seminar

The session takes place during Horsens Theatre Festival on September 16 11:00 – 15:00 at FÆNGSLET, Magasinet.
Price: 230 Kr. (includes lunch, coffee and cake)
Registration: Click HERE

As we celebrate 300 years of Danish theatre, we focus on the future of performing arts for children and young people with a think tank session on diversity.

A diversity of voices and narratives on stage is important for relevant, contemporary and exciting art and for children and young people – in all their diversity – to encounter themes and expressions that they can identify with.

As we acknowledge that the concept of diversity can address many factors such as gender, sexuality, physical and mental variance, socio-economic conditions, etc., in this forum we will focus on minority ethnic representation in our debate about more representative and multi-voiced performing arts.

We have invited a number of international sparring partners with years of professional subject-matter insight to join Danish professionals for a seminar on diversity and representation. The think tank is aimed at professionals in the performing arts or from other institutions who are interested in diversity and representation.

The day will consist of presentations by guests, panel discussions, table discussions with participants and the audience, and a closing session to formulate recommendations and suggestions for working on future strategies.

Karen Vedel will be the moderator for the day and the following guests will participate in the panel:

Mirrianne Mahn is a political activist, performing artist and diversity consultant at Germany’s children’s and youth theatre centre KJTZ. She also serves on the Frankfurt am Main City Council as the person responsible for diversity development.

Jon Werede is a director and choreographer and the operational manager of the Norwegian children’s and youth theatre Den Mangfoldige Scenen, which aims to promote more artistic and cultural diversity in Norwegian performing arts.

Shwan Wahed is a musician, artist and educator who has worked for several years with cultural services in transit and asylum centres in Norway. He now works as a director at Den Mangfoldige Scenen.

Shavanna Calder is an actor and founder of the consulting organization Arts in Color. She has worked as a diversity consultant for numerous institutions including TYA Theatre for Young Audiences, Musical Theatre Educators Alliance, and Innovative Voice Studio. Her work as an actor includes HBO’s Los Espookys, SNL, Grammys, Hairspray.

Wahid Sui is an actor and playwright from the Danish School of Performing Arts in Aarhus. His action debut was in the Royal Danish Theatre’s 2010 comedy Præmieperkeren, and he has since appeared in a number of theatre productions and several Danish TV series.

Nanna Bøndergaard Butters is a children’s theatre educator and consultant working with artistically based research and project management. She has conducted studies on diversity in Danish children’s and youth theatre and forms of intercultural education.

Mary Tesfay has a degree in educational anthropology and a background in children’s education and is a project manager in C:NTACT and board member in ASSITEJ Denmark. She has worked with diversity and representation for many years in youth theatre and through her blog Brun&Dansk.

Moderator Karen Vedel is a lecturer at the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies at the University of Copenhagen and has acted as moderator at several seminars, debates and conferences within the performing arts industry.

The think tank is a collaboration between Horsens Teaterfestival, ASSITEJ Denmark and Dansk Teater 300 År. The organizers are Adelaide Bentzon, Louis Valente, Naghmeh Mahmoudi Kashani, Mary Tesfay, Gertrud Exner, and Janicke Branth.