About Us

Kilden  The center of excellence develops and shares knowledge about collaborative performing arts – artistic processes in which professional artists create together with people who do not usually perform on stage. Through Kilden , we invite people of all ages to participate in creative, collaborative processes. We want to give a voice to new participants, tell different stories, in different ways, with different performers. In this inclusive performing arts practice, participation, accessibility, and diversity are not add-ons, but the very driving force of the artistic process. The stories are told across age, ability, and identity, and are meant to resonate with both individuals and society.   

We are working to highlight this participatory performing art as a force for development—both for individuals and for society. We have a fundamental belief in the distinct nature of art and its unique ability to engage, move, and transform. When people are given the opportunity to be co-creators in a professional, artistic production, lasting impacts are created—in their own lives, in relationships between people, and in the society around them. We explore and develop how art can build community, foster personal growth, and combat exclusion. 

Through these productions, Kilden has developed a model for dialogue methodology and practice in the performing arts field. The methodology uses professional performing arts and music to promote dialogue and a sense of empowerment, and to combat social exclusion. The projects are carried out in collaboration with external partners such as schools, institutions, and volunteer organizations. The public sector is also an important partner.  

Examples of Kilden include SPOR, a performance in which young people with and without disabilities share the main stage with the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Fotspor, a theater group for people in substance abuse rehabilitation, and Anne Frank’s Siblings, a play featuring refugees and professional actors on stage, in which the refugees’ own stories were part of the script.  

Kilden's work in the areas of dissemination, inclusion, facilitation, and talent development also falls under Kilden , in addition to digital streaming to care centers.  

Why Kilden ?   

Through our collaborative projects, we seek to help participants build life skills, strengthen community and social inclusion, and amplify voices that are otherwise rarely heard. In addition, we facilitate dialogue and the development of democracy—all with art as the driving force and framework. Art becomes a meeting place that brings people together and a space where one can grow and experience a sense of mastery. 

We believe that performing arts that involve “non-professional” performers and that have a social mission in addition to an artistic one also enrich the performing arts field. Audiences gain access to different voices and different stories. These performances add more threads to the artistic tapestry, which may help us understand more about ourselves and one another.  

Kilden performing arts centre a unique institution in its own right. We are the only performing arts center in Norway that brings together theater, a symphony orchestra, opera, and cultural activities under one roof. This gives us a truly unique opportunity to create interdisciplinary, community-oriented projects with a rich and diverse artistic expression. Kilden has been a cross-departmental initiative at Kilden its inception.