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Welcome to Union Scene! (by Mayor Tore Opdal Hansen)
Being the Mayor of Drammen, I am particularly proud and happy to welcome you to the official opening of Union Scene - an International Culture Centre in Drammen. Now, in the region of Drammen, we have a brand new and important cultural place, with a great variety of choices, where we can meet. Union Scene has become an important factor with regard to urban development, situated in an area, which, in a few years’ time, will become one of Norway’s most urbanized areas. Union Scene offers a number of choices within the arts to all people; young and old, amateurs as well as professionals. Union Scene is able to offer you some very exciting stages and room solutions, with the best location in Drammen; next to the river and a centre of expertise called “Papirbredden - the paper bank,” made even more accessible with a new footbridge from across the park!
Drammen has made an effort to create an environment of expertise. Union Scene will be further developed to become a national skills centre promoting multicultural relations. This is very important and proper considering the fact that Drammen is a town with 16 per cent of its population from a minority background. Union Scene pays particular attention to children and young people. By now, several hundreds of them have already accepted the offers here.
Various actors have done a tremendous job, and as we speak, they have established themselves as part of the centre. The official opening on September 24th indicates a shifting of stage. The actors have moved in and are all ready to please an audience hungry for culture in the region of Drammen.
I do hope that a great many of you will take the opportunity to “taste” some of the offers during this opening weekend, and I am sure that Union Scene will continue to enlighten Drammen as municipality, town and region.
Tore Opdal Hansen
Mayor of Drammen
Welcome to Union Scene
( by Chairman of the Buskerud County Council Tor Ottar Karlsen)
It is with great pleasure I am able to welcome you to the official opening of Union Scene 23-25.09. Union Scene is a result of cooperation between the local authorities in Drammmen, the county council district and the state. Institutions and organisations in the county council district, Kunstsenteret i Buskerud (the Art Centre in Buskerud), Brageteateret (the Brage Theatre), Buskerud Musikkråd (the Music Board in Buskerud), Norges Musikkorpsforbund Buskerud (the Norwegian Band Federation Buskerud), Nedre Buskerud Teaterverksted (Lower Buskerud Theatre Workshop), they all cooperate with municipal institutions and organizations. Professionals cooperate with amateurs for the benefit of both parties. This is just what Union Scene is able to offer - an invitation to all varieties of culture, i.e. music, dramatic acting and art, to work together.
The intention is to develop Union Scene into a centre of expertise of multicultural communication. The actors present at Union Scene will, together with the local authorities and the county council see this through.
During the opening weekend, the actors at Union Scene will give the audience a demonstration of some of the things they do. This will unveil a culture diversity that we experience only on rare occasions. I am really looking forward to further development of Union Scene for the benefit of the entire region; go ahead, break a leg.
Tor Ottar Karlsen
Chairman of the county council in Buskerud
THE ACTORS ON UNION SCENE
1. BRAGETEATERET (THE BRAGE THEATRE)
Brageteateret AS is a professional, local theatre in Buskerud.with a purpose of creating a theatre with a youth perspective. With a row of brilliant shows, the theatre has drawn positive attention to itself since the beginning in 2001. Last year, the theatre held more than 300 performances and more than 36.000 people visited the shows. This could be compared to the number of people visiting some of the regional theatres in Norway.
Brageteateret and Drammen barne-og ungdomsteater (Drammen Children and Youth Theatre) have built two of the houses at Union Scene, Bragesalen and Idunnsalen. Brageteateret goes on tour to every municipality in Buskerud in addition to the performances at Union Scene.
Brageteateret is owned by Buskerud County Council District and the Municipality of Drammen.
www.brageteateret.no
2. BUSKERUD MUSIKKRÅD (BUSKERUD BOARD OF MUSICIANS)
Buskerud Musikkråd acts as a joint body of music life in Buskerud. We represent the county branch of the Norwegian Board of Musicians and the Music Study Federation. Musikkrådet is responsible for several projects, among them, Ungdommens kulturmønstring UKM, the enrolment of young people to culture, on behalf of the county council district. UKM is the largest culture arrangement for young people in the county. This is an annual arrangement. We also arrange an annual band gathering for music groups, which are particularly adapted to mentally retarded people. We arrange music classes for employee representatives and we are happy to help planning this for our members or others. Norsk musikkråd, the Norwegian Board of Musicians, administers music grants:
Musikkverkstedordningen, MVO, the Music Shop Arrangement
Frifond, bonus funds
Adult education grants
www.musikk.no
3. DEN KULTURELLE SKOLESEKKEN ( A BACKPACK FILLED WITH CULTURE FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN)
This arrangement was introduced in 2001 all over Norway and is founded on cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Church Affaires and the Ministry of Education and Research. By this initiative, elementary school pupils are sure to have professional cultural facilities available in order to become familiar with art and culture. Elementary school pupils in Buskerud benefit from regional tour offers concerning dramatic acting, music, visual art and literature promotions.
Every municipality in Buskerud subscribe to these offers for their pupils, signifying approx. 50 tours per year to be divided among approx. 31.500 pupils. In charge of all this, are Catherine and Catherine at the tour office on the second floor of this building. Brageteateret administers the tour office on behalf of Buskerud county council district.
4. DRAMMEN BARNE-OG UNGDOMSTEATER( DRAMMEN CHILDREN AND YOUTH THEATRE)
Drammen barne-og ungdomsteater has approx. 60 members divided into three age groups: 10-12, 13-15 and 16-19. Professional instructors are hired for projects, but parents volunteer for production and daily management. Generally, there are two shows per year. In December 2005, there will be a show called Reisen til Julestjernen, Reaching the Star of Bethlehem, at Drammen Theatre, and in March 2006 Trollmannen fra Os, the Wizzard of Oz, will be played at Bragesalen on Union Scene. Drammen Barne-og ungdomsteater has performed several great shows at Drammen Teater, among others Jakten på juleskurken, Hunting down the Christmas Villain. More than 50.000 visitors have seen the performances.
www.denungescenen.no
5. DRAMMEN KULTURSKOLE (DRAMMEN SCHOOL OF CULTURE)
The pupils are taught how to play, sing, dance, draw and paint. This is an enterprise run by the local government, offering classes in dramatic acting, pottery, visual art and music. There is room for 700 pupils. Drammen kulturskole is responsible for den kuklturelle skolesekken, the backpack filled with cultural offers, in Drammen.
www.drammen.kommune.no Search for Drammen kulturskole
6. INNVANDRERRÅDET (THE BOARD OF IMMIGRANTS)
Innvandrerrådet will help out in cases of communication failure, misunderstanding, lack of information regarding various rules and legislations and lack of knowledge about the Norwegian way of life. The Board of Immigrants will teach people information and communication skills and bring forth good relations between individuals, families and the public. The board will also prevent conflict situations by means of constructive dialogue. The board will also be of assistance with regard to meetings, activities and arrangements. The Board of Immigrants keeps office at Union scene.
www.union.scene.no
7. KUNSTNERSENTERET I BUSKERUD (THE CENTRE OF ARTISTS IN BUSKERUD)
Kunstnersenteret is an independent organisation with 128 visual artists and craftsmen designers affiliated. The Centre of Artists promotes a wider use of works created by Buskerud artists .Our consultants offer assistance regarding ornamentation and décor etc. in addition to art exhibitions, stationary and ambulant and art commission business.
Pilotgalleriet (the Pilot Gallery) produces travelling exhibitions for schools.
www.kunstnersenter.no
8. MASALA
Masala means seasoning mixture and it is an appropriate description of this multicultural activity. Yet, this is a textile workshop, producing baroque dresses as well as shalwar kameez!
Masala is run by the culture and leisure department in cooperation with the Introduction Centre for Foregn Nationals in Drammen. We offer a basic education in sewing skills and work practice.
Nedre Buskerud Teatervekrsted,(Lower Buskerud Theatre Workshop), is an important partner. We produce outfit for their costume bank and we clean and repair garments too.
We want to offer an exciting workshop. Here you can buy our design garments, hand in garments for repair and in addition to costume production, we are also able to offer production of various national dresses from Pakistan, India etc. We offer weekend classes in new and exciting sewing techniques.
www.union.scene.no
9. MATENDO KULTURSENTER ( MATENDO CENTRE OF CULTURE)
Matendo is a voluntary culture organisation. The general idea is to use available resources in the great multicultural environment in Drammen and Buskerud. Matendo represents a part of the international perspective at Union Scene. Matendo will arrange concerts, shows and projects with actors from many countries. At Union Scene we will offer classes particularly suited for children and young people in the school sector. We also intend to continue the traditional classes in African dance, drummer courses, belly dance classes, classes in Greek dancing and may offer various new and exciting classes too. We cooperate with Cosmopolite and thus are able to offer exotic, cultural evenings with guest artists from various parts of the world, playing live.
www.globalexchangers.org
10. NEDRE BUSKERUD TEATERVERKSTED (LOWER BUSKERUD THEATRE WORKSHOP)
We are able to offer cheerful amateurs professional guidance regarding stage management and illumination. Nedre Buskerud Teaterverksted may offer a wide selection of costumes for hire. They work with theatre groups from Øvre and Nedre Eiker, Drammen. Lier, Røyken and Hurum. The workshop and Masala cooperate in taking care of the costumes and producing new ones for the Costume Bank.
www.nbteaterverksted.no
11. NORGES MUSIKKORPS FORBUND-BUSKERUD (THE NORWEGIAN BAND FEDERATION - BUSKERUD)
Musicians, twirlers, conductors and band representatives from all over the county may join Norges Musikkorps Forbund - Buskerud. We will be able to help with most band issues. There are 76 bands in Buskerud; school-, generation- and amateur bands. Norges Musikkorps Forbund arranges annual gatherings, courses and conferences. Do not hesitate to contact us if you want some of your bands activities to be published on our homepage!
www.musikkorps.no/buskerud
12. UNION ROCK
The club arranges various concerts and has contributed to an increasing music interest in Drammen. Some artists from Drammen have even become famous all over Norway. At Union Rock culture really expresses itself in various ways and the club works hard to unite amateurs and professionals. The club wants to be able to offer high quality practice facilities to bands, i.e. rooms and equipment where new ideas might bee acted out. There is an elected board and approx. 60 voluntary workers. No one gets paid and there are approx. 8.000 hours with voluntary work per year.
We offer professional, fully rigged concert locations where local stars as well as national and international stars really place Drammen on the map of music.
www.union.rock.no
Author: Mia Brambani
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