Talent Norge | The Professional Committee for ArtEx 2023

Alan Lucien Øyen

Graduating in dance from the School of Art in Oslo, Alan works in hybrid forms straddling dance, theater, opera, and film. As the son of a dresser watching theatre religiously from the age of 7, Alan started studying ballet at 17 with Hungarian ballet master and Marinsky graduate Peter Tornev. After performing with Carte Blanche and Amanda Miller's company Pretty Ugly – Alan established winter guests in 2006. winter guests brings together actors, dancers, writers, set designers and technicians, touring theatrical works in English for the international stage. Alan has been artist in residence with the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet since 2013 and his works are highly acclaimed in both his home country Norway and abroad. Alan was of the first choreographers invited to create a full-length work for the legendary Tanztheater Wuppertal, the first time since the death of their founder Pina Bausch. He has done a range of international projects including a full evening dance creation for The Berlin Staatsballett, and the play – The American Moth – for winter guests, an international co-commission by the National Theater and Concert Hall, Taipei and the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C. In 2019 Alan directed his first opera, Rusalka for Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, and recently he did a full evening creation for Paris Opera Ballet, mixing spoken word and dance onto a theatrical set for a cast of 40 dancers, premiering at Palais Garnier in Paris.

Photo: Massimo Leardini

Asta Busingye Lydersen

Asta Busingye Lydersen is a member of the award-winning cultural group Queendom and has a background as a performing artist at Trøndelag Theatre, Hålogaland Theatre, Riksteatret and Oslo Nye Teater. As a founder and performer in Queendom, she has created a number of independent productions - from the comedy show "Integrert som faen" which was Queendom's breakthrough in 2005, to the record release "MamaLove" in 2019, as well as a number of tours and performances at cultural centers and festivals in Norway, Poland and Zimbabwe. Queendom's latest production is the autobiographical play "Farvann" together with singer/actor Numa Edema. The performance explores Norwegian-African identity, upbringing and paternal relationships, and is directed by Mari Kjeldstadli from the National Theatre of Norway. Alongside her artistic production, Asta has held a number of positions, including as deputy chairman of the Arts Council Norway, jury member of Telenor's Culture Prize, and board member of the National Theatre. Asta currently works as a freelance actor, cultural producer and presenter through her own company.

Photo: Ivana Klavis

Belinda Braza

Belinda Braza is employed as a choreographer by Det Norske Teatret, a public theatre producing plays in neo-Norwegian only. She is Artistic Director of Det Norske Teatret i Groruddalen, a district in the east of Oslo, which is committed to theatre for children and young people. She is Programme Manager for Bikubekveld, which is also affiliated with Det Norske Teatret. She has previously choreographed a number of theatre performances and has worked with TV and artists. In 2022 she was artistic director on the artist Highasakite’s tour. Through B-Braza Productions she has produced, directed and choreographed four full evening performances: Fear Infection (2010), I am us (2012), Legacy (2013), and Survival (2017). All her productions have toured both nationally and internationally. Braza was part of Kulturrådets fagutvalg for dans (the Norwegian Cultural Council’s Professional Committee for Dance) (2020-2022) and (currently) of kunstnerisk råd for Scenekunstbruket (the Artistic Council for the Use of Scenic Art).

Photo: Erika Hebbert

Hanne Tømta

Hanne Tømta is a renowned theatre director educated at St. Petersburg's State Theater Academy (1992–1998). She was the Theatre Manager at Rogaland Theater from 2005 to 2008, and at the National Theater from 2009 to 2020. She has directed a number of plays; Children's productions in selection: Heksene, Hålogaland Teater (2000), Karlsson på taket, Oslo Nye Teater (2002), Leopard in the park, Frognerparken (2003), Pippi Langstrømpe, Den Nationale Scene (2004) and Pinocchio, Nationaltheatret (2009). Other productions in selection: 2 sisters, Sogn og Fjordane Theater (2000), Kvinner på randen, Teatergarasjen, Bergen (2001), The woman who married a turkey, Centralteatret (2003). At the National Theater she has staged Anna Karenina (2012), En får bæra som en er – an Ole Ivars musical and Tre søstre (2014), Seks roller søker en forfatter (2015), The Cherry Garden (2017), Måken (2019) and The Wild Duck (2020). Tømta received the Hedda award in 2015, in the category of best director for Tre søstre, and received HR Norway's Leadership Award 2015 for good leadership and organizational renewal. She is currently employed by Talent Norge as a professional resource in performing arts.

Photo: Marte Garmann

Iram Haq

Iram Haq is a Norwegian-Pakistani director, actor and filmmaker. She has drawn people’s attention with her short films and longer feature films. She has won a number of prizes and awards and was educated as an art director at Westerdals reklameskole, a school focusing on advertising disciplines. Haq started directing in 2004 with «Trofast» (‘Faithful’), a film. In 2009 she scripted and directed «Skylappjenta» (‘The Girl with Blinkers’), which was selected for the Sundance Film Festival. Her breakthrough came in 2013 with «Jeg er din/I am yours», for which she has won several awards. Her latest feature film "Hva vil folk si/what will people say" won the People’s critics award in 2018.

Photo: Marie Sjøvold

Jacob Fabricius

Jacob Fabricius is the director of Art Hub Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (2021). Previously Fabricius hs been a director at Malmö Konsthall, Malmö, Sweden (2008-12) and Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark (2013-14) and artistic director at Kunsthal Aarhus Aarhus, Denmark (2016-2021), where he has curated numerous international exhibitions. He has worked several biennales – among them: Words at an Exhibition 《열 장의 이야기와 다섯 편의 시》 An exhibition in ten chapters and five poems, Busan Biennalen 2020, Busan, South Korea, Leisure, Discipline and Punishment, 6th Biennial of Moving Image, Mechelen, Belgium (Artistic director, 2013), Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art, France (co-curator, 2007), Socle du Monde biennale, Herning, Denmark (Artistic director, 2004), Prague Biennale, Prague, Czech Republic (co-curator, 2003) and Momentum, Nordic Biennale of Contemporary Art, Moss, Norway (co-curator, 2000). Fabricius has utilized many projects in public spaces and is the founder of the publishing project Pork Salad Press and the newspaper Old News. Most recently he curated Minimalism-Maximalism-Mechanissmmm Act 1-4 at Art Sonje Center (Seoul) and Kunsthal Aarhus in 2022/23.

Photo: Private

Jørn Pedersen

Jørn Pedersen has worked for more than 30 years as a producer of classical music and has been behind several hundred record productions with the very best instrumentalists, singers and orchestras at home and abroad. He runs his own production company and over the years he has also been employed at Abbey Road Studios in London as orchestra leader at Den Norske Opera & Ballett as head of the Crescendo Mentorprogram, and now as a professional classical music consultant at Talent Norge. Jørn was educated as a performing musician and educator at Norges Musikkhøgskole (the Norwegian University College of Music) and also studied for several years at the University of Oslo. His commitment to talent development has run like a red thread through his career. In London he produced young international stars’ first record recordings in the record series EMI Debut. In the collaboration between DNO&B and Olympiatoppen he joined in researching and developing an interdisciplinary performance culture in the meeting point between sport and music at the highest level. As leader of the talent programme Crescendo Mentorprogram he helped inspire young musicians to strive to reach the top and build a sustainable soloist career. He is employed by Talent Norge as a professional resource in classical music. He will have a keen eye for developing talent at all levels and will have an interdisciplinary look at other genres and forms of art.

Photo: Amanda Pedersen Giske

Margreth Olin

Margreth Olin (1970) is a Norwegian director and producer with a big cinema audience. She has made 13 films, which have been lauded by critics, and has participated in a number of festivals abroad and has won several Norwegian and international prizes. Margreth has managed to catalyze important dialogues on the subjects her films shed light on. She personally has received 26 honorary prizes for her commitment and focus on human rights. Her filmography includes ‘Dei mjuke hendene’ (‘The soft hands’)(Yamagata 1999), ‘Kroppen Min’ (‘My body’) (Tribeca 2002), EFA-nominated ‘Ungdommens Råskap (‘Young People’s Savagery’) (2004), Engelen (‘The Angel’) (TIFF 2010), De Andre (‘The others’) (IDFA 2012), Cathedrals of Culture, Operahuset i Oslo (the Opera House in Oslo)(Berlinale 2013). Olin was one of six directors for the Wim Wenders-series ‘Cathedrals of Culture’, the others including Wim Wenders and Robert Redford. Her film ‘Mannen fra Snåsa’ (‘The Man from Snåsa’, Norway) (2016) is the second most viewed documentary at Norwegian cinemas. Her previous film ‘Selvportrett’ (A self-portrait’) (DOC NYC 2020), which she co-directed with Espen Wallin & Katja Høgset, won seven prizes internationally. Olin was one of the recipients of the Chicken & Egg Award 2022. Together with Joachim Trier, Deeyah Khan and Nils Gaup, Olin was awarded Anders Jahres Kulturpris in September 2022, Norway’s foremost honorary award. Her new full evening documentary, ‘Fedrelandet’ (‘(My) Home Country’), will premiere in 2023.

Photo: Agnete Brun

Marianna Shirinyan

Armenian-born Marianna Shirinyan is one of the most creative and in sought after pianists in Europe today. Her vibrant and virtuous musicianship puts her in demand, both as soloist and as a chamber musician. She has received Danish Broadcasting Corporation´s prestigious P2 award for her contribution to Danish music life and the critics prize of the association of Danish critics. In 2022 she won the Carl and Anne Marie Nielsen honorary award. She is a frequent guest at a string of international music festivals, among them the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Bodensee Festival, the Schwetzinger Festspiele, MDR Summer Festival, Festspillene in Bergen. Marianna has garnered a reputation as a leading pianist of her generation through solo appearences with orchestras such as the Bavarian radio Symphony Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Oslo, Helsinki and Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestras, Potsdammer Kammerakademie, Göteborg Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, among others. She has enjoyed collaborations with conductors such as Lawrence Foster, Zoltan Kocsis, Antonello Manacorda, Jun Märkl, Daniel Raiskin, Lan Shui, Thomas Søndergård, Krysztof Urbanski and Joshua Weilerstein.

Photo: Nikolaj Lund

Raül Refree

Raül Refree is one of the most recognized Spanish producers of the last decade. As a composer and producer, he has worked with Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo, the singer Silvia Pérez Cruz, and together with the artist Lina, he has released the fados of the legendary fado singer Amália Rodrigues to the praise of critics worldwide. However, he is best known for Los Angeles, the joint album with Rosalia, which marked the debut of the pop and flamenco icon. Through his work with innovative artists such as Rosalía and El Niño de Elche, he is at the forefront of the so-called "new flamenco" movement. His talent is praised by stars such as Ricky Martin while he himself continues to invest in new talents. Raül is an award-winning composer of film music and a well-known songwriter and musician who has released a total of eleven albums under his most personal project, Refree. His discography is full of projects free of genres as he only understands music as an exercise in creation and investigation in freedom.

Photo: Alex Rademakers

Tatiana Pereira

Tatiana is known as the artist Miss Tati. She is an artist, a songwriter, a DJ and a curator. Her current projects are Miss Tati’s Angola Søtti and Miss Tati’s Eyemba, the latter being a concert performance further developed in 2021 with Den Nasjonale Scene, the main theatre in Bergen. It is about identity, language and belonging. She won the Role Model Award at the by:Larm Festival in 2015 and released her first album in 2017. She has toured all over Norway and is known for her energetic live shows. Her work has been commissioned by the Bergen International Literature Festival and the Bajazz Festival. She has been a guest artist at Fargespill (Play of Colours) Bergen in 2018 and at Fargespill Oslo in 2019. She has collaborated with artists like Sandra Kolstad, Bendik Baksaas and the South African/Norwegian artist Nosizwe on various albums. She is DJ and curator for the HotHotHot (House Of Telle) Festival via Klubb Diaspora, which is her concept.

Photo: Skjalg Ekeland

Tominga Hope O´Donnell

Dr Tominga O’Donnell is first conservator of contemporary art at MUNCH and has been curator for Munchmuseet i bevegelse (The Munch Museum in motion) (2016–2019), a programme with temporary art projects in various rooms in the district of Gamle Oslo (Old Oslo) with a gay curatorial approach, which was awarded Kunstkritikerprisen (the Art Critic Prize). At the new museum, O’Donnell is the curator of solo exhibitions with Sandra Mujinga, Camille Henrot and Piya Wanthiang, and at the MUNCH Triennale – Maskinen er oss (The machine is us). O’Donnell was educated at the University of Oxford and the University of Oslo and was educated as a curator at the Royal College of Art in London. She earned a Doctorate Degree (phD) from Arkitekthøyskolen (the University College of Architecture) in Oslo on the subject of exhibitions as spatial structures.

Photo: Ove Kvavik / Munchmuseet

The Professional Committee for ArtEx 2023