Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting (NCNP)

Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting (NCNP, established January 1 2010) is a national development and resource centre for new dramatic writing. NCNP puts the emphasis on pre-production and involves the utmost theatre professional competence to cultivate new drama of high quality. Theatre institutions and independent performing arts companies complete, produce and program the results of the development done by Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting. Thus NCNP wishes, in collaboration with the full theatre community to tailor collaboration models to increase the share of new Norwegian drama texts allowed to meet an audience. In other words, the development within NCNP takes place in dialogue with the field of theatre.

NCNP provides means and resources to professional artists as support in writing processes, artistic discussion partners/dramaturge assignations and access to stage venues; workshops and performances. Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting has its own group of dramaturges. They process applications as they are entered. As of now, the group of dramaturges consists of Ole Johan Skjelbred, Matilde Holdhus, Kristina Kjeldsberg, plus 15-20 other dramaturges working on a per project basis.

NCNP receives financial support from The Ministry of Culture and the municipality of Oslo.

The productions linked to through this page are productions that are co-produced by NCNP. If you want to see complete performance listings, please look at the entries of each venue.

Information

(Objekt ID 2492)
Object type Organization
Also known as Dramatikkens Hus, previously known as The Open Theatre
Organization type National institution
Established January 1, 2010
Email info(at)dramatikkenshus.no
Website Dramatikkens Hus

Contact information

Address Tøyenbekken 34, 0188 Oslo, Norway
Email info(at)dramatikkenshus.no

Other information

Legal entity Foundation
Org nr. 958 331 975
Member of Association of Norwegian Theatres and Orchestras, The Norwegian Association of Performing Arts/NAPA
More

Workshops and/or performances:

Playwrights arrange in-house workshops during which new Norwegian drama texts are tested at one of the stages in the venue. Here the text can have its first meeting with actors and perhaps also a director. The workshop lasts for one or more days, and usually ends with a performance where possible producers and other professionals get insight into the work in progress.

Onstage conversations:

NCNP arranges conversations with playwrights, theatre managers, actors or directors connected to the production or workshop performance.

Playwright in residence program:

A playwright in residence is given expanded support and is offered access to the resources of the house for a two-year period. The program wishes to provide the playwright with artistic, technical and financial resources plus an artistic grant of 100 000 NOK per annum.

Playwrights in residence 2013-2015: Hans Petter Blad, Fredrik Brattberg, Eirik Fauske, Oda Fiskum, Rønnaug Kleiva, Kate Pendry and Maria Tryti Vennerød.

Playwrights in residence 2014-2016: Kristin Auestad Danielsen, Kristofer Blindheim Grønskag, Liv Heløe, Lisa Lie, Miriam Prestøy Lie, Toril Goksøyr, Camilla Martens, Kristian Lykkeslet Strømskag and Demian Vitanza.

House dramathon:

Annual marathon performances with works by NCNP's playwrights in residence, performed as readings, performances and stunts with professional actors and directors.

Visiting performances:

From time to finished productions are performed at NCNP. These may be by artists working with new Norwegian drama and/or performing artists formerly supported by NCNP. The work is always placed in context through an onstage conversation.

Festivals:

Several times every year festivals are arranged at NCNP, in collaboration with others and at the initiative of NCNP.

Lectures and seminars:

Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting arranges its own series of lectures in which performing artists are invited to talk about topics they care about.

EXCERPT FROM THE HISTORY OF NORWEGIAN CENTRE FOR NEW PLAYWRITING:

Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting (NCNP) was established after the following, among other things:

The evaluation of The Open Theatre, done by Susan Fazakerley, IdaLou Larsen and Tom Remlov, concluded with the following two main recommendations to The Ministry of Culture:

1: The foundation should concentrate on being a laboratory and development centre for new drama/performing arts text and to discard the ambition to become a producing venue, a borough theatre in Grønland.

2: The foundation should manage its development work in as close a collaboration with the producing venues as possible. This is valid for theatre institutions as well as for independent constellations.

Related to Proposition to the Storting 32 in 2007/2008 a suggestion was made by the Ministry, evaluated by three theatre professionals: Bentein Baardson, Gunnar Germundson and Siren Leirvåg: They referred to the scheme for manuscript funding in film as a good model for how an expanded development scheme for performing arts drama could be organised. They also pointed out that the transformation from The Open Theatre to Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting should take place through, quote,"the primary emphasis is on the script process, not production". 

With this, the Proposition to the Storting from 2008 followed the line from the 2004 evaluation; namely, that Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting ought to focus on developing texts, not productions.

When Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting was established, it was led by a trio consisting of Marit Solbu, Jon Tombre and Kai Johnsen.

SOURCES:

Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting, dramatikkenshus.no, 04.08.2010, http://www.dramatikkenshus.no/pub/dramatikkenshus/Innhold/OmOss/?aid=782&cid=747#dramatikkenshus

Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting, e-mails 30.10.2014 and 05.05.2015

Contributors (14)
Camara Lundestad Joof – Artistic director (fra August 1, 2024)
Sigrun Daireaux – Administrative head (fra 2016)
Matilde Holdhus – Dramaturge (fra October 1, 2014)
Kristina Kjeldsberg – Dramaturge (fra September 1, 2014)
Monica Boracco – Leader of board (fra July 1, 2014)
Knud Bjørne-Larsen – Administrative head (fra June 1, 2014 til July 31, 2016)
Line Rosvoll – Artistic director (fra 2014 til July 31, 2024)
Ole Johan Skjelbred – Dramaturge (fra 2013)
Jon Tombre – Artistic director (fra January 1, 2010 til May 1, 2011)
Marit Solbu – Manager (fra January 1, 2010 til May 31, 2014)
Ragnhild Mærli – Dramaturge (fra January 1, 2010 til October 31, 2014)
Kai Johnsen – Artistic director (fra January 1, 2010 til June 22, 2012)
Bente Erichsen – Leader of board ( til July 1, 2014)
Marit Grimstad Eggen – Dramaturge ( til December 31, 2013)