Reenactment and living history

Original vision

To develop living history into more than historical entertainment by creating meaningful experiences where experimental archaeology, academic research, cultural heritage, education and community could strengthen one another. The ambition was to build organisations and projects that encouraged collaboration across disciplines while making history relevant and accessible to wider audiences.

My role

Founder of Trondheim Vikinglag and Hands on History AS, producer, project developer and strategic leader. Responsible for organisational development, fundraising, financial management, international partnerships, event production, communication and long-term vision. Developed and led multiple national and international initiatives, including EU-funded collaborations, conferences, publications and educational projects.

What we created

A sustainable volunteer organisation with approximately 100 active members and year-round activities, international partnerships across Europe, innovative living history concepts such as The Viking Way and Viking Hiking, the Hands on History project, academic conferences, publications, educational resources and digital content that reached audiences far beyond the Scandinavian reenactment community.

The work also included developing new approaches to museum interpretation and public storytelling through my role at Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum, where I led the interpretation department and helped shape a more engaging and experience-based approach to communicating history.

Lasting impact

Many of the methods, publications and collaborations developed during this period continue to be used and referenced today. In 2013 i did a TEDx on the subject of “lessons from the Viking life style”. Several of the projects remain active, while the organisational structures, networks and educational approaches continue to influence museums, historical interpreters and reenactment communities across Europe.