The final rehearsal period had finally begun! I was both excited and nervous as we reached this important stage of the project.

The rehearsal period was not without its challenges. One of the biggest was creating a suitable space for projecting the sign language video. Overlyssalen is a beautiful historical venue with a skylight that fills the room with natural daylight. I love the space very much, but because the days are so long in Norway in May, there was simply too much daylight for the video projection to be seen clearly.

In addition, we were not allowed to hang anything from the lighting bars or make holes in the walls. Instead, we had to build a freestanding pavilion using blackout fabric to create a dark space for the projection. Rigging this structure took us two and a half days.

I had previously developed a pre-project in the same venue in 2023, and I wanted to return because it was where this artistic journey first began. At the same time, this experience taught me how important it is to consider practical aspects when choosing a venue. Since this is my first full-scale project, it would have been easier to work in a venue that offered more technical flexibility.

Even so, I am truly grateful that my first project began there. Working under these challenging conditions was a good learning experience, and it has given us the knowledge to adapt the work to a wide variety of venues as the tour continues.

The rehearsal period passed incredibly quickly. Some of the artworks were still unfinished when rehearsals began, while at the same time we, of course, had to finalise the dramaturgy and many other aspects of the performance.

Alongside the artistic work, there was also a great deal of promotion. Before and after rehearsals, I visited Café Magenta, St. Croix-huset, Fredrikstad Town Hall, and Østfold Art Center to distribute posters and flyers. Fredrikstad Library also helped promote the performance, the artist collaborators shared flyers within their communities, and I worked on social media and email communication. Because I am not based in Fredrikstad or Østfold, it was difficult to visit all of these places before rehearsals began while also managing the many other preparations for the premiere.

Fortunately, after the rigging period and before the premiere, we were able to invite several test audiences. I would like to thank Chihiro Araki, Ludwig Braaten, Berit R. Øie, Ida Merete Solvang, Soumi Saha, and everyone else who came to experience the work. Their feedback was invaluable in helping us continue developing the project.

I also greatly appreciated having sign language interpreters during the rehearsal period. Their presence allowed us to communicate smoothly with Aino Hakala, the deaf actor and one of the artistic collaborators in the project.


Premiere and other performances

The premiere was an exciting milestone. I would like to thank Ludwig Braaten and Silvia Kostolanská for assisting during the performances. I am also deeply grateful to audience members from the Norwegian Theatre Academy, where I graduated, as well as colleagues of the collaborators and members of different communities who came to experience the work.

We also held a special performance for the film and photo documentation. My sincere thanks go to Berit R. Øie, Gal Almkiass, Kenny Weber, Hilde, Marianne, Mikael Bentsen, and Vegard Hanve for participating in the documentation.

I would also like to thank Mikael from the Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted for interviewing me and Inger-Reidun Olsen, one of the artistic collaborators on the project, after the performance for their podcast, Lyd fra Østfold. 
You can listen to the interview here (24:32–31:30): (link)

After the final performance, we held an artist talk with all of the artistic collaborators on stage. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our creative process and engage in a thoughtful Q&A with the audience.

I was very happy to hear audience members describe the performance as a powerful sensory experience that opened up new ways of perceving and raised many thoughts and questions. At the same time, I also received valuable feedback from a deaf audience member, who emphasised the importance of having a professional sign language interpreter during the performance.

This feedback from a deaf audience member highlighted one of the biggest challenges we have faced throughout the project. During the creation and rehearsal process, Aino booked sign language interpreters whenever possible. However, they were not always available, which made communication between us difficult.

As Aino will not be touring with us, I am now responsible for arranging sign language interpreters for the performances. However, this is not straightforward. Because we cannot know in advance whether deaf audience members will attend a performance, requests for interpreters for universal accessibility are not always prioritised by NAV. In addition, I need to cover the interpreter fees within the project's budget.

During the performances in Fredrikstad, I interpreted parts of the work myself. We prepared a script with the information we needed to communicate to the audience, and I practised Norwegian sign language beforehand. However, it was difficult to interpret unexpected situations during the performance. I know this is not a sustainable long-term solution, and finding a better approach will be necessary for the performances in Oslo, Halden, Kirkenes, and future touring opportunities.

Looking back, I feel relieved and grateful that the performances in Fredrikstad were meaningful for the audience and that everything went smoothly without any injuries. I have learned a great deal through both the creative process and the performances themselves. I am now continuing to develop the work while also preparing both the artistic and administrative aspects of the upcoming performances.