The Norwegian Storytelling Festival
Fortellerfestivalen 2027
Our next festival will take place 11-14 March in Oslo. The theme is Playing the Part.
The stories we choose to tell about ourselves often require self-deception. Cast as fictional characters in our own lives, we lie to ourselves to keep up appearances. Playing the part can foster unhealthy avoidance; addiction, misrepresentation, superficiality and dehumanisation. But it also represents the very power of imagination and fantasy that makes us survive as a species, lie freely and consciously, create stories, drama, literature, art, visions and dreams – which are also prerequisites for change.
By playing the part and engaging our imaginations, we allow ourselves to envision a better life, a better world.
For our 2027 festival we are collecting stories of lies, illusions and make-believe; of lonely dreamers, cynical swindlers, and conspiracy theorists. Who is our modern-day Don Quixote? Or Peer Gynt? Or Bluebeard with his secret cellar full of corpses?
Our open call for programme suggestions for the 2027 festival is now closed.
All those who submitted a form before the deadline will receive a reply by October 30th.
You are welcome to send a proposal to post@fortellerfestivalen.no at any time, but we cannot guarantee that your suggestion will be considered by our programming committee when received outwith the period of our open call, usually mid June to early August.
About us
Fortellerfestivalen - The Norwegian Storytelling Festival presents an international programme of high quality oral storytelling performances, workshops and events every spring in Oslo, Norway.
The festival is organised by Fortellersentrum - The Norwegian Storytelling Centre, which works to celebrate, sustain, and renew the traditional art of oral storytelling by presenting artistically ambitious storytelling performances with a range of expressions and formats; from folk tales to storyslam, multilingual performances and site-specific work. Through partnership with a range of venues we seek to grow audiences and highlight different aspects of the artform, including tradition and intangible cultural heritage, dramaturgy and stagecraft, improvisation, personal stories and social connection.
Beyond the festival, a year-round programme of workshops, coaching, storytelling and networking events creates opportunities and inspiration for artistic development and public participation. As part of the national Network for Oral Storytelling in Norway and FEST - Federation for European Storytelling we work to promote and develop storytelling nationally and internationally.
Fortellerfestivalen was started in 2004 and became a foundation in 2013. The organisation expanded to form Fortellersentrum - The Norwegian Storytelling Centre in 2023. The foundation is currently run by a board of directors and three part time staff. The festival programme is curated by an artistic council of six members with expertise in storytelling, theatre and performance. The board is appointed and supported by a general assembly consisting of representatives of the organisation’s founders.