Student of comparative dramaturgy and performance research: My previous studies in international relations and side projects in theatre both proved to be very relevant
Read about Birgitte Maaike Feddersen’s journey to studying theatre, which began at a time when she was forced to reassess everything.
Tell us about yourself and your path to studying Comparative Dramaturgy and Performance Research?
My name is Birgitte, I’m 26 years old and I’m from Kristiansand, Norway. This is my second semester at the University of the Arts Helsinki and the last year of my master’s programme. My path to studying Comparative Dramaturgy and Performance Research (CDPR) has been a long one.
Theatre played a big role in my childhood and has always been something I’ve been deeply passionate about. At the same time, I had a strong curiosity about history, politics and languages. This led me to study international relations instead of theatre.
While I was studying international relations, I was always doing a lot of theatre projects on the side, and I often used more time on these projects than what I was actually studying. It was intense, but that’s how I got through studying something very academic.
In 2020 I was supposed to go on an exchange to Russia, until Covid hit. So in this new state of re-evaluating everything, I decided to take a break from international relations and study theatre for one year. It turned out to be an amazing year and I loved approaching theatre from a student’s perspective. But it was also a ‘what the fuck am I doing with my life’ moment, having two very different directions.
It was around this time that my friend Edith sent me information about the CDPR master’s programme, and I was so intrigued! Just knowing that this programme existed made me feel less ‘off’ in my split directions, as it brought together elements of each. With this in mind, I finished my international relations degree and started the second year of a bachelor’s degree in theatre.
I then started working on an application for CDPR. I didn’t think I was qualified for the master’s programme because I hadn’t completed my BA in theatre yet. Even though I had little faith that I would get in, I took the process very seriously and had a lot of fun doing the entrance exams. In the end, both my studies and my side projects turned out to be very relevant. And here we are. I’m now in the final year of my master’s programme, which has been life-changing and a great experience.
Your home university is the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. What made you choose Uniarts Helsinki as your other study location out of the five CDPR partner universities?
First, and for a long time, I seriously considered going to Paris and Brussels. Helsinki seemed a bit ‘too close to home’ and I thought it might be interesting to study in French. Then I started my classes in Oslo, where we spoke English, and I realised that I had never talked about theatre in English before. It was very different not having that vocabulary, so it would be even more difficult in French.
My teacher Mads approached me one day and asked me if I had considered Uniarts Helsinki as a partner university. He recommended that I look into it, as he saw that I wanted a more practical approach to studying theatre and a mix of theory and practice. It was great that the approaches and methods in Oslo and Helsinki were a bit similar.
It was definitely the right choice and I am forever grateful that I ended up here. It has also been very interesting to stay in a Nordic context and compare the many similarities but also differences in Norwegian and Finnish society and theatre context.
What do you think is the best thing about studying here or living in Helsinki?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and there are so many things I could say, but I think my answer is this: it’s the perfect place for both excitement and peacefulness.
There are always places to relax and retreat in a very hectic everyday life. I live on the outskirts of the city, in Mellunmäki, where there is a forest five minutes from my apartment. I have also loved getting to know the Finnish sauna culture. At the same time, there is always something going on and places to go: events in the city, performances, festivals, second-hand shops and a lot of karaoke bars.
What has been the most challenging part of your studies?
It has been a process of constant adaptation and little continuity. I am very grateful to my fellow CDPR students, Paula and Nika, who have been the most constant part of this year. In addition to changing universities in the middle of the academic year, we have had a variety of courses and teachers, each bringing new perspectives and questions. So in the end I feel that this year has left me with a big jigsaw puzzle that I have to figure out how to put together.
But I also think there is a lot to learn from this process. What I learned at my BA was challenged at KHiO (Oslo National Academy of the Arts), which was challenged again at Uniarts Helsinki, and which will probably be challenged again after I graduate.
What has been your most memorable experience during your studies?
I have to say that the times I have been involved in a larger creative process have been very memorable and I have learned a lot.
In my first semester here, I was the dramaturge for the final project of a directing student, Homa. It was great to have this experience while having courses on dramaturgy and the role of the dramaturge, and being able to use that knowledge. It was also a great way to get to know other students and how the university works. I really think this should be a compulsory part of the CDPR programme.
This semester, a group of students from the partner university in Frankfurt organised a dramaturgy festival to bring the CDPR network together. I got the chance to show a work-in-progress performance I wrote and directed, called ‘unpopular opinions’, with Edit and Selina from the Swedish-language acting programme at Uniarts Helsinki.
What do you dream of doing after you graduate?
A lot.
In a perfect world, I would become a world-famous theatre maker and create festivals, performances and permanent venues where all my friends could perform with whatever project they wanted and be well paid. Then we would go on tour together and change the world with our art alone.
In a more realistic world, I dream of having the time, space and money to go deep into projects that engage me and push the boundaries of theatre, while nurturing good working relationships.
What advice would you give to someone applying to the master’s programme in Comparative Dramaturgy and Performance Research?
- When applying, don’t overthink what you think the university wants—focus instead on your interests and what you have done before, even if it might not seem entirely relevant.
- Apply not only to Uniarts Helsinki but to the broader CDPR network, and show your willingness and interest in being a part of this European theatre collaboration.
- Have fun with the application and entrance exam—embrace a bit of a “fuck it” attitude.