With this seminar, Seanse wants to create a committed dialogue between artists and reviewers to illuminate and exchange art and children's professional knowledge and understandings applicable to the very youngest children.

The seminar is suitable for artists, employees in kindergarten and kindergarten education, reviewers, producers, theater directors, organizers and students with an interest in art productions aimed at the youngest audience group.

18:30 Welcome and Introduction by Øystein Elle and Karstein Solli

19:00 A post about the dilemma of reviewing children's theater. Did the children clap - or did the adults? Anne Middelboe Christensen

19:30 Coffee break

19:45 Experience with art productions for the youngest children and the participation of criticism. Øystein Elle and Karstein Solli

20:15 How to promote art for the youngest in the best possible way as an artist and reviewer? A panel discussion with Øystein Elle, Anne Middelboe Christensen, Julie Rongved Amundsen, Cecilie Bertrand de Lis and Hedda Fredly. Moderator: Karstein Solli

20:55 About the recently started research project «Responsive criticism». Hedda Fredly

21:15 Closing v / Seanse

In the last 20 years, professional art expressions have been established for the very young both here at home and internationally, often artistic expressions that lie at the intersections between theater, dance, performance and music. Performing arts for the youngest are often referred to as a separate genre adapted with both art and children's professional approaches and understandings.

Reviews and criticism of productions for the youngest are not a matter of course. Reviewers represent an important voice and can provide performing artists and relevant audiences with crucial artistic feedback. In addition, reviews can also express understandings and views of the reviewer on young children. There will always be friction between artists and reviews - a source of growth. Since art for the very youngest is both new and marginal, we want to ask the questions:

How can critics and performing artists enrich each other's knowledge?

What do the performing artists experience that the reviewers emphasize or fail to emphasize in relation to professionalism and vice versa? What horizons of understanding are used?

How can we, through dialogue from our different points of view and perspectives, make art for the youngest even better?

Anne Middelboe Christensen is an author and theater critic. She has a master's degree in Danish and Theater Studies. She reviews theater and dance at Dagbladet Information and children's theater at www.teateravisen.dk. Anne sits on the jury behind the Danish performing arts award Reumert of the Year. She teaches review at the University of Copenhagen and has, among other things. written the book "Enthusiasm and Brutality" which is a handbook for the role of the reviewer. She is the mother of three.

Hedda Fredly reviews performing arts for Norsk Shakespearetidsskrift, Periskop.no and Dagbladet, she teaches drama at the kindergarten teacher education at Høgskolen i Innlandet, and sits on the jury for the Norwegian performing arts award Heddaprisen. In 2020, she won the Critics of the Year award for a review of an installation show for babies. Fredly has a master's degree in drama / theater from NTNU and HiB, and has participated in research projects about the very youngest children's experience of theater. She is the mother of three.

Øystein Elle is an interdisciplinary artist, singer, composer, theater creator, and educator, and is an associate professor of music and theater at Østfold University College. Elle completed her art-based doctorate in 2017. His practice and research span Baroque, Dadaism, Western avant-garde traditions, intercultural and transdisciplinary projects. As a composer, director and performer, he has toured with over 30 theater and musical theater productions in Europe, Asia, the United States and South America. Øystein Elle is co-editor and author of the anthology «Art meetings and aesthetic processes with the youngest children» Fagbokforlaget 2021.

Julie Rongved Amundsen is a theater critic and writer and has been the editor of scenekunst.no since 2018. She holds a Ph.D. in theater science, and defended his dissertation in 2013 with the dissertation «Performing Ideology. Theatricality and Ideology in Mass Performance».

Inger Cecilie Bertran de Lis is artistic director, choreographer, director and producer for ICB productions. She is a graduate of the Statens Balletthøgskole dance line, and at the Académie d ´art Choreographique, Raymond Francetti, and Studio Paris de Center de Marais. She has previously been employed as a dancer in the Finnish National Ballet, Landestheater Linz, Malmö Stadsteater and the Norwegian Opera. She has also worked for many years as a freelance dancer in various performing arts and television projects, both at home and abroad. In 2003 she created her first performance for young people, and in 2006 her first performance for the very youngest. In 2009, she established ICB productions, and has primarily focused on creating performances for children and young people at different ages. Inger Cecilie has previously received the Government's 3-year work grant, and has in the past had the Government's 5-year work grant.