Kalottspel was arranged on a biennial basis from 1984 and since 2004 this has been a yearly happening. This makes Kalottspel one of Norway’s oldest festivals within its genre and they are the only festival in the North of Norway with traditional music and dance as the main profile.
Kalottspel aims to:
• nurture, communicate and develop the folk music and dance traditions on the North Calotte and to be an arena for amateurs, professionals and audiences
• contribute to recruitment within the genre through workshops for children and young people and to give impetus to the many individuals working in this field on the North Calotte
• provide high standards and to be the leading arena for folk music and dance in the North of Norway
Festival content
Kalottspel has a lot to offer: concerts and other high standard performances; dances and late night sessions; early morning sessions; workshops and seminars; art exhibitions and a very special river safari, to mention some of the main elements of the festival. During the last few years they have produced their own shows in close cooperation with established culture institutions in this part of the country. They use different arenas in the local area but the main stage is at Bakkehaug primary school and village hall. (There is a spread out centre structure in the Municipality of Målselv so look for Rundhaug on the map!)
Most artists performing at the festival are Norwegians, but other countries on the North Calotte and from the Barents Regions are represented too. Kalottspel is also an arena for Sami and Kven musical traditions. This makes the festival a unique meeting place where both professionals and amateurs within the genre meet. As a result, some of our performances and productions are put together by professionals and amateurs from different traditions.
Over the last few years the festival has developed workshops and courses covering almost all ages. “Kalottspel for kids” is a compound offer for children between 6 and 11, while “Barents Youth”,with participants from the whole of the Barents Region, is a more specialised course for young people between 12 and 20 years of age. There are also other courses on offer for adult players, singers and dancers.
Folkemusikk Nord – Centre of Excellence
Kalottspel is instrumental in the development of a North Norwegian centre of excellence for traditional music and dance, to be located in Målselv. This project, called “Folkemusikk Nord”, is only in the starting phase but will on a long term basis build on existing strengths in Målselv and the festival Kalottspel.
Kalottspel aims to:
• nurture, communicate and develop the folk music and dance traditions on the North Calotte and to be an arena for amateurs, professionals and audiences
• contribute to recruitment within the genre through workshops for children and young people and to give impetus to the many individuals working in this field on the North Calotte
• provide high standards and to be the leading arena for folk music and dance in the North of Norway
Festival content
Kalottspel has a lot to offer: concerts and other high standard performances; dances and late night sessions; early morning sessions; workshops and seminars; art exhibitions and a very special river safari, to mention some of the main elements of the festival. During the last few years they have produced their own shows in close cooperation with established culture institutions in this part of the country. They use different arenas in the local area but the main stage is at Bakkehaug primary school and village hall. (There is a spread out centre structure in the Municipality of Målselv so look for Rundhaug on the map!)
Most artists performing at the festival are Norwegians, but other countries on the North Calotte and from the Barents Regions are represented too. Kalottspel is also an arena for Sami and Kven musical traditions. This makes the festival a unique meeting place where both professionals and amateurs within the genre meet. As a result, some of our performances and productions are put together by professionals and amateurs from different traditions.
Over the last few years the festival has developed workshops and courses covering almost all ages. “Kalottspel for kids” is a compound offer for children between 6 and 11, while “Barents Youth”,with participants from the whole of the Barents Region, is a more specialised course for young people between 12 and 20 years of age. There are also other courses on offer for adult players, singers and dancers.
Folkemusikk Nord – Centre of Excellence
Kalottspel is instrumental in the development of a North Norwegian centre of excellence for traditional music and dance, to be located in Målselv. This project, called “Folkemusikk Nord”, is only in the starting phase but will on a long term basis build on existing strengths in Målselv and the festival Kalottspel.