Organisations & Institutions
On this page you will find information on the many different organisations and insitutions within the performing arts in Denmark. They are divided into the following:
Danish Ministry of Culture (Kulturministeriet)
The Ministry has the overall responsibilities for the arts including creative arts, music, theatre, film, libraries, archives, museums, protection and preservation of buildings and monuments, archeology and higher education and training in the areas of art and culture. Its responsibilities include popular culture, intellectual property rights, radio and tv, sport and international cultural cooperation, which includes the EU and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The administration of the arts budget for performing and visual arts, music, literature has been delegated to The Danish Arts Agency (Kunststyrelsen) since 2003 (apart from national institutions and education).
The Danish Arts Agency (Kunststyrelsen)
The Danish Arts Council (Statens Kunstråd)
The Danish Arts Foundation (Statens Kunstfond)
The Danish Cultural Institute (Det Danske Kulturinstitut)
The Danish Cultural Institute is an independent organisation and promotes cultural exchange, informs about Denmark and supports projects that aim at long-term cooperation between foreign and Danish cultural institutions, artists and other professionals. The activities are coordinated through the head office in Copenhagen with branch offices in Benelux, Brasil, China, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and the United Kingdom
DCCD - Danish Centre for Culture and Development
DCCD was created in 1998 by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It promotes cultural co-operation between Denmark and the developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East. The centre provides the framework for large initiatives such as the Images festivals (in 2006 Images of the Middle East) and also supports independent programmes and projects.
Kulturhus Århus
Kulturhus Århus was established in 1995 in Aarhus as a municipal institution and offers a combination of framework, support and know-how to the city’s cultural entrepreneurs. Kulturhus Århus acts as base for 38 projects, among others Danseværket. Kulturhus Aarhus develops professional productions and projects with advice to local/national artists and supports the artistic milieu with productions facilities and project offices.
Kulturhus Aarhus also collaborates with a great number of national and international partners with projects like Kulturama, Art Crash, Images of the Middle East.
Dance Organisations & Institutions
DIC - Dance Information Centre
Founded in 2001, the centre promotes and informs about the professional Danish contemporary dance, nationally as well as internationally, and undertakes the documentation of the Danish dance (excluding The Royal Ballet). At DIC, the public has access to library, video room, historical archives, and databases. The centre is located at The House of Dance.
Dansens Hus (The House of Dance)
Dansens Hus, the centre for modern dance, is an independent institution under the Danish Ministry of Culture. Activities include administration of dance projects, national touring, introducing dance to children and youth, a workshop stage and it is also home for The Danish Dance Information Centre (DIC). Dansens Hus provides daily classes in modern dance and ballet for professional dancers and also provides rehearsal facilities for dance productions.
Danseværket
An association which develops contemporary dance in Aarhus, under the umbrella of Kulturhus Århus. It acts as a production platform and network for locally based choreographers, dancers and teachers. Danseværket administers Værkstedsscenen, which works specifically with young local choreographers.
Dance in Education (Dans i Uddannnelsen)
Dance in Education is a nationwide association whose ambition is to develop and implement initiatives related to dance for children and young people at school and in their leisure time.
Dance Youth Consultants
Two regional dance advisers work on an itinerant basis and initiate dance related activities for children and young adults.
Theatre Organisations & Institutions
Danish ITI & Danish Theatre Union (Dansk ITI og Teaterunion)
Danish ITI – the national branch of UNESCO’s ITI – in collaboration with the Danish Theatre Union – acts as an information centre and an umbrella organisation for the Danish performing arts. The Danish Theatre Union is part of the Nordic Theatre Union.
KIT - Copenhagen International Theatre (Københavns Internationale Teater)
KIT has been the driving force in the field of international performing arts in Denmark since 1980. It has produced around 50 major international festivals (e.g. Festivals of Fools, Dancin’ City, Sommerscene (1996-2005) and is founder and partner for Images Festivals (Africa 1991-96, Asia 2003, Middle East 2006). KIT presents primarily original works, the experimental and unknown, performances of cross-over and mixed media, uses theatre and unconventional spaces, connects to ‘other’ cultures, including non-European cultures.
In 2007 KIT is launching a biennale of crosscutting and innovative work which will replace the last decade of Sommerscene festivals.
Theatre Centre in Denmark (Teatercentrum)
Provides information about the theatres that host and present performances for children and young people including children’s theatre festivals and the repertories of Danish children’s theatres, seminars and conferences. The centre publishes Childrens’ Theatre Journal and the annual Red Catalogue – a listing of all childrens’ theatre companies in Denmark.
ASSITEJ Denmark
The national branch of UNESCO’s international organisation for children's and youth theatre. ASSITEJ Denmark promotes Danish children's theatres abroad and also keeps Danish Theatres up to date on international events. The organization initiates, organises and participates in various bi- and multilateral exchange projects. Recently, projects in Istanbul and Jordan.
UNIMA Denmark (Union Internationale de la Marionnette)
UNIMA is an NGO affiliated to UNESCO with the objective of promoting the art of puppetry. Organises congresses, conferences, festivals. Encourages professional training to maintain the traditions of puppetry and stimulates the renewal of the arts of puppetry.
Theatre Associations of Denmark (Danmarks Teaterforeninger)
An association of about 80 voluntary theatre associations. The goal of the individual theatre association is to present local professional theatre and dance performances for all age groups (400.000 tickets sold annually), whereas the task of the Theatre Associations of Denmark is to protect their common interests and assists them in a number of various areas. An important tool to present quality theatre outside the big cities.
DATS - Danish Amateur Theatre Association (Dansk Amatør Teater Samvirke)
DATS is a nationwide organisation/federation of Danish amateur theatres, representing more than 2000 members - individual members as well as theatre groups, schools and institutions. DATS covers adult as well as children’s and youth theatre and organises annual children’s theatre camps and youth theatre festivals. DATS offers a special training course for leaders of children’s and youth theatre.
Radio Drama - DR
The radio drama programme of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation is an important platform for Danish dramatists - established as well as upcoming.
The Royal Library – Drama Collection (Dramatisk Bibliotek)
A collection and archive of plays, director's books etc. from theatres in Denmark, and dramatic literature in the major languages. The Collection comprises 24.500 manuscripts and about 15.000 books. On-line search via the Royal Library database, REX.
The Theatre Museum (Teatermuseet)
Located in King Christian VII's Court Theatre in Copenhagen, the museum presents the history of Danish-language theatre from 1700, exhibitions about comtemporary, performing arts. The Museum Theatre occasionally functions as a theatre venue.
Artist' Organisations
BTS – Children’s Theatre Union (BørneTeaterSammenslutningen)
BTS, founded in 1969, is an association of professional children’s theatre in Denmark (for the present 63 member theatres). BTS is both an employer’ organization with an extensive training programmes - often done in collaboration with Odsherred Teaterskole. An organisation with political aims to make children’s theatre an area of higher priority in the national cultural policy.
Council of Danish Artists (Dansk Kunstnerråd)
The Council is a representative association for some 24 member organisations and unions covering the arts sector and, as such, represents some 23,000 individual artists active in Denmark.
It collaborates with other Nordic councils and also houses the secretariat of The European Council of Artists (ECA).
DAF - The Danish Artists Association (Dansk ArtistForbund )
DAA is the professional voice for artists engaged in circus, variety, revue and also music. Founded in 1918 and with some 1,500 members.
DDF - Association of Danish Dramatists (Danske Dramatikeres Forbund)
DDF is the professional voice for dramatists working in theatre TV, radio and film as well as translators. The Union acts on behalf of its members re. professional, financial and political matters.
DSF - The Danish Actors Association (Dansk Skuespiller Forbund)
DSF is the Danish trade union for actors, opera singers, dancers, and choreographers. DSF also helps foreign artists who are organized into associations that are members of FIA (Fédération Internationale des Acteurs), and who work in Denmark. The EuroFIA Dance Passport may be issued to dancers within the EU, who thus gain access to membership service from DSF.
FAST (Association of Small Theatres)
FAST is an independent organisation of Danish stationary, itinerant and local theatres that have activities for youngsters and adults. FAST safeguards the common interests of the theatres by way of strengthening co-operation between the associated theatres.
FDS - Association of Danish Theatre Directors (Foreningen af Danske Sceneinstruktører)
FDS is the professional body for stage directors and a forum for both professional development and cultural and political engagement.
Independent Choreographers (Foreningen Frie Koreografer)
Independent Choreographers is an association of freelance choreographers with the aim to increase political awareness for the working situation of choreographers and to strengthen the position of modern dance within Danish cultural sector. Plays an important role amongst upcoming choreographers.
Independent Stage Artists (Uafhængige Scenekunstnere)
Independent Stage Artists (Foreningen Uafhængige Scenekunstnere) is an organisation for independent performance makers, which promotes and facilitates independent and innovative stage art in Denmark. We advocate improved working conditions for innovative and risk-taking artists.
The aims of the organisation are: (1) to improve production and working conditions for risk-taking stage art in Denmark. (2) To ensure that independent performance makers are given representation within Danish arts policy. (3) To ensure influence and interest in relevant institutions.
SDS – Association of Danish Scenographers (Sammenslutningen af Danske Scenografer)
SDS is a trade union that strives for enhancing professional and artistic interests of scenographers, lighting designers, costume designers and other professionals within the field.
The Council for Contemporary Dance in Denmark. In 2002, the institutions and organisations of Danish contemporary dance formalised their collaboration and established The Council for Contemporary Dance in Denmark (Fællesrådet for Moderne Dans).
NOFOD - Nordic Forum for Dance Research
NOFOD is a non-profit organization that promotes collaboration between dance scholars and practitioners in order to enhance and empower diverse forms of dance research, knowledge and practice especially in the Nordic context.
NTU - Nordic Theatre Union (Nordisk Teaterunion)
NTU unites the performing arts organisations of the Nordic region. It is the forum for maintaining and further developing the comprehensive artistic and organisational exchanges that take place within Nordic performing arts.
Børneteateravisen
Quarterly magazine about children and youth theatre. Is distributed free of charge to all institutions, schools and other potential consumers of theatre for children and young people.
Teater 1
Denmark’s only periodical for performing arts. The magazine goes into depth on topics such as ‘dance theatre,’ 'film and theatre' or ‘touring theatre’ by putting them in the light of different approaches. Moreover, it publishes background articles, interviews, commentaries and small news items on the current theatrical landscape.
Teater 1 is published five times a year.
Terpischore
Terpsichore deals with modern dance, new dance, dance theatre, performance dance and modern ballet. The periodical is for anyone interested in dance – professionals, amateurs and audience.
Terpsichore is published four times a year and is available by subscription.