Children and pensioners united in the first Teatermakker pilot

June 16, 2026

During the theater festival The Hedda Festival tested Kloden theatre the new project Teatermakker for the first time. Through performances, waffles and conversations, children and pensioners met for a shared performing arts experience that created engagement and new connections across generations.

Engaged conversations about friendship and choices

The participants experienced the performance Haiens år by Brageteatret together. The performance is about how far we are willing to go to get what we want, and it strongly engaged the audience. Both children and senior citizens described Haiens år as exciting and thought-provoking, with particular praise for the lighting design and sound effects.

– “I'm definitely going to see the second one!” exclaimed one of the students after the performance.

The teacher felt that the performance resonated well with the student group, even though some found themes such as falling in love to be a bit awkward.

In the conversations that followed, the participants took as their starting point four simple questions, created in consultation with playwright Kristofer Blindheim Grønskag:

This provided the basis for lively and insightful dialogues. The children reflected in particular on friendship, being kind to others and how choices can affect both oneself and others. Many of the students also provided concrete and personal feedback on the performance, relating to themes such as anger, falling in love and jealousy.

In conversation with the senior participants, one of the students shared that “it is important to have friends” and that “ you must not let darkness enter your heart” . Another student said that the performance could be a little scary at times, “but then I just pinch my friend’s arm” . The conversations also opened up to sharing experiences from school and everyday life.

Mutual learning

The meeting between the generations led to a natural exchange of perspectives. The children explained slang and English expressions, while the pensioners contributed new interpretations of the performance's themes.

Several of the retirees stayed afterwards, describing the experience as both rewarding and inspiring. They expressed great admiration for the acting performances, which were highlighted as impressive and of high quality. The simple set design was also highlighted as a deliberate move that elevated both the story and the acting.

A first step in Theatre Partners

The event was a pilot to test new meeting places between children and the elderly, and to try out "waffle talk" – informal conversations following a performing arts experience.

At the same time, the day served as an introduction to the project's further focus: a companion scheme where volunteer pensioners, "theater buddies", accompany other seniors to performances at Kloden theater.

The pilot day clearly showed the value of a shared cultural experience when generations meet. The experiences will be taken into account in the development of the project, and the next step will be to test the companion scheme in practice this fall. 

Teatermakker is supported by the Pensioners' Association's activity funds.

About the pilot project Theatre Partners

Theatre partners aim to make theatre more accessible and social for older people. Volunteer pensioners are recruited as "theatre partners" and accompany other older people to performances at Kloden theatre, so that more people can participate. In connection with the performances, "waffle talks" are also arranged - informal conversations with simple refreshments.

The project is a collaboration between the Pensioners' Association of Løren and the surrounding area, Kloden theatre and Bydel Bjerke, and includes three theatre experiences in 2026. The goal is to strengthen community, prevent loneliness and create lasting meeting places across generations.