Bergen Music Theater
Who: Bergen Music Theater
What: “Breddekultur” (Broad culture)
Where: Bergen, Norway
Project period: 2024-2026
About the project
Mastery, joy and friends for life! Broad culture!
Bergen Musikkteater is a leisure activity for over 250 children/young people/adults and the developmentally disabled, where everyone, regardless of level and skill, gets to be on stage in a big performance during the year.
The cohesion, team spirit and coping through our activities improve coping at school, and can be preventive for mental health.
We have an equal focus on song, dance, drama and well-being. We are not just a leisure activity, but also work hard to create good and magical experiences for audiences of all ages. There are 16 instructors/assistants and a board of 6 who run the musical theater year-round, in addition to a large group of volunteers.
A large increase in the number of participants and activity in recent years means that we must ensure steady operations to handle both the increase and future increases. We rarely say no to new participants and grow in line with demand. With an increased grant, we will be able to maintain the offer we have today, and further develop both the offer and the operation in a way that ensures that we are stable in the future. Increased support gives us the opportunity to work within a safe and predictable framework.
Ensuring the continued safe operation of Bergen Musikkteater will make a big difference for many people at a time when security, well-being and good friendships are important for everyone. Having a regular leisure activity and belonging in a group is important for everyone. Many children who do not fit in at school/with friends eventually flourish in a group with us.
The large increase in participants and activity makes it more important than ever to ensure safe operations into the future. Imagine if life were a musical, and there were as many stages as football pitches?
About the organisation
Bergen Music Theater, established in 2005, holds rehearsals and performances at Åsane Kulturhus. It offers leisure activities for 267 participants, with everyone performing in an annual production, regardless of skill level. The theater hosts a Christmas and summer show where all groups participate, and the theater sports group organizes four improv shows annually. A separate group is dedicated to children and young people with developmental disabilities.
Our summer school accommodates 100 participants, divided into four groups, who create a performance in just one week to be shown to the public.
Musical theater combines song, dance, and drama, but also promotes well-being within the group and on stage, fostering growth, mastery, and lasting memories.
The theater is managed by 16 instructors/assistants and a board of 6, with volunteers supporting when needed. In 2024, we presented Christmas in Blåfjell for the eleventh consecutive year, setting an audience record.
