The artistic council is an advisory body for the artistic director at Dansens Hus, Stine Nilsen. The council meets twice a year, after the application deadlines for programming at Dansens Hus. They review all applications for Norwegian guest performances and co-productions, and make a recommendation that the artistic director then uses in her work to determine the artistic repertoire.
The Artistic Council consists of:
Jens Jeffry Trinidad
is a Filipino-Norwegian performing and creative dance artist. His dance background originates from X-Ray Youth Culture House in Oslo, where he started with hip-hop in the late 90s and was member of the crew Cre-8 (formerly Dancing Youth). He is rooted in street and club dance and has been freelancing in performing arts, TV, and teaching since 2006. He has worked with choreographers such as Hooman Sharifi/Impure Company, Elle Sofe Sara, Manuel Pelmus, Panta Rei Dance Theatre, Rosalind Goldberg, Camilla Tellefsen, Chriz Nypan, Anne Golberg Stavn, Harald Beharie, Viktor Fröjd, Ingeleiv Berstad, and Pernille Holden.
Irene Vesterhus Theisen
is a dancer and curator. Since 2013, she has been a dancer in Carte Blanche. In parallel, she has created her own works and helped build up the performing arts field in her hometown of Kristiansand. Curating is her main artistic practice alongside the performing. She is particularly interested in collective curation and the artist's perspective as a curator. Together with the collective behind Ravnedans festival, she has run the festival in Kristiansand for the past fifteen years, and with the curatorial duo theisen/pettersen. She has curated guest performance series for Kristiansand Kunsthall and Teateret.
Eva Martinez
is a performing arts curator, producer, dramaturge and coach, most recently Artistic Programmer at Sadler’s Wells (2013-2020) where she supported the new generation of UK based artists. She was Dance and Performance programmer at Southbank Centre, London and at Dance4, Nottingham. A sought-after collaborator with an extended international network, she is known for her facilitative approach, championing experimentation and equity. Notable collaborations include dramaturgy for Siobhan Davies, Hetain Patel & Alexandra Waierstall. She is a certified life coach (ICF) focusing on female leadership and sustaining creative careers.
Sebastian Tjørstad
has extensive experience as a performing artist for 15 years, as a comedian, dancer and actor. Tjørstad has worked on stage at The National Theatre, Latter, HumorNieu and Black Box teater. He has also toured with dance and stand-up musicals for young audiences with The Cultural Rucksack in Viken and Nordland. Sebastian has worked for CODA Oslo International Dance Festival as inclusion- and dissemination coordinator. He is passionate about performing arts for and by everyone.