FESTIVAL SELECTING COMMITTEE

Festival Selecting Committee is appointed by the Executive Board and has the artistic responsibilty for the Performing Arts Festival at the Congress.
In order to secure a broad network and as many international inputs as possible the Committee will collaborate with an international Festival Advisory Board.

Malin Axelsson (Sweden)

Chairperson

Malin Axelsson (born 1975) is a playwright, director and dramaturg. She is the Artistic Director of ung scen/öst since 2009. Graduated from the Swedish University College of Film, Radio, Television and Theatre in 2002.
In 2008 Malin Axelsson was selected to receive the Henning Mankell Scholarship.
Member of the Board of ASSITEJ Sweden since 2007.

Bengt Andersson (Sweden)

Bengt Andersson has worked in the field of visual theatre since 1983 and has performed in and directed more than forty performances. He is one of the two Artistic Directors of Theatre 3 in Stockholm.
   Bengt Andersson’s international work include: Director of the performance Ocean Flyer at the VAT Theatre in Tallinn; Director and mime/actor in Sailor & Pekka, a performance played all over Sweden and at the Panoptikum Festival in Nürnberg, Dschungel in Vienna, NB Festival in Pärnu/Estonia; Participated in the international jury at the Solo/Duo Dance Festival in Budapest; Involved as a Director of Clowns without Borders, toured in West Sahara; Involved in the project Children’s Voice at ITI Sweden; Held a workshop at the Youth Theatre in Hanoi Vietnam; Director of The Old Man & the Whale, a visual/music performance played all over Sweden and with guest performance in Norway; Participated for the third time in the international jury at the King Festival in Novgorod, Russia. 

   Member of the Board of ASSITEJ Sweden. 

Suzanne Osten (Sweden)

Suzanne Osten (born 1944) is a theatre- and film director and playwright. Suzanne has written and directed numerous theatre plays and radio productions and she has also directed/written nine feature films. She is also a writer of essays and fiction.
  In 1975 Suzanne wrote (together with Per Lysander) the epoch-making drama ”Medea´s children” and among her latest work is the now world-famous ”Babydrama” (written by Ann-Sofi Bárány). 
  From 1975 to 2009 she was the Artistic Director of Unga Klara where she made pioneering theatre for for children, youth and adults. The future of Unga Klara is at jeopardy since the theatre has been closed by Stockholm City Theatre. Efforts to re-establish Unga Klara is now being made. 
  Suzanne has also been professor in directing at the Swedish University College of Film, Radio, Television and Theatre in Stockholm and is involved in practice-based research within the arts.  

Søren Valente Ovesen (Denmark)

Søren Valente Ovesen (born 1950). Self-taught director, playwright and actor. Co-founder of Theatre Batida in 1985. Søren Ovesen has been an active member of Batida since 1985 and has international experience from touring abroad to more than 30 different countries.
Member of the Board of ASSITEJ Denmark since 1997. Member of the ASSITEJ International Executive Committee since 2008.

Catherine Poher (Denmark)

Catherine Poher is a scenographer and theatre director. During the last 30 years she has worked to create a visual and poetic space where children and adults are able to breath together.

She has received the Danish Theatre Award 'Reumertprisen' for five of her performances and has had two performances nominated for the same prize.