On November 27, we opened the ComeUnity swap booth at Sentralen as part of the 20th Showbox Festival. Set designer and lighting and costume designer Agnethe Tellefsen created a beautiful room within a room beneath the staircase in the Winter Garden at Sentralen. There, we tempted passers-by with some of the garments that have already found their way into the archive. If you donated a garment and a story to the archive, you received a story from one of the garments hanging there in return. We heard many beautiful, funny, powerful, and sad stories, and shared a good number of cups of coffee. Many people got excited about the project, flipped through their own memory books, and thought of garments that deserve a continued life with us.
It was great fun to run the swap booth with the Italian Luigi and the Turkish Pinar. People were so curious about why they were involved, and it was lovely to meet colleagues, friends, organizers, and strangers who suddenly shared small pieces of their lives with us. Thank you!
Luigi Ciotta, Pinar Bekaroglu, Fride Snipsøyr Holøs, Kornelia Melsæter, Tiril Pharo, and Agnethe Tellefsen had a one-week residency with Fellesskapet at Åsheim from November 24–28, 2025. This group is in a development phase, working to find out whether they can collaborate, whether the project is sustainable, and whether the ideas are worth developing further. Luigi and Pinar came from warm Italy and Turkey to sub-zero temperatures and November darkness in Spydeberg. There were some wonderful vegetarian meals, with fine cheeses from Italy and spices from Turkey, productive work sessions with an exchange of methods and possible solutions for Fellesskapet’s swap booth, walks through the afternoon twilight to the Glomma river, and many good conversations about art and culture in different countries. There were also dreams and a bit of planning for a future residency at Il Chingiale e La Balena in Castelbuono, Sicily.
A film camp with a stellar team of instructors: Kristoffer Jørgensen, Bao Andre Thran Nygyen, and Kristoffer Nicolaysen.
Dance, stunts, and film in perfect harmony. With support from Viken Film Center, Åsheim Gård, and Linda Pedersen (aka Café Linda), young people aged 14–19 were given six days and five nights at Åsheim—intense days filled with filming, dancing, and fighting. In autumn sunshine and rain, on the farm and in downtown Spydeberg, we made a raw film about young people doing extreme things in the search to be seen, beating each other until the theatrical blood splattered—and thankfully letting the final blow be a real dance battle. We wrapped up the week with a premiere screening in the hall for friends and family, followed by a delicious shared meal in the Drengestua, with food everyone brought to the communal table.
The week after the ÅsheimFest weekend, Kunstkamp held an Eco camp for professional performing artists. The theme was how artists can make use of the resources they have available in their artistic practice.
From August 28 to August 31, Kunstkamp was, for the first time, the organizer of a MeetUp through the DiscoverEU programme (read more here).
Young people came from all over Europe—France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Turkey, Spain, Poland, Romania, and Norway.
Some were studying performing arts, others mathematics! Together, they created a playful and mythical forest walk for children and adults at ÅsheimFest.
Kunstkamp collaborated with Teatercamp to offer scholarship places to this year’s campers. A huge thank you to the DNB Savings Bank Foundation, whose generous support made this possible.
The main theme this year was Dreams.
Film Camp in June/July (ages 13–18)
Twenty-four young people lived at Åsheim and made a film over six days! Working in smaller groups and as one large film crew, they got to try out different roles—actors, directors, cinematographers, lighting, makeup, costume, set design, production management, and editing. The result was a truly beautiful film about dreams!
Theatre Camp in July (ages 12–16)
We made theatre with dreams as the theme! Using imagination, body, and voice—through physical play and musical exploration outdoors on the farm—we created a performance together.
Theatre Camp in July (ages 16–25)
The Theatre Camp for young adults who were eager to create theatre with strong texts and exciting character work.
Theatre Camp in August (ages 10–12)
The camp for the youngest participants. Through play and games, we created theatre with dreams as the theme! Using imagination, body, and voice—physical play and musical exploration outdoors on the farm—we created a performance together.
On June 29, 2025, the new Åsheim was ready, with a new dormitory, dining hall, kitchen, and theatre hall. On this occasion, Kunstkamp held an informal opening with a clown performance and Italian food (what could be more fitting here in the Tuscany of the North?).
Our new friends Luigi Ciotta and Pinar Bekaroğlu presented their fantastic family performance Tutti in valigie (“Everything in the Suitcase”).
For the second year in a row, Kunstkamp hosted ÅsheimFest! This year, ÅsheimFest was combined with an Erasmus+ MeetUp and an Eco Camp for professional actors.
This year we received support from Østfold County Council, Indre Østfold Municipality, the Arts Council Norway (Kulturdirektoratet), the Norwegian Actors’ Equity Association, Dance in Østfold, the DNB Savings Bank Foundation, and Erasmus+.
From August 28 to September 5, we opened the gates with theatre performances, workshops, concerts, local food, artistic activities using wool, and an experiential trail through the cultural landscape. The festival is also a meeting place for performing artists and young people from across Europe, who came here as part of their Interrail summer in 2025.
August 28–31
A three-day workshop for young people travelling by Interrail in Europe, focusing on performing arts, forest, film, food, and storytelling. Together we create an experiential forest trail, films for an outdoor cinema, and bands that perform during the festival.
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Saturday, August 30
Food stall: With PopUpHagen – soup and bread, cakes, and Italian coffee for sale.
Wool activities: The farm opens to the public with activities related to sheep and wool.
Dogme knitting with wool from Spælsau sheep, led by Aurora Wilhelmine Linchausen. Dogme knitting is an old technique where knitting is done directly from the fleece without prior processing, made possible by the long fibres of the Spælsau. The method is easy to learn and produces unique results.
Family workshop: Wool bumblebees with visual artist and insect nerd Monica Marcella. What do sheep and bumblebees have in common? Much more than you might think! Needle-felt your own cute wool bumblebee while enjoying surprising nerdy facts from the artist.
The World’s Best Story: An outdoor, interactive theatre performance by Sprengt Teater. Target audience: ages 3–6.
Experiential walk in the mysterious forest and on the sheep pasture. Created by MeetUp participants in collaboration with performing artists Fride Snipsøyr Holøs, Tiril Pharo, Simone Thiis, and Thomas Storm.
Theatre play in the garden with actors from Theatre Camp.
EVENING PROGRAM 18:00–24:00
Local craft beer on tap and food stall by PopUpHagen, Indian lamb stew.
Promille – a scenic study journey into Norwegian drinking culture, in the Barn Hall (LåveSalen), with Tiril Pharo and Isak Anderssen.
Save a Fjord by Marit Eikemo, presented by NY SUS Nature & Youth – outdoor theatre.
Outdoor cinema on the barn wall.
Behind Sleep – a film made at Film Camp 2025. Short films about forests created by MeetUp participants from across Europe.
Garden concert: Axel Pharo and The Best Band in the World. High risk of well-known songs in new arrangements, new songs in old arrangements, and plenty of sing-along!
Sunday, August 31
Food stall: PopUpHagen – soup and bread, cakes, and coffee.
Fellesskapet by Tiril Pharo Produksjoner.
Panel discussion on performing arts and an industry networking meeting for the performing arts field in Østfold and the surrounding region.
Theatre performance:When the New Age Came to the Village with Simone Thiis, in the Barn Hall.
September 2–5
A four-day ecological Theatre Camp for professional performing artists, by Tiril Pharo Produksjoner.
