University-wide continuing training day

Jazz dance workshop with Clara Björk. Percussionist Hjalmar Öhrström plays live along with the dance. All images, photo: Johan Palme/SKH

Kulturskoleklivet is the Swedish government’s initiative to train new educators for kulturskolan (Sweden’s municipal schools for culture), and to provide further training for those already working there. SKH is one of six higher education institutions included in the programme. Last year, a continuing education day for dance educators was organised at SKH as part of Kulturskoleklivet, which this year has expanded to all seven subject areas. 

“It feels great that we have the opportunity to do this again this year,” says Ninnie Andersson, Head of subject unit for dance pedagogy at SKH. “And that the rest of SKH also participates in a continuing education day to show the breadth and expertise available at the university.”

With 33 workshops and seminars spread over all five locations at SKH, it is a major new initiative. Participants can learn everything from site-specific stage design in nature to how best to use their knees to support novice circus practitioners.

Educators have come to visit from all over the country, like Christina Maydotter, who has travelled all the way from Kramfors, where she works as a dance teacher at kulturskolan.

“There are so many exciting things you can try here,” she says. “I hope it can become a recurring event!”

Workshop in acting without words with Lena Stefenson.

A broad focus on new groups

In addition to the continuing training day, it is also possible to attend a full-scale, three-semester programme at SKH, in collaboration with Stockholm University and the Stockholm University College of Music Education. Didactics professor Ylva Hofvander Trulsson, who is responsible for the Kulturskoleklivet programme at SKH, explains that it is also possible to attend individual courses, as continuing training or as part of training new kulturskola educators. These courses can also be appropriate for SKH alumni who want to broaden their qualifications.

One person who has attended several individual courses is Saga Leipalu, a kulturskola educator in Kalmar, who is attending the training day to take part in circus workshops.

“I think Kulturskoleklivet is so valuable,” she says. “In Kalmar, there are not many people involved in contemporary circus, so it's fun to meet people, develop yourself as a teacher through courses and get inspiration for things you can do and ways to do them.”

It is the Swedish Arts Council that distributes the grants for Kulturskoleklivet, and for many in the industry it has been both a welcome and long-awaited initiative. Ylva Hofvander Trulsson believes that targeted investments in kulturskolan ultimately benefits both SKH and the entire cultural world.

“This applies not least to one thing we are constantly working with, to broaden the spectrum of participation,” she says. “Kulturskolan and new kulturskola educators are an important channel for more people to seek out culture and to reach new student groups, which ultimately may lead to these groups also getting a chance to study here as students.”

Ninnie Andersson believes that meeting kulturskolan is also important in a more direct way, to ensure that the pedagogical areas of specialisation continue to be relevant and of high quality. 

“In meeting the participants, we as university teachers gain insight into our own practices, which can be developed through their reflections and experiences,” she says. “This provides us with critical scrutiny and a closer dialogue with those working in our field.”
 

Spotting workshop with Alisan Funk, head of subject unit for circus.

Workshop on music teaching for music educators with Klara Rylander.

Workshop on costume design with Maria Geber and Katrin Brännström.

Virtual reality workshop with Tinna Joné, head of the subject unit for film and media.