"Performance… is rehearsal for a good death."
Karmenlara Ely, artistic director NTA
Six students from different art diciplines - and countries - have just arrived NTA to start on their two years of master studies at Norwegian Theatre Academy. At semester start this week both students, staff, invited guests and the leadership of HiØ were invited to celebrate the opening of the new programme. From this fall the NTA can offer master studies in both performance and scenography in addition to the bachelor studies in acting and scenography.
- Thank you everyone for being here today, to celebrate the beginning of something new with us at NTA, said artistic director and professor Karmenlara Ely.
She and former artistic director at NTA, professor Camilla Eeg-Tverrbak are the founders of the program.The work with the MA in Performance goes back almost eight years. The programme was finally accredited by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) last fall.
- The program we celebrate today is a result of an intensive dialogue between Camilla and I, but born out of her vision, together with inspiration from artists in the field, said Ely at the opening ceremony.
In her speach she also addressed a special thank to colleages at NTA and HiØ for advice and extensive support with the work to establish the new master program.
Art making in the current time
Her co-creator explained more about the aim of the program.
- We are inviting students who come with their various artistic practices across different art diciplines, to enter into a practical and theoretical diaogue with us and what we propose as both methodological and also ethical approach to art making in the current time, said Camilla Eeg-Tverbakk.
She then added:
- We ask what our relation is to time and material in time. There is a need to shift focus of attention. There is a call for understanding, coping with, and existing with ambiguities and in the unknown.
Eeg-Tverbakk’s message to the new students was this:
- We do not have any ambition to tell you what is right or wrong, but we hope to provoke and inspire you, as much as we hope you will provoke and inspire us – to think and act together with us in our quest towards the future.
More about the program can be found here.