About Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium
The Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium makes world-class theatre, for everyone.
We create and share unforgettable stories with audiences locally, nationally and around the world – whether on our stages, in the urban space, on tour, in schools, on screen or virtually. We aim to be as inclusive, diverse and sustainable as possible.
Our artistic starting point is an interest and curiosity aimed at theater forms from both Western and non-Western traditions, and a desire to create a unique expression based on this encounter. We believe that our performances contain opportunities for, and are an occasion for, a meeting between differences, regardless of whether you are an audience or a performer.
We enrich Danish performing arts with residencies, seminars, teaching activities, performances, concerts, exchanges, guest performances, festivals and major international collaborations and networks. We create ambitious new works of high artistic quality that are the result of a unique way of working and tradition developed and refined over many years.
Whether you have seen our performances many times before or are meeting us for the first time, we hope you will be entertained, seduced and struck.
Welcome.
Residencies, seminars, teaching activities, performances, concerts, barter, guest performances, festivals and major international collaborations and networks
Our home in Holstebro
Odin Teatret was founded by Eugenio Barba in 1964 in Oslo, Norway. In 1966, the theatre relocated to Holstebro and changed its name to the Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium – Odin Teatret. Its staff today hails from 11 different countries and four continents.
The laboratory's activities encompass: Our own productions, presented in Holstebro, Denmark, and abroad; 'barter' with various communities in Holstebro and elsewhere; organization of theatre group meetings; hosting theatre groups and ensembles; educational activities in Denmark and abroad; the annual NTL Open: Strange and Lovely; Collaboration with CTLS, the Center for Theatre Laboratory Studies under Aarhus University; Holstebro Festuge; Kuben, our Research and Dissemination department, which serves as NTL's living memory; Workout for Intercultural Navigators; artists in residence; children's performances, exhibitions, concerts, panel discussions, other cultural initiatives, and collaborative activities in Holstebro and the surrounding region.
From the outset, NTL has been focused on actor training and the ability to create presence on stage and establish new relationships with the audience. Additionally, the analysis and development of the dramaturgies that make up a performance. There has been a constant interest in learning and passing on acquired technical knowledge because our actors are self-taught and have had to train themselves and each other.
Since its inception, NTL – Odin Teatret has created over 80 productions and performed in more than 66 countries in a variety of social contexts. Through these experiences, a unique culture has emerged, based on cultural diversity and the principle of 'barter': actors present themselves with their work to a specific community, which, in turn, responds with songs, music, and dances from their own local culture. Barter is an exchange of cultural expressions that provides insight into the other's forms of expression. It is a social give-and-take that breaks down prejudices, language barriers, and differences in thought, perspectives, and ways of being.
Listen with INUNA
For the next three years Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium in Holstebro will receive DKK 7 million to establish Greenlandic-language program production in Denmark.
The new podcast INUNA Radio is an auditory gathering place where Greenlanders living in Denmark have the opportunity to share knowledge and experiences across generations and city boundaries.
The podcast will operate at the crossroads between past, present and wishes for the future. The program interface comes with, among other things, to accommodate formats that deal with current affairs, news and entertainment. Emphasis will be placed on breadth in communication and interaction with listeners through various social media, as well as participation in various events.
2023
We are so grateful and happy for all the fantastic people who have stopped by the theatre in 2023. It is impossible to show all our activities and initiatives in one video, but experience here some of the year's many (!!!) highlights.
