kontakt

Swedish: kontaʹkt (latin contaʹctus ’beröring’, ’inflytande’, av contiʹngo’beröra’, ’vidröra’)
Translation: (latin contaʹctus ’touch’, ’influence’, from contiʹngo’to touch’, ’touch upon’)


From: The National Encyclopedia

What is Kontakt? 

Kontakt is a performing arts constellation consisting of the Norwegian violinist & composer Terese Lien Evenstad and Swedish theatre actor & writer Emma Axberg. Together they create cross-artistic experiences based on improvised performance art. Kontakt collaborates with artists in different art forms and the shows are often shaped by the artistic craft of the guest artist. Currently Kontakt is based in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

Are you interested in collaborating with us? We work with artists nationally, internationally and digitally! Don't hesitate to write us with a description of your artistic practice.  

What can you, as as audience, expect? 

In Kontakt's performances everything is improvised, so every show becomes uniquely shaped by the present audience. Axberg and Evenstad create stories that come alive when poetry, movement, music, and theatre are improvised simultaneously.


You, as an audience, can experience everything from sadness to comedy, heartbreaking poetry to heartwarming soundscapes of music. The stories in the performance by Axberg and Evenstad reflect our times and inner thoughts of life – all performed directly from the heart. The core of the performance lies in the interplay between these two improvisational artists who meet within different art disciplines. They create an eye-opening performance that touches through energy, timing, and sensitivity.

Terese Lien Evenstad

Violinist and Composer

Terese Lien Evenstad was born in Norway and is the first jazz violinist to graduate from the Bachelor's Program in Jazz-Performance at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Her music and performances have led to a nomination for the prestigious jazz prize of Jazzkatten in the category "Newcomer of the year 2018," awarded by the Swedish national radio P2. She was awarded the "Louis Armstrong-scholarship" in 2018 with the motivation: "She has given the violin a new face within jazz." Terese has also performed her music with "Bohuslän Big Band," one of Sweden's most well-known big bands. In 2023, she will release her third album with original compositions within contemporary rhythmic jazz.

Emma Axberg

Performer and Writer

Emma Axberg is a performance artist, writer and producer who lives in Gothenburg. She has studied musical drama at Wendelsberg's theatre school and since then worked and collaborated with a number of independent theatre and improvisational groups, such as GBGImpro and Primalimpro, with performances at various venues and festivals. Emma also writes screen plays and poetry for the stage, and has performed on venues such as Folkteatern and Stora Teatern. She occasionally collaborates with different musicians as a song writer. Her short stories are published in a number of anthologies and she regularly teaches workshops in creative writing.