It is with great joy we welcome you to yet another theatre festival in the fishing village Stamsund in Lofoten. Since our start-up in the previous millennia we are now starting to feel like one of the cornerstone companies in the village.
As Henrik Ibsen says: No beer at such a moment as this. Give me the flute.
It is the role of the arts to contribute with some spike strips and trip wire – and to advocate for more profound thinking and a greater multitude of possible horizons.
We are proud to present a wide compounded artistic program for all age groups with focus on the local environment and the nature around us. We will perform on stages, in galleries, boathouses, in the square, on the roads and in industrial areas. We sincerely hope you want to join us into this compressed energy field where artists, organizers and spectators are stirred together for a week-long party.
We are truly grateful to everyone who has made this possible, especially local forces that contribute artistically, namely Stamsund Hornmusikk, Galleri 2 and Nordland Visual Theatre.
A heartfelt welcome to Stamsund Theatre Festival.
Artistic director Thorbjørn Gabrielsen
Stamsund
Stamsund is located in Vestvågøy municipality and is one of the largest fishing villages in Lofoten, containing 1100 souls. To get here you need to take a 20 minute plane ride from Bodø, a 4 hour boat ride on the coastal steamer or a 7 houres drive across Hamarøy. The dispersed traditional settlement of the fishing industry, fishing cabins and little homes clinging to the green mountains rising straight up from the blue sea, makes Stamsund one of the most unique and beautiful places in the world.
From the beginning it’s been all about the fish in Stamsund. The fishing season is generally between January and April and the fish is hung to dry in a traditional way to be shipped around the world. The fish and the fishing industry has always attracted a lot of people, so the locals are well accustomed to travellers and famous for their hospitality.
Since the end of the 80s it has emerged a professional performing arts community in Stamsund. The competence and knowledge of this community along with the musicians, visual artists and other cultural actors makes it possible to host an international theatre festival.