9 minute read
Glada Hudik Theatre
From left (back row): Nicklas Hillberg, Emma Örtlund, Alexander Rådlund. From left (front row): Ida Johansson, Pär Johansson, Kitty Jonsson.
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Glada Hudik Theatre is bringing together children from special school and mainstream school, showing both children and adults that prejudices can be overcome. Pär Johansson hopes to create role models and show that there is hope of a brighter future in a better society.
Pär Johansson, business manager at Glada Hudik Theatre, tell us a bit about the background to the project ‘Tillsammans’, which means ‘Together’.
We were getting signals from various schools that the special school and mainstream school were not doing things together. For example, they don’t celebrate the end of term together when they break up for the summer or Christmas holidays, and have very few activities together. So we looked into this more closely. It proved to be a general problem all over Sweden.
In what sense do you think it’s a problem?
Because segregation is associated with prejudice. People have prejudices about all kinds of things – myself included. In the long run it’s a problem for society, not something that only affects young people with Down’s syndrome. Human encounters create understanding. And when you gain an understanding of each other, prejudices fall away.
It shouldn’t be the case that one minute you’re sitting in a classroom talking about diversity, inclusion and how everyone is of equal value, and the next you have separate end-of-term celebrations.
Children are not born with prejudices. They generally get them from adults. So in parallel, we also need to work on convincing the adults that it’s not something strange. We need to practice what we preach; show children that there is nothing strange about differences. Otherwise it won’t be sustainable.
So theatre can counteract prejudice?
Yes – above all, theatre is a very concrete way to bring about integration. That may sound quite clichéd, but nonetheless it’s what we’re doing. It’s based on human beings meeting each other. When you experience things together, fears and prejudice turn into understanding and friendship.
It sounds so easy when you say it. Are there even any obstacles?
Yes, prejudices are the most obvious obstacle. But I maintain that those who get to meet youngsters with Down’s syndrome at school don’t tend to become prejudiced about people with disabilities as easily. Or if you have a teacher with a foreign background, you don’t tend to become hostile to foreigners as easily. At the same time, it’s not enough just to address young people. We need to carry out a very fundamental process of rooting these ideas among school principals, teachers and parents, because they also have prejudices.
There are also obstacles to do with bad conscience. You think about everything you haven’t done and doubt that it can even be done. So we have to show that there is hope – that it’s perfectly possible to change things. It’s about putting the conditions in place and showing good examples. It’s not that hard if you dare to let go and give people a chance to meet.
We think ‘Together’ will be a model that spurs
people on and shows others how they can take the initiative, dare to cross boundaries and achieve change.
Tell us a bit about how ‘Together’ is going to work.
It starts locally here in Hudiksvall and will gradually lead to a tour around Sweden. The project is being implemented in three stages, each lasting a year. Four children from mainstream school and four children from special school will follow each other for three years – just like we mix professionals and amateurs at Glada Hudik Theatre.
In the first year they will produce a musical theatre show. The work and roles will be distributed so that everyone can do it. If you’re good at singing, then you sing. You do what you’re good at.
In the second year they will perform their piece for all of the schools in Hudiksvall municipality. In the third year they will give talks to other pupils about what it was like working together.
The entire project will be filmed and will become a documentary. Hopefully the documentary will do the same job as the talks, but reaching even more people.
We think these stages will show that it’s not that strange – it’s just a matter of finding common denominators.
It is your aim for special schools to be abolished? For everyone to go to the same school?
No, it’s a really good thing to have special school and mainstream school. I don’t believe all children should be together in the same classroom. That can easily result in chaos. However, I do believe in a more inclusive school, from all perspectives. That would form the foundations of a better society.
Moving from the perspective of society to that of individuals, what do you think it will be like for those involved to be part of ‘Together’?
Obviously that’s hard to say. But I’m thinking about when we worked with the supermarket Ica and they created the character of Ica Jerry. He was played by a guy called Mats. I’ll never forget when they showed the first commercial. It felt like the whole of Sweden had been turned upside down. There was a huge amount of criticism from people who thought it was wrong to have someone with Down’s syndrome in a commercial.
After the second commercial, I was so unsure as to whether I had done the right thing that I called Mats’ mum. Straightaway she told me: “When Mats was born, the first thing I heard was that I had given birth to a monster child. They said the best thing I could do was give him up. The fact that today he can be happy and proud is a victory. So keep at it!” It struck me then that it’s easy to be good in theory. It’s easy to create a set of values using all the best words. But reality is something else.
After the third commercial, we went out and told people that Ica was to start recruiting. There was complete silence. Those around us realised that the commercials weren’t just a trick by the company to be liked. Today Ica employs 1,700 people with disabilities.
That, to me, is a concrete example. Mats has become a role model. Now we have many young people with Down’s syndrome coming to us on study trips who want to become the new Ica Jerry. We have to create role models. And show that there is hope of a bright future. It’s the same thing with ‘Together’.
Do you see the ‘Together’ project as a test, or will it be followed by ‘Together 2’ and so on?
Obviously we want to start by testing out the concept. After all, you start a project to see whether you can get it established or if it will end up being something temporary. But of course I hope that there will be many more ‘Togethers’.
It’s been some time since you found out that ‘Together’ had been awarded a donation. Do you remember how it felt?
Yes, it was a joy! But also a little bit of delight mixed with terror. We had worked incredibly hard on the application, to make it as good as possible and explain why ‘Together’ is important and worth supporting. And when you do that, of course, you have to ask yourself all those questions first. Are we thinking along the right lines? So when I got told, it was those thoughts that were going through my head first. But that was only for a moment – after that you just want to get things moving.
And have you now got things moving?
We’re currently in the planning phase. Last week I met with scriptwriters and those responsible for the music. Unfortunately, the pandemic has put a stop to a lot of things. Our region, Gävleborg, has been hit hard by the virus. Schools’ primary focus has had to be on managing that. It’s difficult for them to focus on new things in those circumstances, so we’ve left them in peace to get on with it for a while.
For those of us whose work involves bringing people together, the pandemic really is a very obvious obstacle. It’s difficult to rehearse a theatre production over Zoom. But there’s nothing we can do about that.
Yes, let’s hope things can get going again soon. What are you most looking forward to grappling with?
I really can’t wait to meet our actors again. To be able to see people and work together in person, and be in the element where we are at our very best.
How did you find out that the Foundation existed and that you could apply for a donation?
The first time I heard mention of the Erling-Persson Foundation was 10 years ago. I was giving a talk at Fryshuset and I asked how they financed their projects, and that’s when they told me about the Foundation. After that we worked with Karl-Johan Persson, who had supported us privately for our most recent film, Catwalk. He also told us that the Foundation existed and that we could apply for a donation.
When we got the idea for the ‘Together’ project we made an application. And now we’ve got it. It feels amazing that the project can become a reality!
10
According to a study, 10 minutes’ conversation between a person from the majority community and one from a marginalised group in the community can counter prejudices towards the marginalised group. The effect could be measured several months after the conversation.
10,612
Around one percent of all students of compulsory school age attend a special school. The percentage has varied over the years. In the 2017/2018 academic year there were 10,612 students at special schools.
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According to Gordon Allport’s ‘contact hypothesis’, four conditions must be provided in order to reduce prejudice: equal status, common goals, cooperation and institutional support. Later research shows that prejudice reduces even if not all four conditions are met.
ABOUT THE PROJECT Recipient: Glada Hudik Theatre – a theatre group set up in 1996.
Title: ‘Tillsammans’ (‘Together’)
What it involves: A project for integration between mainstream school and special school aimed at increasing understanding and reducing prejudice. The project includes a theatre performance involving eight students (aged 10–12) from mainstream and special schools,a documentary film, a tour of talks and follow-up.
Funding: The Erling-Persson Foundation is supporting the project with SEK 5 million over three years.
