretations and perspectives so that they can make informed choices related to society and life. 

By being together in artistic experiences, children and young people experience issues they face both now and later in a shared, and hopefully; safe space, as school should be. If we compare this with the unfiltered flow of information they encounter on social media and the internet, where sexualized content and violence are widespread, a well-crafted theater or dance performance could provide a far safer and more reflective approach to these topics. 

After an art experience in DKS, students can have the opportunity to ask questions and challenge each other's experiences, opinions and perspectives with the expert guidance of a teacher. Creating spaces where children and young people learn to put into words what they have experienced, respect the opinions of others and handle disagreements is an important part of education – something we should all cherish in a time characterized by polarization. The goal of art experiences is not for everyone to agree, but to initiate thoughts, reflection, a conversation or a debate.   

According to the annual report of Kulturtanken, 4,161 productions within all artistic expressions were shown in the cultural school bag in 2023. The productions that are sent on tour in DKS have been visited by a number of agencies and people who make thorough professional assessments related to whether the performance is suitable for the relevant target group, in school. Olufsen-Mehu's comment, which is based on a small number of productions, casts doubt on the education, competence and experience of artists and professionals within both art, school and target group. We need discussions about DKS and the art/culture that children grow up with, but it must be based on informed and correct information. We believe that systems that we in Scenekunstbruket , and The Cultural School Bag, represent the conditions for the art experiences that children and young people across the country receive for free during school hours.  

For your information: Katja Brita Lindeberg has served on the Artistic Council of Scenekunstbruket since the fall of 2024. She was not on the council when the performance Bare en våt munn was added to the repertoire in 2019. Scenekunstbruket has guidelines for impartiality and members normally serve for 3-4 years at a time. The performance Bare en våt munn was programmed and performed at Scenekunstbruket's festival, Showbox, in 2018.  

Tine Valavuo Tyldum, general manager Scenekunstbruket / artistic director Showbox