
We help children to experience and express themselves through art.
Seanse is a national development arena for artistic production across all genres. In addition to artist residencies, we organize artist gatherings, art workshops, conferences, webinars, and a Small Art Festival every three years (for children aged 0–6). Seanse has numerous partners and has initiated the international network ITAC Conferences and Collaborative.
Contact us
Phone: +47 70 07 54 83
E-mail: info@seanse.no
EMPLOYEES

Marit Ulvund
Phone: +47 70 07 53 65
Mobile: +47 930 69 526
E-mail: mu@hivolda.no
Center Director Marit Ulvund is Associate Professor (PhD) in Theatre, with education from NTNU in Norway, University of Minnesota in the United States, and Queensland University of Technology in Australia. Her PhD thesis is a practice-led study in Echo Theatre, a new theatre method she has developed. The study confirms that while there is potential for Echo Theatre to support the development of performative and narrative competencies in students, the effectiveness of this directly relates to the teacher’s theatre knowledge and skills and didactic attitude towards the students.
Her focus as a researcher and center director revolves around theatre practice, arts in education and art for and with children. Marit has been with SEANSE since its founding, and as director is responsible for the center’s strategic vision, funding, administration and planning.

Karstein Solli
Mobile: +47 905 95 459
E-mail: sollik@hivolda.no
Artistic Leader Karstein Solli is a performing artist and a lecturer in acting, drama and theater communication. He graduated as a preschool teacher and has mime and theater education from Ecole Jaques Lecoq in Paris, Desmond Jones School of Mime, London and the Mime Department at the State Theater School in Amsterdam. He is a choreographer and a stage director and has since 1987 been producing solo performances as well as having large productions under his direction. Solli’s artistic work is often characterized as an intersection between dance, theater and performance. He has been touring in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, the United States, Brazil and in Chile. Solli is currently a lecturer in the BA study programme at Høyskolen for Dansekunst, Oslo. Since 1997 Solli has been a regular receiver of the Norwegian State Income for Artists.

Kristian Glomnes Selon
Phone: +47 70 07 54 83
Mobile: +47 91 31 99 30
E-mail : kristian.glomnes@hivolda.no
Producer Kristian Glomnes works to ensure that children, young people and others can experience and express themselves through art in the best possible way, by arranging artist stays, seminars, webinar art workshops, artist meetings and conferences. Kristian has a bachelor degree in drama and theatre as well as pedadagoy, in addition he has an education from NTNU with the use of tech in teaching, marketing, economics & IT management from BI Norwegian Business School. With this background, he wants to strengthen the role of the arts in education and the community, and believes in development and cooperation between the art field and the society. With the love for technology/gaming and a drama-pedagogical approach, he sees a lot of connections between the fields, especially the value of fiction and role-playing, whether it applies to computer games and/or drama, which has resulted in a three-part webinar series on gaming.. All the webinars are available in their entirety online and were conducted in 2021-22.

Maja Skogstad
Mobile: 48 00 57 99
E-mail: maja.skogstad@hivolda.no
Artistic Associate Maja is a freelance actress and lecturer in acting and performing arts. She is educated at Volda University College, Falmouth College of Arts and has a master's degree in theater from Oslo Met. She has worked extensively within performing arts and TV/film, both performing, producing and directing. She has worked with everything from physical expressions at Grusomhetens Teater, to more psychological approaches in, for example, TWIN (NRK and Nordisk Film) and Fjols til Fjells (Viaplay). Maja was a casting director at Eckerbom Casting for a long period and has also cast for Fri Film Casting. She has been associated with RadAr, Davvi, Talent Norge, and various mentoring schemes through, among others, RadArt, SKUDA and SEANSE's recent mentoring program. Maja has also taught acting at, among others, Baardarakademiet and Volda University College. In addition to performing work, she has taught acting at, among others, Baardarakademiet and Volda University College. Maja works both freelance as a performing actor, as an artistic collaborator at SEANSE, and teaches students in acting techniques and devising.
As an arena for the production of art, Seanse is unique in its combination of a residency, artistic and pedagogic guidance, economic support and providing practice audiences…There is also complete agreement that this role serves a purpose and fulfills a need.
Telemark Research Institute
Evaluation of Seanse

ABOUT SEANSE
Seanse was established in 2004 as a continuation of Prøvekluten (2004–2008) and to strengthen the provision of high-quality productions for The Cultural Schoolbag programme. The primary focus was to offer artist residencies, as well as to organize artist gatherings, professional arts seminars, and conferences. The initiative began as a collaboration between Møre og Romsdal County Council and arts-based academic expertise at Volda University College.
We know that strong artistic programmes for children, young people, and others contribute to the development of problem-solving skills, innovation, critical thinking, and adaptability. Art is essential as a pathway to new knowledge and deeper understanding. Through the dissemination of child-focused expertise, experimentation with new artistic practices, research, conferences, seminars, and support for high-quality productions, we work to improve art for and with children and young people.
Since 2004, 975 artists have been involved in approximately 379 productions across all genres and regions through artist residencies with us. Our residencies are held during weeks 24, 25, 42, and 43. As part of our work for children, young people, and others, we also collaborate with international partners to bring experiences and inspiration from abroad.
Together with contributors from Norway and internationally, Seanse has organized five Småkunstfestivaler (Small Art Festivals): the first in Oslo in 2012, followed by Ålesund in 2015, Trondheim in 2018, Oslo in 2021, and, after that year, we decided to establish the festival as a recurring event to strengthen our collaborations annually. Småkunstfestivalen 2024 was organized in collaboration with the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Dansens Hus, Vega Scene, and the National Museum. The next festival will take place in 2027, and we are continuously seeking new partners. Please contact us if this may be of interest.
An overview of previous events can be found here:

Senase Art Center were selected to lead the Cultural Rucksack’s country-wide project INK2013 to improve art access for children and youths with special needs. Seanse’s main engagement does however continue to be supporting the production of art for and with children – since 2004 we have hosted 975 artist in around 379 productions.
As part of our work for children and young people in Norway, we also work with international actors to bring experiences from outside here. Seanse has with contributors from abroad arranged the Small Art Festival, which takes place every 3 years.
We know that good art programs contributes to children’s development such as problem solving skills, creativity, critical thinking and ability to adapt. Art is important as a way to reach and deepen understanding and access alternative perspectives. Through sharing our expertise, piloting new art practices, conferences, research, seminars and supporting high-quality productions, we work to improve art for and with children.
INTERNATIONAL
Seanse has many partners and initiated the international network ITAC Conferences and Collaborative. In 2012, Seanse carried out a project titled Teaching Artist Norway, which eventually became the world’s first International Teaching Artist Conference, developed in close collaboration between Eric Booth (USA) and Seanse Centre Director Marit Ulvund.
The First International Teaching Artist Conference (ITAC1) had a strong practice-based artistic focus and an international perspective, and it was immediately met with enthusiastic responses from colleagues worldwide. Since then, ITAC has evolved into a global organization that supports arts projects across the world and contributes to advancing the field. After ITAC1, the conference has been held every two years:
- ITAC2 (2014), Brisbane – Organized by Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Queensland University of Technology
- ITAC3 (2016), Edinburgh – Organized by Creative Scotland and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation
- ITAC4 (2018), New York – Organized by Carnegie Hall, DreamYard, and Lincoln Center Education
- ITAC5 (2020), Seoul – Organized by Korea Arts & Culture Education Service (KACES), producing ITAC’s first fully digital conference in response to COVID-19
- ITAC6 (2022), Oslo – Organized by Seanse, with both physical and digital components
- ITAC7 (2024), Auckland – Organized by the Centre for Arts and Social Transformation, University of Auckland, New Zealand, in collaboration with ITAC Collaborative
In 2022, ITAC6 returned to Oslo, where it all began ten years earlier. We had the pleasure of bringing together participants from 35 countries, with approximately 200 attendees and 260 people involved in the programme, in addition to Lørenskog School Band with 40 outstanding young musicians. More information, photos, and video from ITAC6 can be found here.
ITAC8 is planned to take place in Belgium on 28–30 August, organized by OPENDOEK, with The Royal Conservatoire and AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp as co-organizers.

MY CHILDHOOD
Min Barndom is a multi-year international art project focusing on childhood and children’s narratives. Through this project, we collect and compare verbal and bodily expressions of and about childhood from multiple countries and cultural contexts. Through practical art workshops, we identify and document children’s own stories, songs, and movements.
To date, the project has taken place in Ilhéus and Garça (Brazil), Finnmark and Oslo (Norway), and New Zealand. In autumn 2025, we worked in India, including Bengaluru. The next destinations are North America and Africa.
More information can be found here.
DIGITAL
Following COVID-19, we were compelled to rethink our work digitally, which resulted in our first webinar. The topic was Artist Economy and Tax Returns, a regional collaboration with the Norwegian Authors’ Centre, Mid-Norway, originally planned as a physical event.
In 2021, we launched a three-part webinar series focusing on video games, digital art production, and future skills grounded in research. The gaming-focused webinar series was well received and remains available online:
- The gamer experience of “to be, or pretend to be” – How do developers approach the creation of video game or theatre productions aimed at giving users a fully immersive experience or state?
- Transferable Skills from Gaming to Real Life – What motivates us to play video games? Which skills and competencies do we develop that can be applied both digitally and physically? Which skills and competencies will be important for the future?
- Spilltanken 2 – “Video Games as an Art Experience and a Tool for Learning” – A collaboration with Kulturtanken, focusing on video games, digital art production, and future skills.
EXTERNAL
In 2023, in collaboration with Møre og Romsdal County Council, we organized the artist gathering Kunstnarleg Inspirasjon: “What Is It and Where Does It Come From?”
In 2021, we carried out the project More Nynorsk in the Cultural Schoolbag (NYN2021), a commission from Kulturtanken, in collaboration with Kulturtanken, Vestland County Council, Vestfold and Telemark County Council, Møre og Romsdal County Council, and the National Centre for Nynorsk in Education. Seven Nynorsk-language productions participated in an additional residency with us for further development.
In 2013, Seanse was also commissioned by the Cultural Schoolbag programme to lead INK2013, a nationwide initiative aimed at improving art for and with children and young people with special needs.
In recent years, we have seen a growing demand for guidance and mentoring from artistic productions, arts programmes, development projects, and related initiatives. In response, Seanse initiated the development of a mentoring scheme that can be offered to artists, artistic productions, institutions, and national, regional, and municipal stakeholders, among others. The intention is to establish a pool of highly qualified mentors who can be engaged as needed.
In the autum of 2025 we had our final conferance sharing and presenting the result. More info about the conference here
Seanse is funded by the Norwegian Directorate for Arts and Culture / Norwegian Cultural Fund, the Ministry of Education and Research, Volda University College, and Møre og Romsdal County Council, in addition to income from external commissions.

ARTISTIC COUNCIL

Eric Booth
Teaching Artist
Eric Booth joined Seanse's artistic council out of enthusiasm for the high quality and development of Teaching Artistry in Norway. He is the most prominent leader and the advocate of Teaching Artistry in the United States, and has contributed to the development of the field in over 30 countries. He helped start the first International Teaching Artist Conference in 2012 together with Seanse Director Marit Ulvund, which has further led to a year-round organization, ITAC Collaborative. Eric has published seven books, over 40 articles, published Teaching Artist Journal (peer-reviewed academic journal) and consulted on Teaching Artistry with over 40 of the largest arts organizations in the US including 41 years at Lincoln Center, and years with Carnegie Hall, Juilliard and seven of the ten largest orchestras in the United States. Read more about ITAC's history and the International Teaching Artist Conference here.

Karin Augusta Nogva
Visual artist
Nogva is educated at the Bergen College of Art and Edinburgh College of Art, with a Master's in Art. She is active on the art scene in various genres such as performing arts, storytelling with paper clips, tea ceremony - an interdisciplinary collaboration with the trio, Noriaki and performative work as Bird Watcher. In the visual arts, she works with drawing and graphics on paper and textile. Thematically, it is nature and the environment that preoccupies her, our consumption and the nature that is put at risk. She is inspired by Japanese craft tradition and has been on study trips to Japan several times.
Nogva has developed several productions at Seanse as a participating artist. She is particularly concerned with the interdisciplinary opportunities Seanse's residence provides and the network it creates. She sees that contemporary artists often work within a common theme, but each art form has its own instrument. Interdisciplinary collaboration in an art production enhances several senses for the audience.
More about her work here

Johannes Joner
Actor and art advocate
Johannes Joner is a Norwegian actor, director and screenwriter. Johannes has been employed at Oslo Nye Teater since 1988. Previously, he has worked at, among others, the Nationaltheatret, Torshovteatret, Nordland Teater, Rogaland Teater and the TV theatre. In parallel, he has had significant and high-profile roles in films and TV series. Recently, he is currently in the feature film HAN and as the role of IQ in the popular series Snøfall. Johannes has been a member of the arts council since it was established, where he contributes to help children and young people experience art, as well as attending several seminars at home and abroad. Through Seanse and Volda University College, he has taken the exam as one of the first Teaching artists in Norway. In 2022, he sat on the jury for awarding support to projects in the ITAC IMPACT: Climate initiative.

Irene Rosenblom
Subject coordinator for The cultural school bag in Trøndelag County Municipality
Irene Rosenblom is subject coordinator for The cultural school bag in Trøndelag county municipality, and has previously been a music producer for school and kindergarten aswell as district musician for the concerts in Nord-Trøndelag county municipality.
For several years, Irene led the county's and municipalities' work with the Vrimmel cultural festival. She has been responsible for annual program screenings, conferences, municipal cooperation, production and programming within cultural heritage, performing arts, film, music, visual art and literature in The Cultural School Bag. Now she is the project manager for the national network arena SPOR in the cultural heritage field in The cultural school bag.

Ellen Saur
Professor - Department of Pedagogy and Lifelong Learning NTNU
Ellen works at the intersection between pedagogy, disability theory, counseling and theatre. She is concerned with the critical dimension in knowledge understanding and knowledge development, and in particular how different understandings of quality play out. Art and culture are an important access to knowledge and understanding. She wants to contribute to ensuring that this has a place in upbringing and education in particular, and life in general. The importance of the physical environment for the experience of meaning, inclusion and social interaction is also an area of interest where collaboration with architecture and design environments is important. Theoretically, she often works based on the works of Bakhtin, Winnicott, Foucault and Braidotti, but is also inspired by art and cultural theory taken from Bell Hooks and Petra Kuppers, among others. In her research she uses various qualitative methods, art-based methods and discourse analysis.