Since 2013 Hålogaland Theatre has collaborated with RadArt and Dramatikkens Hus and explored new scripts and formulations as part of ArtLab. 23 different workshops have taken place with artists from the region who have explored ideas and presented them to the public. Several of these have resulted in performances and developed into larger projects.  

ArtLab closes at this year´s festival with a final workshop which poses some thought provoking questions. 

The tragedy of the 22nd of July has become a taboo for Norwegian artists. The outgoing theatre director Nina Wester and the dramaturgist  Tale Næss have put together texts written by authors and dramatists, and  together with 22 chosen participants these texts will be read out with the public. Among the participants will be survivors and those directly effected by Utøya, medical professionals, politicians, journalists, actors and authors. The goal is to create a collective happening in order to shape a language  which describes how the tragedy has effected us, both as a nation and as individuals.

The reading will be followed by a discussion with amongst others; the authors Åsne Seierstad and Ari Behn, who have both written about the tragedy, and the theatre critic and journalist Anki Gerhardsen who has written a masters thesis entitled "The 22nd of July - a performative tragedy".

ArtLab#24 is a collaboration between the Hålogaland Theatre, RadArt, Dramatikkens Hus and the Arctic Arts Festival.