The Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš (SNTB) celebrates the German premiere of Johan Turi at the Museum Angewandte Kunst

"Johan Turi" - Written by Harald Gaski and Gunnar Gjengset

24 performances between 12 October und 9 November 2019.

In the context of the exhibition House of Norway that celebrates the diversity of Norwegian art and culture, the Museum Angewandte Kunst is pleased to host the Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš (SNTB). Between October and November they will present their dramatic production Johan Turi performed in the Northern Sámi language with German and English subtitles. The stage drama celebrated its World Premiere in Oslo in 2017 and will now be performed outside of Norway for the first time.

The play is based on the life of the first Sámi author Johan Turi and sets out with his dream of publishing a book that sheds light on the living conditions of the Sámi people. He wishes to change the Norwegian government’s rigid policies towards the Indigenous population that is spread across borders throughout Scandinavia and Russia.

In a train crossing Scandinavia he encounters the CEO Hjalmar Lundbohm from Kiruna and the Danish artist and anthropologist Emile Demant. Will this life-changing encounter help Turi to fufill his dream? It is a story about the emergence of a book but even more so, a tale of dreams, temptations, doubts, seduction and remorse.

Johan Turi (1854-1936) was a Sámi reindeer herder and skilled wolf hunter from Guovdageaidnu in Northern Norway who known today as the first Sámi author. In 1870 he moved his family and reindeer herd to Kiruna in northern Sweden. There he published his first book and the first ever written in the Sámi language: Muitalus sámiid birra (An account of the Sámi). With texts and illustrations the publication reports about Sámi reindeer herders and their traditions at the beginning of the 20th century. He describes their techniques of survival, medicine, and understanding of nature, their oral story-telling, prayers and songs. It pays tribute to a traditional way of living that is threatened by the onslaught of modern civilisation. Muitalus sámiid birra was later translated into the Swedish, English, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Italian, and Finnish language.

The Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš (SNTB)

The Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš (SNTB) is based in Guovdageaidnu in Norway’s Finnmark Council, which has made it its priority to consistently perform all of their plays in different Sámi languages. The theatre tours Sámi areas in Norway, Sweden and Finland. In addition, the company regularly tours outside of the Nordic countries to highlight and showcase Sámi culture on an international stage. The SNTB aims to function as a theatre without borders, in regards to physical borders and the development of scenographies as well as the topics that are dealt with in its productions. Originally, SNTBwas founded in 1981 by cultural ambassadors and activists as an independent theatre in order to use performing arts as a dramatic confrontation between an indigenous community and the Norwegian government. Today SNTB employs 19 theatre members, 16 of whom have permanent contracts.

www.beaivvas.no

Cast and crew

Director: Frank Jørstad
Edited by: Frank Jørstad & Kristian Lykkeslet Strømskag
Actors: Iŋgor Ántte Áilu Gaup, Ingá Márjá Sarre, Egil Keskitalo
Set / Costume design: Even Børsum, Stoorstålka
Lightning design: Øystein Heitmann
Composer: Johan Eriksson Degerlund
„Eallin lállá“: Áilloš
„Finnes det en kvinne“: Lars Lillo-Stenberg
Props: Ole Thomas D. Nilut
Costume maker: Ann Majbritt Eriksen
Stage Technicians: Bernt Roger Somby, Gerlinde Thiessen, Bernt Morten Bongo
Artistic director: Rolf Degerlund
Producer: Leif Isak E. Nilut

World premiere: 6 September 2017, Oslo
German premiere: 12 October 2019, Frankfurt

Stage language: Northern Sámi. With German and English subtitles.
Duration: approx. 1 hour
Tickets: 18 Euro, 9 Euro reduced

Fore more information, please visit Museum Angewandte Kunst.