From feel-good writers to Olympic judges – meet the scholarship recipients in culture and sports
To the sound of fanfare and warm applause, the Norrbotten Region's scholarships in culture and sports were awarded today. The members of the regional council saw, among other things, four cultural creators receive the Rubus Arcticus scholarship, one of Sweden's largest cultural scholarships awarded since 1995.
Artist Erik Thörnqvist receives the Rubus Arcticus for visual and design arts.
“It feels absolutely fantastic and incredibly glorious,” he says.
Erik Thörnqvist is currently presenting the exhibition Make Out, Make Through at Luleå Konsthall.
– It is an exhibition that takes as its starting point thinking about what a queer place can be, how it can arise and its significance, says Erik Thörnqvist and talks about the Make out club, which over a ten-year period was visited by LGBTQi people from all over the North Calotte.
With the exhibition Make Out, Make Through at Luleå Konsthall, artist Erik Thörnqvist wants to raise thoughts about the LGBTQi+ movement's won battles and the conservative winds of the times.
“Complex place”
Erik Thörnqvist's art touches on many issues that are relevant in today's Norrbotten, such as identity, social development and the built environment.
– There is an extreme focus on Norrbotten right now. Anyone who grew up here knows that it is a complex place. Extraction is a prerequisite, we have industrial societies that are built on the extraction of resources. But in that focus, an interpersonal perspective can disappear, he says.
The scholarship gives some breathing room for Erik Thörnqvist, who has now completed his education and has become a full-time artist.
– The scholarship is an opportunity to have this valuable time that is not for a specific project, such as meeting a deadline for a public artwork. It provides space for unconditional creation and to develop new ideas.
“People need feelgood”
Sofia Rutbäck Eriksson receives the Rubus Arcticus for the art field of literature.
– It has been super difficult to get in. I write in genres where there are no scholarships or prizes: feelgood and “cozy crime”. And then someone calls and says I will get a cultural scholarship, says Sofia Rutbäck Eriksson.
Since 2021, there have been over 30 books. Her literary world is full of colorful characters and cozy environments.
– I think people need it. Our county is usually portrayed as quite dark, rugged and lonely. But someone should be able to write about a detective agency in Malmudden where you eat chocolate balls and drink bubbly.
Sofia Rutbäck Eriksson sees people's need for feel-good in a time of great anxiety and darkness.
One of her latest books, however, is far from feel-good: Never Forget Tintin – the true story of the boy who was murdered by his father. Sofia knew Tintin's mother Sanam Gharaee and was asked if she would help her write a book.
– For Sanam it was incredibly difficult but also a kind of therapy. If she had laid down in a heap, we might not have had a change in the law today that will save many children from having to spend time with violent parents. What I have learned is that everyone can make a difference.
A future plan is to learn to write scripts for film and television.
– I have long thought that it would be exciting to take a course, because it really is writing in a completely different way, says Sofia Rutbäck Eriksson.
“Never invested as much as now”
Accordionist Fredrik Hangasjärvi receives the Rubus Arcticus for the art field of music.
– It feels really nice to receive this award. It came at the right time. I've never invested so much in music as I do now, he says.
During the autumn he has been on tour with the Fredrik Hangasjärvi Orchestra.
– I wanted to make an accordion album with a different band and musicians than I'm used to. I got a really good group together, they've played rock and blues. The singer Sanna Kalla is known from The Magnettes. We recorded music this spring that will be released one song at a time on Spotify.
Ideally, he would like to play his own songs, which he does with the orchestra.
– The Tornedal music is close to my heart. There's something about the lyrics and the melodies. A little melancholy.
Fredrik Hangasjärvi has released two songs on Spotify with his new orchestra, Kylä Entinen and Kruuvamies. Photo: Mats Engfors
Fredrik Hangasjärvi grew up in a family where many played the accordion, and next year he will celebrate 40 years on stage. But he is worried about the future of the accordion.
– I'm a missionary for the survival of the accordion. There's a lack of rejuvenation all over Sweden. It's nice that they've managed to get someone to start.
After 23 years with the Raj-Raj Band, Fredrik is now more of a solo artist – something that is unusual for an accordion player.
– Puzzle pieces are falling into place here and there. I have a lot going on, the accordion must arrive at any cost!
“A seal of quality”
The Rubus Arcticus in the art field of stage poetry goes to Josefin Şilan Karlsson.
– It means a lot. It's like a seal of quality that feels incredibly valuable, she says.
Josefin Şîlan Karlsson's calendar is full for a long time to come, including a collaboration with 2022 Rubus Arcticus fellow Ida Isak Westerberg.
She has recently developed her creativity and added music, soundscapes and visual art to her stage poetry.
– I have a show that I started performing this fall, it's called Voices/Roots. It includes things that are new to me and feel very good.
Voices/Rötter touches on heritage, environment, sparsely populated areas, belonging and women's history. Another project is the newly written Skog, with music by composer Susanna Lindmark. This spring it will be premiered with the choir Blå toner in Piteå. This spring's plans also include a collaboration with textile artist Ida Isak Westerberg. And then there is the involvement in Norrscen, which arranges stage poetry and will hold the Swedish Poetry Slam this spring. It will be the first time the competition has been arranged in Norrbotten.
– I am an expert at doing many things on many different fronts. But the scholarship gives a different kind of peace in my creation. An opportunity to take a lot of time for things that I don't know if they will generate money or not.
Future plans include working on a script for theater and a children's book script.
– I have so much going on now, it might be next fall. But the scholarship will make it possible.
In connection with the ceremony, Josefin read a poem that was specially written for the occasion. Read it here.
“Kiruna remains in the heart”
Kjell Peder Johanson has been a figure in Norrbotten's cultural life for 50 years. Now he is receiving the Honorary and Merit Scholarship.
– I feel honored that someone has suggested me and that the jury thought I was worthy of it, says Kjell Peder Johanson.
When he came to Kiruna in the 1970s, he had never been north of Uppsala. The idea was to stay for a year and work as a theater teacher.
– It's been ten years and I still have a lot of Kiruna in my heart, says Kjell Peder, who continues to live and work in the county.
Kjell Peder Johanson's plans for next year include a collaboration with Giron Sámi Teáhter.
He has worked as an artistic director and director. Played in the band Aldrigilivet and toured with the comedy group ACNE. Was a program host for P4 Karlavagnen. Wrote operas and trained new generations of cultural workers.
– I don't want to claim that I'm really good at anything, but I have a fantasy trampoline in my head. What I don't know, I can often learn.
Today he has retired from Swedish Radio but still works for, among other things, the Piteå Academy of Music. He coaches and directs, and is involved in volunteer work with choirs and amateur theater groups.
– Being part of people's development is great fun. Especially working with younger people who are on the way and are ambitious and talented. It also keeps me going. I'm not going to stop working until someone tells me I'm too smart, says Kjell Peder Johanson.
“Grateful and happy”
Football referee Tess Olofsson works around the world. She receives this year's sports scholarship.
– I'm a little overwhelmed. It's so great to be recognized. I'm grateful and happy about the scholarship, she says.
Tess Olofsson refereed the women's Olympic final this summer. She has been to the European Championships and World Championships and was the first woman to be the head referee in the men's Swedish national team. She will not be there when the scholarship is awarded - she is in England to referee the women's Champions League group stage.
Tess Olofsson first blew the referee's whistle at the age of 13. Photo: AR
– I have been a FIFA referee since the summer of 2015, so next year it will be ten years. Everyday life is a lot of training and a lot, a lot of travel. And then there are match analyses and meetings with referee coaches and referee colleagues.
She has come a long way since she started as a youth referee in 2001. But she still has new goals set, new dreams to fulfill.
– First and foremost, to become a regular in the men's Allsvenskan. This summer, there will be the Women's European Championship in Switzerland. Then the sights are set on the Men's World Cup in 2026, that would be absolutely wonderful, says Tess Olofsson.
“Build on joy”
Caroline Snäll, Haparanda AIK Floorball, receives this year's sports leadership scholarship.
– It's not something I expected, but I'm incredibly happy. Sports are often associated with success, so I'm happy that someone remembers us who may not be focused on success. For me, success is that it should be fun, built on joy. That sports should be an arena to come to and be able to be yourself and feel good in the community.
Caroline Snäll is passionate about floorball and her 52 players of different ages.
Caroline Snäll coaches a women's team for ages 13-23, and a girls' team. She emphasizes that there is never any pressure to perform at peak performance.
– We know that this dark season is tough for many and that it affects how they feel. We talk openly about things. I put a lot of focus on knowing my players and seeing each one.
She believes that sports have an important role in society, but are often underestimated.
– Through sports, we can educate our young people and give them somewhere to come and feel a sense of belonging. In today's situation with all the mental health issues that are increasing, sports have an extremely large role. But sports clubs are often forgotten in that way.
Text: Sara Stylbäck Vesa
Photo: Simon Eliasson unless otherwise stated
Justifications
Rubus Arcticus, the art area Visual and decorative arts
Fearlessly and exploratively, Erik Thörnqvist tackles complex stories and “truths”. Furthermore, the artist asks questions about the existential consequences that follow in the wake of technological progress. The artworks tell something about our history and present, about problems and oppression, but also about hope and the future. The artist creates works with high integrity that are happy to bend – perhaps seeking new truths and connections.
Rubus Arcticus, art area Literature
In a time when Swedish detective stories often describe a dark Sweden, Sofia Rutbäck Eriksson stands for something bright. Despite thirteen murders out of the dozen in her books, a colorful and fundamentally positive picture of a beloved Norrbotten is conveyed. But the fellow does not only write light-hearted entertainment. She has also been co-author of the true story of Tintin, the boy who was betrayed by society and who only lived to be eight years old. For that breadth, Sofia Rutbäck Eriksson is a very worthy fellow.
Rubus Arcticus, art area Music
The national accordionist, accordionist and composer Fredrik Hangasjärvi has been a pioneering force in Norrbotten's musical life for almost 40 years. Through his innovative work, he has both preserved and renewed the music of Norrbotten and Tornedalen, while also raising the accordion to new heights in, among other things, the Raj-Raj Band. His commitment to reaching out to both children and adults, and to inspiring young people to start playing the accordion, is particularly noteworthy.
Rubus Arcticus, art area Scenpoesi
This stage poet engages and touches with her broad artistry. In Josefin Şîlan Karlsson's stage room we encounter the small things in everyday life as well as the big things in politics. Humor and playfulness are masterfully mixed with sadness and pain. Her stage poetry inspires and reaches out in Norrbotten and the rest of Sweden, not least to young people through her involvement in Norrscen/Davvi Lávdi/Pohjosseeni and Norrbotten Poetry Slam. In this way, she contributes to the county's continued relevance and renewal of stage poetry.
Honorary and merit scholarship
Kjell Peder Johanson has been a central figure in Norrbotten's cultural life since 1973. He has been a member of the band Aldrigilivet, artistic director of Lule Stassteater, entertained with the band ACNE and was a program host for P4 Karlavagnen. But his influence extends further than that, as he has also nurtured new generations of cultural workers. That journey began as a theater teacher in Kiruna and has continued at Luleå University of Technology. With his warm and inspiring manner, he has also contributed to the scenic development of choirs, amateur theater groups and professional ensembles around the county, often with a non-profit commitment.
The sports scholarship
Tess Olofsson is an inspiration and a role model as one of the few female FIFA referees at the highest international level. Her track record includes the European Championship, World Cup, Olympic Games and elite football in Sweden. As the first woman to be the head referee in the men's Swedish national football team, she has broken barriers and paved the way for future generations. Her serious and goal-oriented attitude has laid the foundation for the successes we see both at home and internationally. She impresses with her leadership and professionalism.
The Sports Leadership Scholarship
Caroline Snäll is a leader with a holistic perspective who is passionate about getting as many young people as possible active in sports, especially girls and women. Her leadership style is characterized by inclusion and a strong belief that every individual has the potential to grow both athletically and as a person. She not only seeks sporting success but inspires and motivates, and creates an environment where everyone feels welcome and is given the opportunity to reach their full potential.
