Soul Sessions Oslo

What Soul Sessions Oslo does

Soul Sessions Oslo is a Norwegian nonprofit organization (ideell organisasjon) founded in 2009 by Camilla Tellefsen and Mathias Jin Budtz, headquartered at Sentralen in Oslo. The organization promotes street and club dance in Norway through a portfolio of interconnected programs and events: two major annual festivals (Encounters performing arts festival in March and Extended street/clubdance festival in September-October), weekly Open Practice sessions every Sunday at Sentralen, recurring Battles & Jams, the Soul Sessions Community youth outreach project for ages 10-20 across 15+ Norwegian municipalities, Nordic Cypher (a Nordic exchange program with IVER in Sweden and URBAN APA in Finland), the Årsprogram i Koreografi for choreographers with premiere access at Den Norske Opera & Ballett and Dansens Hus, and Launchpad for young event organizers under 26.

The organization's business model is grant-funded, with revenue derived primarily from public and private cultural grants (Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, Oslo kommune, Kulturdirektoratet, Kulturtanken, Bufdir, LNU, Nordisk Kulturfond, Talent Norge, SR Stiftelsen, Bergesensstiftelsen), supplemented by minimal ticket revenue (100 NOK per day for Extended participant battle tickets) and the Norwegian Grasrotandel program. All core activities — Open Practice, Community sessions, Nordic Cypher, Årsprogram i Koreografi — are free to end participants. The technology stack is standard and non-proprietary: a Sanity CMS-based website, social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), email/newsletter communication, and Confetti ticketing for festival events. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and a volunteer board of directors led by Hege Aamotsmo.

In 2023, Soul Sessions Oslo received Danseinformasjonens Ærespris (Honorary Award) from Norwegian Dance Information in recognition of its work with street and club dance in Norway. The organization explicitly grounds its programming in the cultural traditions of hip-hop and club dance, acknowledging the African, Caribbean, Latin American, and LGBTQ+ origins of these art forms.

Name

Soul Sessions Oslo

Legal name

Soul Sessions Oslo

Website

https://www.soulsessionsoslo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Soul Sessions Oslo is a Norwegian nonprofit founded in 2009 that promotes street and club dance in Norway through two annual festivals (Encounters, Extended), weekly Open Practice sessions, youth community programs across 15+ municipalities, and professional development for Nordic choreographers and young event organizers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance and Performing Arts Community Services

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Street dance festivals
• Youth dance programs
• Choreography development programs
• Dance community organizing
• Performing arts events

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Free membership model. Members receive access to free Open Practice sessions and may receive newsletters and event invitations. Membership data is collected (name, address, phone, date of birth, email) and used as the basis for reporting member numbers to qualify for public funding.
2. Festival participation fees: Soul Sessions Extended festival charges participant tickets for battles (100 NOK per day per participant). Audience/public tickets are sold separately (slipped mid-August for Extended 2026). The Encounters festival appears to be primarily free or ticketed performances at established venues.
3. Public and private funding: The organization is primarily funded through public and private grants. Funders include: Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, Oslo kommune, Kulturdirektoratet, Kulturtanken, Bufdir, LNU (Landsrådet for Norges barne- og ungdomsorganisasjoner), SR Stiftelsen, Bergesensstiftelsen, Nordisk Kulturfond, Talent Norge. Funding supports festival operations, the Community project (youth outreach), Nordic Cypher, Årsprogram i Koreografi, and Launchpad.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Soul Sessions Oslo organizes street and club dance events and programs in Norway, including two annual festivals (Encounters performing arts festival in March; Extended streetdance festival in late September/early October), free weekly Open Practice sessions at Sentralen in Oslo, recurring Battles and Jams, a national youth outreach project (Soul Sessions Community for ages 10-20), a Nordic exchange for choreographers (Nordic Cypher), a development program for young event organizers (Launchpad), and an annual choreography development program (Årsprogram i Koreografi).

Product overview

Soul Sessions Oslo is a nonprofit organization that creates inclusive platforms for street and club dance exchange and development in Norway. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs and events: two major annual festivals (Encounters performing arts festival and Extended street/club dance festival), weekly Open Practice sessions, regular Battles & Jams, the Community youth program for ages 10-20, Nordic Cypher Nordic exchange project, Launchpad development program for young event organizers, and an Annual Choreography Program. All offerings are built on the values of peace, love, unity, and having fun.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soul Sessions Encounters: Annual performing arts festival rooted in street and club dance, featuring premieres, national and international guest performances, battles, and choreographic work.
• Soul Sessions Extended
• Launchpad
• Soul Sessions Community
• Nordic Cypher
• Årsprogram i Koreografi (Annual Program in Choreography)

Products and services

• Open Practice Free weekly dance practice sessions held every Sunday at Sentralen in Oslo. Open to all styles, levels, and ages. Includes a host who plays music and provides guidance. Designed as the organization's permanent community meeting space.
• Soul Sessions Encounters Annual performing arts festival rooted in street and club dance, featuring world premieres, national and international guest performances, battles, and showings of choreographic work. Encounters 2026 took place in the first week of March.
• Soul Sessions Extended Annual street and clubdance festival, described as Norway's largest in the genre. Features battles across multiple categories (Popping, House, Hip Hop, Locking, W*acking, Breaking, Open Styles), showcase competition, panel talks, workshops, jams, and club concepts. Battle participant tickets priced at 100 NOK per day.
• Battles & Jams Year-round battles and jam events in addition to the two main festivals, providing regular competitive and social dance gatherings for the Norwegian street and clubdance community.
• Soul Sessions Community National youth dance outreach project for ages 10-20. Provides free weekly drop-in sessions at partner locations across Norway (Oslo, Kongsvinger, Sør-Fron, Stavanger, Sandnes, plus additional municipalities), along with workshops, jams, battles, and summer camps tailored for both beginners and experienced young dancers.
• Nordic Cypher Year-long Nordic exchange program for 17 selected dancers and choreographers from Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Includes four gatherings linked to festivals, mentorship, and artistic development to strengthen the Nordic street and clubdance field.
• Launchpad Development program for aspiring event organizers under 26 years old. Selected participants receive 20,000 NOK production support, mentorship, templates (budget, schedule, graphics), and marketing visibility through SSO channels to organize their own free dance events.
• Årsprogram i Koreografi (Annual Program in Choreography) Annual two-part development program for choreographers with foundation in street and club dance. Includes an annual practice program plus the Encounters Open Call, providing artistic and professional development, workshops, showings, and premiere opportunities at Den Norske Opera & Ballett, Dansens Hus, Kloden Teater, and CODA. Mentors include Camilla Tellefsen, Inger-Reidun Olsen, and Amie Mbye.

Quantifiable outcome

• Seven years of Soul Sessions Community youth programming (2017–2025) with activities in 15+ Norwegian municipalities, reaching hundreds of youth participants through workshops, jams, battles, and summer camps.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Den Norske Opera & BallettcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner venue for the Årsprogram i Koreografi's premiere performances. Selected choreographers from the annual choreography program present world premieres at the Operaen as part of the Encounters festival. The Opera provides venue access and institutional partnership.
• Dansens Hus OslocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner venue for Årsprogram i Koreografi and the Encounters festival. Dansens Hus hosts premiere performances and is part of the annual choreography program alongside Den Norske Opera & Ballett, Kloden Teater, and CODA.
• Kloden TeatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner venue and collaborator in Årsprogram i Koreografi. Contributes venue access and artistic programming as part of the choreography development program.
• CODA (Kunstsenter for dans og performance)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner venue and collaborator in Årsprogram i Koreografi. Provides venue access and programming support for the annual choreography program.
• Assitej NorgeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Listed as a collaborator in the Årsprogram i Koreografi. Assitej Norge is the Norwegian section of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, providing connections to youth theatre and performing arts for children.
• PRODA (Oslo)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026PRODA Oslo is a partner for the Extended festival 2026, hosting a free workshop with Physs on October 5. The partnership also appears in the Encounters festival support structure, alongside Den Norske Opera & Ballett, Kloden Teater, and Kulturrådet.
• IVER (Sverige)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025IVER is the Swedish partner in the Nordic Cypher exchange program, a collaboration among Soul Sessions Oslo (Norway), IVER (Sweden), and URBAN APA (Finland) to strengthen the Nordic street and clubdance field. The project is supported by Nordisk Kulturfond and Talent Norge. 17 dancers and choreographers from all three countries participate in four gatherings over one year.
• URBAN APA (Finland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025URBAN APA is the Finnish partner in the Nordic Cypher exchange program. Along with IVER (Sweden) and Soul Sessions Oslo (Norway), the three organizations collaborate on an exchange program for 17 Nordic dancers and choreographers, with gatherings tied to festivals and artistic development.
• Loftet dansestudio (Sør-Fron)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Local partner for Soul Sessions Community's one-year program. Loftet dansestudio hosts structured dance activities for youth in Sør-Fron as part of the national community outreach network.
• Stavanger KulturskolecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner in Soul Sessions Community's one-year program, hosting activities in Stavanger. The collaboration brings street and clubdance programming to youth in the Stavanger region.
• Sandnes KulturskolecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner in Soul Sessions Community's one-year program in Sandnes. Youth in the region participate in workshops, summer camps, battles, and other activities as part of the annual program.
• Oslo KulturskolecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Oslo Kulturskole collaborates with Soul Sessions Community on weekly drop-in sessions at Voldsløkka kulturstasjon (Tuesdays 14:15–16:15). Activities target grades 8–10 and are held in partnership with the municipal cultural school.
• Biblo HolmliaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Biblo Holmlia (Oslo public library) hosts weekly Soul Sessions Community drop-in sessions on Thursdays 15:00–16:30 for grades 5–8. The library serves as an accessible community venue in the Holmlia borough.
• Kongsvinger kommune / Scene UminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Kongsvinger municipality provides venue and support for weekly Soul Sessions Community sessions at Vennersberg skole, bringing free dance activities to youth in the Kongsvinger region.
• SentralencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Sentralen is the organization's primary venue host, providing space for weekly Open Practice sessions (Gymsalen, floor 4+), the Extended festival, summer camps, and administrative functions. SSO moved into Sentralen in 2016 and continues to base most activities there. Sentralen UNG specifically supports youth-focused activities.
• BalansekunstminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Soul Sessions Oslo is a member of Balansekunst, an organization working for gender equality and diversity in Norwegian cultural life.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@soulsessionsoslo
• Facebookfacebook.com/soulsessionsoslo
• Instagraminstagram.com/soulsessionsoslo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soul-sessions-oslo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Soul Sessions Oslo