Leaves a mark
What happens when you bring together young people with and without disabilities and professional artists? Collaboration, friendship, personal growth—and a performance that moves audiences and breaks down barriers.
– To you who have lost all hope. You who need a glimmer of light, and need it now.
Robin Pettersen’s singing voice and the music from a piano fill the rehearsal room at Kristiansand Cathedral School Gimle (KKG). Standing next to Robin is her classmate Eirin Andresen, signing along to Marthe Wang’s moving song. All around them in the room, nearly fifty students and teachers are making the same signs with their hands in the air. Then everyone sings along:
– Aaaaaa, aaaaa, aaaa, aaaaa.
Tomos Young guides the students through the choreography with a smile.The students come from KKG and Kvadraturen School Center. Some are enrolled in the music-dance-drama (MDD) program, while others attend daily life skills training (HT). Some—like Robin and Eirin—were born with a disability. In the past, physical differences may have marked a divide, an “us” and “them.” But here, in this room, those differences matter less. Here, the students meet weekly to sing, dance, talk, and work on a joint project: the performance SPOR. In March 2019, it will be performed at Kilden over a hundred students on stage. Two different SPOR performances were shown in 2015 and 2017, to packed houses. Robin also sang a solo in last year’s performance.
In SPOR, all students get toshowcase something they're good at
Highlights students' unique qualities
SPOR builds on KKG’s commitment to using art as a tool for empowerment, understanding, and inclusion among students with disabilities and their peers. SPOR is about identifying the unique qualities and artistic talents of students and nurturing them.
Mette Midling-Jenssen,special education teacher.
“SPOR is an inclusion project that aims to be authentic, dignified, and diverse. Some can sing, others can breakdance, and some have a powerful story to tell. Everyone is good at something, and that’s what we focus on,” says special education teacher Mette Midling-Jenssen.
Together with her colleagues Vidar Bøe, Beate Fosselie, and Rigmor Stakkeland, she has been working on student performances like these for many years. Her collaboration with Kilden in 2013.
“SPOR is a perfect fit for Kilden, so when we managed to set up this collaboration, it was like winning the lottery,” says Midling-Jenssen.
From Kilden , screenwriter and director Elisabeth Lindland, composer Stig Nordhagen, set designer Ryall Burden, choreographer Tomos Young, and the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra.
“We’ve raised the artistic quality by several notches. Kilden extremely professional and generous in every respect,” says Midling-Jenssen.
The performance features dance, musical numbers, acrobatics, poems, and texts written by the students. Students in wheelchairs dance side by side with dance students from MDD.
“The goal is to facilitate encounters between professional artists and young people, which will help foster a sense of accomplishment, tolerance, and meaningful experiences,” says Midling-Jenssen.
She sees that the students are thriving as a result of participating in the project.
– They gain interpersonal skills, adaptability, and insight. I’ve been working with young people for nearly thirty years and have never seen a generation that is so inclusive and generous. This is the generation of tolerance.
Elise Dolmen and Jesper Systad Johannessen have found that SPOR brings together students who might not otherwise have hung out together.COMMUNITY AND FRIENDSHIP
Elise Dolmen (18) and Jesper Systad Johannessen (19) are among the students who will be performing in the show. They are graduating students at KKG; Elise is in the MDD program, while Jesper is in the HT program. Both have participated in SPOR before.
“SPOR is absolutely amazing! The project fosters a sense of community that I really appreciate. Now there’s always someone to say hello to when I walk down the hall,” says Elise.
Jesper agrees.
“It’s fun to meet so many nice people and make new friends,” he says.
Last year, he read a text he had written himself from the stage, in which he expressed his view that it was unfair to be the only one of three brothers with Down syndrome. And then he took part in a dance battle.
“I like to dance, especially breakdancing,” he says with a smile.
“You’re a total pro at breaking!” says Elise, giving Jesper a friendly nudge in the side.
During the rehearsal period, the students practice paying attention to one another, being good audience members, waiting their turn, and being flexible.
“I’ve learned to see the best in everyone, regardless of their physical abilities. We’ve become a close-knit group where everyone is treated as equals, helps one another, and looks out for one another. We forget the barriers that would otherwise separate us,” says Elise.
ABOUT SPOR
SPOR is a collaborative project between Kilden , KSO, Kristiansand Cathedral School Gimle (KKG), and Kvadraturen School Center.
SPOR builds on KKG’s commitment to using art as a tool for empowerment, understanding, and inclusion among students with disabilities and other students.
Two different SPOR productions were staged in 2015 and 2017. A brand-new production will premiere on March 8 and 9, 2019.
SPOR 2019 is supported by the Extra Foundation in collaboration with the Autism Associationand the Arts Council Norway.
– SPOR makes us wiser
Elisabeth Lindland, screenwriter and director.Artistic Director Elisabeth Lindland talks about a performance that is out of the ordinary.
“For many of us who work at Kilden , SPOR Kilden one of the most important and meaningful things we do,” says Elisabeth Lindland.
She wrote the script and directed the performance, and works closely with the teachers to identify each student’s unique strengths.
“We spend a lot of time discovering the students’ own stories, their areas of expertise, and their personal qualities. We build the performance around that,” says Lindland.
The process leading up to each performance lasts a year and a half, featuring workshops, writing exercises, and creative activities designed to capture the students’ stories.
“Markus, for example, has a serious, progressive muscle disease that affects his ability to speak. In SPOR, we get to hear his story. Markus has a positive outlook and focuses on the opportunities he has. That’s something we can all learn from,” says Lindland.
A unique project
SPOR is one of the projects run by Kilden , a center of excellence for collaborative art and social practice. Through Kilden , Kilden is taking on Kilden expanded social responsibility by inviting children, young people, and adults to participate in artistic processes alongside professional artists.
“It’s wonderful that Kilden artistic resources to make a difference for the people involved. Both Kilden and SPOR are unique projects both nationally and internationally, and are receiving a lot of attention,” says Lindland.
All performances sold out quickly.
“The response has been overwhelming. SPOR is about the diversity of the human experience. The performance makes us a little wiser,” she says.
Valuable lessons
Stig Nordhagen, composer and principal clarinetist with the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, has composed the music that the KSO will perform during the show. The musicians work closely with the students on stage.
“It’s wonderful to see how the students grow through their interaction with the professional performers,” says Elisabeth Lindland.
Still, few things can compare to the relationships that develop among the students.
– It’s truly magical to see how students with disabilities push themselves to the limit when interacting with their peers. And how, in turn, their peers offer a helping hand to those who need it. There’s mutual value and a lot of learning in that.