BIT Teatergarasjen
ABOUT US BIT Teatergarasjen co-produces and presents Norwegian and international performing arts and gives particular emphasis to projects that encourage international cooperation and work across artistic genres. BIT Teatergarasjen is a programming theatre. This means that we, unlike the producing theatres such as the National Theatre and other similar institutions, do not create performances ourselves. We invite companies to present their performances on our stages. This means that the shows you find in our program are selected by our artistic director, based on their artistic quality. SOME HISTORY Bergen International Theatre (BIT) was started by students at theater studies in Bergen in 1983-1984. In 1984, the first festival, Teatertreff'84 was arranged, with a large opening marathon on Bergens main street Torgallmenningen. This was repeated on several occasions in the eighties. BIT transformed from being an annual festival to a season programming theatre the spring of 1990, and moved into Teatergarasjen in Nøstegaten the autumn of 1991 as the foundation Bergen International Theatre. This was BITs main arena until 2008, hence the name BIT Teatergarasjen. BIT Teatergarasjen moved out from the arena at Nøstet in 2008, and has since presented performances at various venues in Bergen. In addition to the season programme, BIT Teatergarasjen curates and produces two performing arts biennials METEOR and OKTOBERDANS, that both have developed nationally significant and internationally highly acclaimed festivals. In 2015, a feasibility study concluded that Bergen's old bathhouse and swimming pool, fantastic Sentralbadet, is very suitable for performing arts purposes. In autumn 2015 / spring 2016 it will be concluded whether BIT Teatergarasjen will move into Sentralbadet and thus restore Bergens prominent venue for dance and theatre, together with Carte Blanche (the national company for contemporary dance) and Den Nationale Scene.
