What do young people think about performing arts criticism? How did it feel to step into the public sphere as a critic — and how did they go about finding their own voice?
In an informal Kitchen Table conversation aduring Heddadagene 2025, young participants from Unge Stemmer met with a critic mentor and a performing artist to reflect on criticism as practice and public engagement. Through their own perspectives and experiences, they explored what criticism could be, who it concerned, and how they understood their own place within the cultural public sphere.
The conversation brought together Josefine R. Narverud (17), Fiona Åtland (19) and Heidi Bjørge Gravalid (16) from Drammen, and Ali Salhab (20) from Oslo, in dialogue with performing artist Cici Henriksen and critic mentor Per Christian Selmer-Anderssen.