Eger-Schøyen to be new artistic director

Erik Eger-Schøyen will be the new artistic director of Østfold Internasjonale Teater when Thomas Østgaard’s term expires at the end of the year.

The board of Østfold International Theatre (ØIT) has appointed Eger-Schøyen from 1.1.2026, after a recruitment process with an unusually large number of applicants.

– Among several highly qualified candidates, it was natural that the board finally chose Erik Eger-Schøyen, says chairman Tom Remlov:

– He has solid management experience, he is well established in the Norwegian performing arts both as a director and dramaturge, and as a native of Østfold, he is familiar with both political life and audiences in the region. He has very stimulating ideas about the way forward for ØIT, and our departing artistic director Thomas Østgaard can look forward to leaving his theatre in safe hands.

A cultural powerhouse

Eger-Schøyen comes from Sarpsborg, has studied in Halden and has a background as a dramaturge, director and as a former artistic director at Haugesund Theater.

– For me, it’s a privilege to be able to take over from Thomas and the theater he has built up together with his employees. It’s also a pleasure to come “home” and help promote Østfold as a cultural county. I want the theater to be a cultural powerhouse that utilizes all the good resources in the county to produce as much performing arts as possible and reach as many people as possible, he says.

Current Artistic Director Thomas Østgaard is looking forward to welcoming his successor:

–Østfold Internasjonale Teater have had some eventful start-up years, and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved in establishing a regional theatre that complements the rich revue and musical community we already have in Østfold. We’ve established many good partnerships and we’ve experienced great commitment to the breadth of productions we’ve shown, where the human encounter is at the centre. I am absolutely confident that Erik will safeguard and further develop this in a good way.

Vibrant meeting places

–ØIT’s focus on site-specific performances will be carried on during my term of office. We will continue to be a theatre that welcomes international artists and sends Norwegian artists out into the world. The theatre’s established touring route, ‘Melkeruta’, which visits almost all of the county’s municipalities, will also be preserved and expanded, Eger-Schøyen confirms.

Erik Eger-Schøyen has previously been associated with ØIT as a member of the artistic council and as co-director with Cici Henriksen on Særp Tropez |Fengselet|, which was a collaboration with ØIT. The two were nominated for a Heddan award for the production, which made a point of addressing audiences other than those who usually go to the theatre.

– I genuinely believe that the theatre has an important role to play in reducing exclusion from society. Having active and vibrant meeting places is an important part of the infrastructure in our county. I therefore strongly believe in a broad profile for our performances, without compromising on artistic quality, he concludes.

Erik Eger-Schøyen

Eger-Schøyen leaves a position as head of the Department of Performing Arts at Kristiania University College.

He works as a stage director and set designer, project manager and dramaturge, and was nominated for the Hedda Award for Jesus Christ Superstar in 2017 and best direction for Særp Tropez |Fengselet| in 2024 together with Cici Henriksen. He has worked at Trøndelag Theatre, had a tenure as director/dramaturge at Oslo Nye Teater and was head of theatre at Haugesund Theatre in the period 2014-2017.

Schøyen has been a member of the jury both for the Hedda Prize and the Ibsen Prize and he has served in the boards of the Norwegian Academy of Music Theatre and the North Rogaland Symphony Orchestra. He is now a board member of Unge Viken Teater.

Portrait photo taken by Kristiania University College can be downloaded here: Download