Scan Magazine
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Swedish Culture Special
Dancing shoes.
Performance and play If you want to live out your childhood dreams of performing on stage, the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts is your next stop. In the middle of Stockholm, visitors get a chance to step into a different world. By Amanda Düring |
Photos: Jonas André
When approaching the museum, don’t forget to take a close look at the building it’s housed in. Kronobageriet, originally a bakery from the 17th century, is one of Stockholm’s oldest surviving industrial buildings. Throughout the years it has housed the aforementioned bakery, weaponry and a distillery, and today it forms a core part of the history the museum invites us to explore. As a nod to the building’s history, the on-site café is a labour of love, offering lunch and pastries, and is well worth a visit. Once you get inside, a whole new interactive world awaits you. Would you like to learn more about the Swedish pop phe40 |
Issue 140
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March 2022
nomenon, with ABBA and Max Martin at the forefront? Or perhaps classic Swedish authors and filmmakers like August Strindberg, Astrid Lindgren and Ingmar Bergman? The permanent collection, built up over 100 years, consists of over 50,000 items. The items on display range from musical instruments from the 17th century through to today, to puppets, theatre costumes and much more. “It’s hard to pick out one item that’s the biggest draw,” says Christina Sköldkvist, museum director. “It’s really the breadth of the collection that gets people’s attention. We’ve got everything from beautiful creations from Ingar Bergman’s theatre
productions, to an oboe da caccia that is believed to have been used by Bach himself, to mention just a few things. Our collections also form a sort of timeline of how society and technology have developed over time, so it becomes almost like an overview.” Interaction and play Immediately inside, the opportunities are endless. Unlike at many other museums, a lot of the exhibits are interactive and offer the chance to create your own music, art and dance pieces. “Our visitors walk in through the doors and you can tell they’re almost shocked by everything you can see and do here,” says Sköldkvist. “It’s a very interactive experience, so alongside all the beautiful items on display you’re also invited to create your own art.” The range of visitors is huge, but the museum is particularly popular with
