RELÆXT

What is Relæxt?

For Everyone

Relæxt cultural events are open to everyone but are especially tailored for children and adults who may find it challenging to attend regular cultural experiences. As organizers, we make adjustments to ensure the experience is accessible to as many as possible, and you are free to talk and move around during the event. We call Relæxt a "no-shushing zone," so we kindly ask you not to shush others.

Since its inception at Hålogaland Theatre, several northern Norwegian organizers, including the Arctic Philharmonic, Tromsø International Film Festival, and the Northern Lights Festival, have adopted the Relæxt concept.

The Relæxt concept won the Equality Award from the Norwegian Association for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, Tromsø chapter, in 2023, and the Audience Development Prize in the Amplifier category in 2022.

Relæxt at the Northern Lights Festival

Our goal is to host at least one Relæxt event during our festival. Sometimes these are launched with the spring program — BUT since our festival takes place early in the year, we occasionally release the Relæxt performance before the spring program launch.

We send a visual guide to all ticket buyers two weeks before the performance. You can print this guide and bring it with you if you wish. The guide will also be available on the event page. Here is an example of how a visual guide for the Northern Lights Festival might look.

If you have any questions about our Relæxt events, you can contact the festival director, Sergej Schroeter, by phone at +47 970 98 867 or by email at sergej@nordlysfestivalen.no.

Alternatively, you can always reach us on Messenger or via direct messages on Instagram.

Adjustments

For performances, concerts, or film screenings marked with Relæxt, we as organizers make the following adjustments:

• Before your visit, we will send you a visual guide via email if you have purchased a ticket. This guide describes your entire experience with us, from the moment you enter the venue to when you leave. The guide includes detailed information about the event itself, the characters or people on stage or screen, and a summary of the storyline (where applicable). It also provides directions to the venue and lists potential triggers. The guide is available digitally and can also be printed. See an example of a visual guide here.
• Outside the auditorium, you will find a Relæxt zone. This is an area with screened-off furniture that you can use before, during, and after the performance.
• During a Relæxt event, there will be additional hosts available to assist you if needed.

We also make the following technical adjustments:

• The lighting in the hall will be dimmed but never completely turned off.
• We adjust the sound levels.

Most importantly:

During Relæxt events, it is perfectly okay to talk loudly, laugh, cry, tic, and shout. The only thing we ask is that you do not shush others. Relæxt is a no-shushing zone. You are also welcome to enter and leave the hall as much as you wish.