New premiere for Kulturhjerte

Forty young people from Lillehammer, representing cultures from around the world, will take to the stage at Maihaugsalen on 24–25 May with Kulturhjerte and the performance JOMBA. JOMBA is Kulturhjerte’s second production this spring.

“Kulturhjerte would not be possible without the efforts of the participants and their parents,” says Vivan Haverstadløkken, Managing Director of Kulturhjerte.

"Kulturhjertene” in Lillehammer are now in the final stretch of a busy and content-rich spring season. With two high-quality productions, they demonstrate the strong and creative resources that the town of Lillehammer in the Gudbrandsdalen valley is home to.

Sold-Out Youth Production with Mini Musical

The performance “TILBORDS – A Mini Murder Musical” sold out on its premiere in April and also filled the cultural centre for an additional performance the following day.

“After Christmas, we held auditions for this South African play, and eight young people were cast—four of whom have a background with Kulturhjerte,” says Vivian Haverstadløkken, Managing Director of Kulturhjerte.

In the intense, hour-long murder musical, audiences were presented with a murder mystery in which the solution was to be found among the eight performers on stage.

Kulturhjerte has previously staged two large-scale youth musicals.

“There are now several actors in the city producing large musicals with very big casts, so with the murder musical we decided to scale things right down,” Haverstadløkken explains.

“Each of the eight roles demands a great deal from the individual performer, in acting, singing, and dance, so this format has allowed us to work much more closely with each participant,” she says, offering high praise for the young performers’ efforts.

Every year since 2017, Kulturhjerte has staged a major gala performance in Lillehammer, and this year is no exception.

On 24 and 25 May, around 40 young people from Lillehammer, representing cultures from around the world, will take to the stage with a full orchestra. This marks the official premiere of JOMBA during the Norsk Litteraturfestival in Lillehammer.

JOMBA means “see us” and reflects Kulturhjerte’s ambition to showcase the many cultural expressions, ideas, and skills represented by its participants. Today, Kulturhjerte consists of young people from Lillehammer with backgrounds from 14 different countries.

The performance is described as a celebration of music, song, and dance from around the world, with a particular emphasis on traditions from the African continent.

“At the same time, Kulturhjerte is a place where they can speak Norwegian, make new friends and connections, watch their children perform, and feel proud of their culture,” says Vivian Haverstadløkken, emphasising:

“Kulturhjerte would not be possible without the efforts of the participants on stage and their parents. They are the ones who create Kulturhjerte — and they are the only ones who can do it.”

A Chance to Shine

She describes a great atmosphere at the weekly rehearsals.

“It’s very intense, but also a lot of fun at rehearsals. More than 30 participants show up every week, ready to do their very best,” she says.

On 24 May, the participants will finally get to show everything they have been working on to classmates and students from other schools, as the production premieres in a closed school performance.

“The participants are given the opportunity to step forward and shine in a way that is different from the classroom, and we hope they take that feeling with them back to school,” says Vivian Haverstadløkken.

The performance the following day, Saturday 25 May, will be open to the general public.

Eight Years of Kulturhjerte

Eight years ago, Vivian Haverstadløkken, Managing Director of Kulturhjerte, together with four other committed initiators, came up with the idea of joining forces to create a new meeting place in Lillehammer. The meeting place was to be called Kulturhjerte, with theatre as its central gathering point.

“We wanted to show people in Lillehammer the resources we have in our city and create an arena for everyday inclusion,” Haverstadløkken explains.

By bringing together young people and adults from Lillehammer with backgrounds from all over the world around a shared project of song, dance, storytelling, and other cultural expressions from the participants’ countries of origin, Kulturhjerte has created a space where everyone can experience a sense of belonging and be recognised as a resource.

“We hope we have succeeded in helping everyone understand that we all have just as much to learn from one another, and that Lillehammer becomes a more enjoyable place to live when we get to know more people we may think are different from ourselves,” says Kulturhjerte’s Managing Director.

Like the participants and their parents, the professional performing artists involved in Kulturhjerte are multicultural, both Norwegian and international.

They include dance teachers and choreographers, costume designers, playwrights, and directors. What they all share is a deep commitment to expressing themselves through song, dance, and theatre.

They work with the participants in the same way they work with professional performers, ensuring that the young people feel taken seriously by adults.

“Finding the right people with the necessary experience and expertise—and, not least, the desire to work with children and young people—is absolutely essential, both for the quality of the productions and for ensuring that participants thrive, develop confidence, and become as skilled as they possibly can,” she says.

About Kulturhjerte

• Kulturhjerte is a meeting place and development arena for young people and adults from Lillehammer with backgrounds from all over the world. With theatre as its central focus, the ambition has been to create an inclusive space where everyone experiences a sense of belonging and is recognised as a resource.
• Kulturhjerte collaborates with local schools on recruitment and today consists of young people from Lillehammer with backgrounds from 14 different countries.
• Each year, Kulturhjerte stages a large-scale gala performance based on song, dance, and other cultural expressions from the participants’ countries of origin. Parents contribute as volunteers.
• Kulturhjerte is a permanent partner of the Norsk Litteraturfestival in Lillehammer.
• The organisation works with a strong team of skilled professionals. Professional choreographers and dancers, costume designers, directors, and playwrights rehearse weekly with the young participants.
• Kavlifondet has supported Kulturhjerte since its establishment in 2018.
• In addition to support from Kavlifondet and Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, Kulturhjerte receives permanent municipal funding of NOK 350,000 and has also received funding from Bufdir.