Aug. 8, 2026 - Sept. 15, 2026

PAB open 2015 - Performance Olivia Hasseet - Photo: Bjarte Bjørkum


OPEN CALL
PAB Open 2027
August 20 - 22 - 2027
The historical old prison in Bergen

PAB is seeking performances from regional, national, and international artists for the seventh edition of the PAB OPEN festival 2027. The festival holds a format that allows the artists to explore and test new performative expressions.

The festival will be held at the historical ruins of the decommissioned Bergen Old District Prison. The venue has a unique atmosphere, having operated as a prison from 1867 until its closure in 1990. The performances will be presented in the different prison cells and the prison courtyard.
The history of Bergen Old District Prison: https://bergen.histos.no/index.php?id=29&show=story

Practical information

The festival spans two days and offers a public program featuring four hours of performances Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 August from 12:00 to 16:00, as well as food and social gatherings at Performance Art Bergen’s venue, PAB HUB on the weekend. There will be a meeting point for artists in the prison in the evening.

Applicants are encouraged to focus on long-duration performances lasting a minimum of 1 hour that can be performed over both days,or short performances repeated throughout the weekend.

The festival has a limited budget, so unfortunately, we cannot provide materials or technical equipment. Due to the scale of the event, we ask all artists to be self-sufficient.

Several performances will take place simultaneously in the building and the cells in the old prison are small, so the use of sound amplification is not recommended. There are no electricity or power outlets inside the cells.

What does PAB offer:

- PAB will be able to offer a small fee of 2000 NOK (around 181 EUR) at the present time. We are applying for funding to be able to offer more. PAB encourages artists to apply for individual travel and project grants. PAB will send an invitation letter if needed for applications.
- Photo documentation by professional photographers.
- Food/social gathering with artists, contributors, the festival weekend at PAB HUB.
- Accommodation in City Hostel Bergen, 4- person rooms.
- Marketing in PAB SoMe, and printed matter.
- A weekend with many meeting points and reflections with over 30 performance artists.

Registration:

PAB Open is a non-curated festival that operates on a first-come, first-served basis for registration The applications are evaluated continuously as there is a limited number of prison cells available. The committee will make a selection assessed continuously based on artists who will need accommodation and artists who do not need accommodation.
The portal for registration opens Friday 4 September - Time: 09:00 (Norwegian time) and closes 15. September 2026.
The registration opens here: PAB open registration  2027

• Here is what the form will contain
  
• Name:
• Telephone:
• E-mail:
• Requiring accommodation
• Web page or link to previous work:
• Year of birth:
• Place of residence (area, city, country):
• A short description of the performance (500 characters):
• Material / Technical requirements / summary (We kindly ask all artists to be self reliant due to the size of the event):
• 1 Durational performance or 2 Repeated performance. Applicants are encouraged to focus on long-duration performances lasting a minimum of 1 hour both days, or short performances repeated throughout the days.
• A short bio (in English) to be used for the program/website (100 words). Please write the text in third person. Please include: 1 name, 2 D.O.B, 3 Place of residence, 4 Field of interest.
• Need power: (The electricity are not good in the prison the cells do not have a power outlet.)
• Do you use audio or loud sound in your performance? Knowledge of this helps us to fit into the program without disturbing other performances. (50 words)
• Specify which location you want to work in. 1 indoor in a prison cell - 2 outdoor area - exercise yard.
• Here you can write comments
• Upload photo (minimum 2 mb max 6 mb)
  

Contactinfo PAB open
pabopenbergen@gmail.com

About Performance Art Bergen:

Performance Art Bergen (PAB) is a membership organization for performance artists and others interested in visual art performance. PAB aims to strengthen and raise the profile of performance art by organizing professional forums, workshops, festivals, and international exchanges.

To the: registration PAB open 2027

Here is photos from performances in Old prison of Bergen

PAB open 2015 - Anna Koserewska - Photo: Bjarte Bjørkum

PAB open 2015 - Brian Loughran - Photo: Bjarte Bjørkum

PAB open 2015 - James King - Photo: Bjarte Bjørkum

PAB open 2015 - Franzisca Siegrest og Susanne Irene Fjørtoft - Photo: Bjarte Bjørkum

PAB open 2015 - Andreas Knag Danielsen - Photo: Bjarte Bjørkum

Here is Previous festival PAB Opens:
PAB Open 2013
PAB Open 2015
PAB Open 2017
PAB Open 2019
PAB Open 2022