“I do not dare to think how Tromsø and Northern Norway would be like if we did not have Tvibit. It had a massive influence in the culture scene, but also in the city in many ways.”
“Tvibit goes even further back than the youth house that today is known as Tvibit. It all started with the old youth house known as Brygga,” Sif Vik explains. She has been working for Tvibit for the past 21 years and was part of the first Tvibit house. She is currently the assistant manager and does a little bit of everything, especially project organization and funding, contacting politicians, outgoing contact and organizing activities in the house. Sif informs that in the 80’s there was a big youth riot and demonstrations in Tromsø, in which resulted on the youth obtaining a youth house that they could run independently. The one running the house needed to work from City Hall, and the youth managed the house. This organization worked for 10 years. However, later it got a bad reputation due to involvement with drugs, alcohol and other problem, which drew away youth of that time. This bad reputation caused the house to close.
“However, in those 10 years there was a lot of independent youth projects. These projects included the Electronica Scene, film, a radio station and other cultural projects,” she points out. “In 1994, the new generation wanted a new youth center in the city center,” she adds. Sif goes on explaining how the positive things from Brygga, the cultural projects managed and created by the youth, where a central part for reopening the new house known as Tvibit. “It should be fun to be young. They have a lot of resources and creative ideas and we should let that out and give them a safe environment to experiment with their craft. They are the central force of the development and evolution of the house.”
In addition to Tvibits current music studios, recording studios, and rooms to plan and organize projects they also have a health center for the youth. Sif goes on explaining that it was part of the house from the beginning even if the house mainly focuses on creativity and culture. However, by having this section it can help the young society to deal and learn more about sexual and mental health. “It’s one of the few clinics for young people in Norway that is located were young people actually go, and not in a doctor’s office.”