DRIVEN BY CULTURE

Among other things Region Västra Götaland works to promote a
rich cultural life, good health care and sustainable regional growth.
Region Västra Götaland owns and runs cultural institutions like
the Göteborg Opera, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and
Film i Väst. The 149 democratically elected members of the regional
council are elected every four years. Regional taxes are the major
source of income. Read more at www.vgregion.se
SCP Reklambyrå/CELA Grafiska. 2009
R EG I O N VÄ S T R A GÖTA L A N D
– A D EM O CR AT I C A L LY EL EC T ED O RG A N IS AT I O N
In this brochure, you may notice that some organisations call our town Göteborg and some
Gothenburg. The simple reason for this is that the first is the traditional Swedish name and
the second is the name by which the city is known internationally. We bring this to your
attention as this can have an effect when searching for information on the Internet.
Region Västra Götaland, Cultural Affairs Secretariat, Regionens Hus, Box 764, SE-451 26 Uddevalla, Sweden.
Tel: +46 522 67 08 00. www.vgregion.se/kultur
D R I V E N BY C U LT U R E
DY N A M I CS A N D DE V ELOPM EN T
DEM A N D CU LT U RE
Culture is about people’s well-being, about all sides of life. It is about
personal, social and economic development of society. Our environment
and a sustainable society. A good life today and tomorrow. This is the
basis for the region’s strong belief in culture as a driving force. That is
why more is invested in culture in Västra Götaland than anywhere
else in Sweden. That is how you become Sweden’s foremost region
for culture.
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Västra Götaland’s cultural life embraces both uniqueness and breadth, local
expression, and impulses from outside. On the following pages you will meet
some of Region Västra Götaland’s major efforts to develop all of culture’s exciting
forms of expression and impact.
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Nicole Kidman in Lars von Trier’s Dogville.
FILM I VÄST: In the mid – 1990s, the industrial city of Trollhättan became
the setting for a modest venture into films. Today, Film i Väst is one of
Europe’s leading regional film funds and has since its inception invested
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PRODUCED LOCA LLY FOR
THE WHOLE WORLD
in a series of award-winning films – from international successes like
Lars von Trier’s Dogville, Dancer in the Dark and Manderlay to Swedish
films like Fucking Åmål and Dalecarlians. Thanks to the regional initiative in Trollhättan we can now see other worlds than just the big city at
the cinema. Talented actors and actresses, directors and animators no
longer need to flee to Europe’s capitals to make films that attract attention at major film festivals around the world. Film i Väst’s commission
to build an infrastructure for films and media in Västra Götaland has
made the step from amateur level to professional film production a
little shorter, especially for new young talent. Read more at www.
filmivast.se
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L I M I T LESSN ESS
STAGE AND SCREEN: International films and experimental dance. Classical drama
and infinite innovation. In Västra Götaland cultural life is intense, full of variety
and in a state of constant development. Here are a few samples from stage
and screen around the region.
FROM BERGMAN TO BOOKS
Göteborg International Film Festival:
Scandinavia’s biggest fi lm festival and one
of the world’s biggest public festivals. Over
11 intensive days, fi lm enthusiasts are treated to the Nordic Film Market, the international Dragon Award competition, the
Ingmar Bergman International Debut
Award and much more besides. The festival
also publishes the award-winning magazine
Filmkonst, among other things as a paperback and a DVD.
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ARENA FOR YOUNG FILM-MAKERS
The November Festival: three full days of
young Swedish fi lm in Trollhättan, the
hub of Västra Götaland’s growing fi lm industry. Every year the festival screens 60
shorts made by aspiring fi lm-makers under
27 years of age, all competing for Swedish
fi lm’s most prestigious award – the November Festival statuette. Although the focus is
on young fi lmmakers, the festival attracts
fi lm enthusiasts of all ages.
CONTEMPORARY ART IN FREEDOM
Atalante: one of Västra Götaland’s exciting meeting-places for innovation and experiment in dance, music, film, art, TV
games and literature. Together with
dance theatres in Malmö and Stockholm,
Atalante also runs Scenarkivet and
Turnéslingan, where every year the theatres put on each other’s productions and
give free dance the opportunity to meet
new audiences.
NEVER GROWN UP, ALWAYS TOPICAL
Backa Theatre: independent artistic section of Göteborg City Theatre and one of
Sweden’s leading children’s and young people’s theatres. In the Göteborg City Theatre family, Backa is the teenager with the
task of reaching younger audiences – with
no upper age limit. International guest performances have introduced young Swedish
theatre to audiences on three continents.
THEATRE FOR THE WHOLE OF
VÄSTRA GÖTALAND
Regionteater Väst: puts on theatre and
dance performances in all of Västra Götaland’s 49 municipalities. The theatre is constantly on tour but also gives performances
on its own stages in Borås and Uddevalla.
Equality and gender issues are important
topics. As is the environment: in the cabaret Ont i Klotet the entire production is
environmentally compatible.
SOME OF VÄSTRA GÖTALAND’S FILM FESTIVALS:
• Bengtsfors & Eds
Film Festival
• Frame
(young regional film)
• Göteborg International
Film Festival
• The November Festival
(young Swedish film)
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• Skövde Film Festival
FOR BUDDING TALENT
KulturUngdom: a non-profit association in
the Västra Götaland region that supports
young culture and young cultural practitioners. Today, several thousand members
receive practical help when tendencies and
ambitions are developing and need a platform. Projects like 50/50 and technical
education for girls promote gender equality
in the musical arts.
THEATRE AND DANCE:
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Atalante
Borås City Theatre
Danscentrum Väst
Folkteatern
• Göteborg City Theatre
(and Backa Theatre)
• KulturUngdom
• Regionteater Väst
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• The Swedish National
Touring Theatre
Västra Götaland
• Teatercentrum Väst
Sculpture by Jaume Plensa.
SCULPTURE IN PILANE: At Pilane on the island of Tjörn lies one of Sweden’s most beautiful ancient grave fi elds. The sheep that graze here
around the rocks and stone circles of Bohuslän have for several years
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CO N T EMP O R ARY A RT O N
H IS TORI C GROU N D
had the company of monumental sculptures by some of the world’s bestknown contemporary artists. Laura Ford’s homeless badger, Claes Hake’s
stone sculpture Pater Noster and Zhang Huan’s 7-metre tall statue of
Buddha have attracted over 75,000 visitors a year to the location,
which through project leader Peter Lennby’s efforts has become a
contemporary art gallery with ancient monuments as its backdrop.
Using historical sites to give form to today’s issues and allowing
contemporary art to sift the past is one of the most important questions of all in the region’s cultural policy. At Pilane these ambitions
have been made real. Read more at www.pilane.com
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I NSPI R AT I O N
A GREAT STRIDE FOWARD FOR ART
Art in the whole region: Four art centres
with an assignment to cooperate with and
complement each other strengthen art’s
status in Västra Götaland – Skövde Konsthall, Lokstallet in Strömstad, Dalsland Art
Museum, and Borås Art Museum. Borås is
also home to Jim Dine’s bronze sculpture
of Pinocchio, Walking to Borås, a much
talked about symbol of Västra Götaland’s
leading centre of sculpture.
ART AND DESIGN: Style, forms of expression, and traditions come together in
Västra Götaland. People who create and people who experience. Here we
present a few examples of everything that is created and put on show, and
that contributes to an inspiring, creative living environment.
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WHERE HISTORY MEETS THE FUTURE
Not Quite: Västra Götaland’s cross-border forum and network for professional
artists, craftsmen and designers. At the
old Fengersfors paper mill in Åmål, Not
Quite has created workshops, studios, a
photo lab, a gallery and an art exhibition
hall. The 18th century mill has become
an attractive tourist destination and a meeting-place for art and trade and industry.
CREATION WITHOUT BORDERS
Region Västra Götaland’s guest studio programme: an opportunity to experience
working in a new environment. Swedish
artists and craftsmen can live and work in
Germany, China, Mexico or Egypt and artists from these countries can live and work
in the Nordic Watercolour Museum’s studios in Skärhamn.
ARTS AND CRAFTS AND DESIGN IN
AN EXCITING ENVIRONMENT
Steneby College of Design: a unique cultural
centre and college in Dals Långed in Västra
Götaland’s inland. The school was established
over 75 years ago with a focus on working
with wood and furniture. Today, Steneby is
part of he School of Design and Crafts at the
University of Gothenburg.
MUSEUMS FOR ART EXPERIENCES – A SMALL SELECTION:
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Alingsås Art Gallery
Borås Art Museum
Bohusläns Art Museum
Dalslands Art Museum
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Göteborgs Museum of Art
Röda Sten
Röhsska Museum
Skövde Art Museum
• The Nordic
Watercolour Museum
The Art unit (Konstenheten) is also responsible for conserving and exhibiting the region’s
over 50,000 works of art in public premises all over Västra Götaland.
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SMART DESIGN, THINKING TEXTILES
Smart textiles: Textiles that clean the air.
Clothes that monitor the wearer’s heart
rate. At the Swedish School of Textiles in
Borås, innovation is centred on both design
and textile technology. The school conducts
extensive research on smart functions in
textiles, a coming field where Västra Götaland is already a world leader.
THE TALENT FACTORY IN SKÖVDE
Gothia Science Park: Västra Götaland is
home to some of the world’s leading young
computer game developers. The University of
Skövde has Sweden’s best game development
programme and in collaboration with Gothia Science Park, one of Västra Götaland’s
incubators, tomorrow’s game developers can
turn their ideas into commercial successes.
TERTIARY EDUCATION IN ART AND ARTS AND CRAFTS
• Angeredsateljén
• Balettakademin
• Cutters academy in
Gothenburg
• Da capo
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Region Västra Götaland supports:
Dansforum Performing Arts School • The Nordic Design School
Formakademin
• Skara skolscen
Folkuniversitetet’s Arts College • Steneby College of Design
Gerlesborg School of Fine Art
• Tibro Crafts Centre
KV Konstskola
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”Shadows” – cross-border dramatic art.
SHARE MUSIC SWEDEN: Diversity and accessibility are central issues
for culture in Västra Götaland. Share Music began with the vision of
giving young people with disabilities an opportunity to express themselves artistically. Today, Share Music carries out assignments from
Region Västra Götaland in the region and around the country. It’s main
activities comprise short courses in music, dance and drama for anyone
who wishes to create, learn and experiment in groups. Regardless of
disability or previous knowledge. The mix of art forms and people
with differing prerequisites is part of its distinctive character and the
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U N L I M I TED
CRE AT I V I T Y
creative process results in acclaimed performances and other high
quality artistic expressions. Share Music also participates in an extensive
research and method development effort centred on creativity and artistic creation as tools. Read more at www.sharemusic.se
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COM M I T M EN T
LIFELONG LEARNING: Culture and education are two sides of the same coin.
Seeking knowledge and participating in culture enrich people and the whole of
society, That is why Region Västra Götaland supports libraries, folk high schools,
museums, archives and educational associations – meeting-places for lifelong
learning.
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IT’S NEVER TOO LATE
Fristad Folk High School: is one of Sweden’s oldest folk high schools and an important part of Region Västra Götaland’s
focus on adult education. The school’s aim
is first and foremost to give people with
only a short basic education an opportunity
to continue their studies. The school also
offers courses for people on sick leave, unemployed people and people with disabilities, opening up new roads in a constantly
changing society.
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KNOWLEDGE MEETS KNOWLEDGE
Innovatum Science Park: Innovatum is
located close to the falls and locks in
Trollhättan. A development centre for
the future where academia, industry and
society collaborate, among other things
on AV technology. Images, films, animation and visualisation create new possibilities; artistic creation meets industrial
development.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH THE
WORLD OF BOOKS
Författarcentrum Väst: a non-profit association supported by Region Västra Götaland. Its activities include arranging visits
to schools and libraries by authors and
events like Forum för poesi och prosa,
Sweden’s leading platform for poetry and
prose readings. The association’s efforts
focus on spreading literature in society
and increasing contact between authors
and readers.
FLEET-FOOTED OUTFIELDERS FOR
CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Kultur i Väst: the department at Region
Västra Götaland tasked with supporting
and developing culture in the whole region
in collaboration with municipalities, associations and clubs, and educational associations. Its field of activities consists of Västra
Götaland Regional Library, Art and Culture Development, and Musik i Väst, making up an easily accessible and much demanded resource for all cultural arenas.
FOLK HIGH SCHOOLS IN VÄSTRA GÖTALAND:
• Billström Folk High School
• Dalsland Folk High School
• Fristad Folk High School
• Grebbestad Folk High School
• Göteborg Folk High School
• Vara Folk High School
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A DRIVING FORCE ON
THE LITERARY SCENE
Book days in Dalsland: Established authors,
amateur writers and avid book readers
meet over three intensive days in Håverud
and Åmål in Dalsland to explore the written
word together. An event that began locally
on a very modest scale and that has grown
into Sweden’s biggest literary summer
festival.
THE LIBRARIES’ OWN
KNOWLEDGE BANK
Västra Götaland Regional Library: service
for public libraries, hospital libraries and
school libraries is one of the regional library’s tasks, along with increasing accessibility for people with impaired vision and
other reading disabilities by means of talking magazines and recordings. The general
knowledge game Tidsjakt.se allows children and educators to discover their local
cultural and natural heritage in a new way.
KULTURLAGRET IN VÄNERSBORG – CULTURE-HISTORICAL
KNOWLEDGE IN ONE PLACE:
• 300,000 items
• 1.3 million images
• 50,000 books and
other written matter
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• Individual archives, register
of ancient monuments, etc.
World heritage site and tourist magnet.
VITLYCKE WORLD HERITAGE SITE: All around the world people have
carved and painted. At Tanum, by the sea in northwest Västra Götaland, thousands of pictures are preserved in the province’s smooth
rock surfaces. This prehistoric treasure is so significant and unique
that it has been inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage List of the
world’s cultural monuments. There are about 510 rock carving sites at
Vitlycke. Vitlycke Museum, which is part of Region Västra Götaland’s
cultural organisation, is an information centre and also runs the world
heritage preschool where natural and cultural heritage become part
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GREE T I NGS FROM
THE BRONZE AGE
of the small children’s development as they play. Every year the world
heritage site attracts about 150,000 visitors from many different countries. It is the world’s largest rock carving centre – and an important
part of the increasing culture tourism in Västra Götaland. Read more
at www.vitlyckemuseum.se
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PER SPECT I V E
NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE: In Västra Götaland everyone contributes
to the preservation and use of our cultural heritage. Museums, archives, libraries,
societies and educational associations are responsible for much of the use. Naturecultural tourism creates a foundation for all who wish to make a living from their
cultural efforts.
DISCOVER 2,000 YEARS OF HISTORY
Västarvet: is owned by the Region Västra
Götaland and is Sweden’s biggest natural
and cultural heritage administration,
with museums, historical sites, archaeological excavations and many more exciting and educational places of interest.
Västarvet also offers stimulating, educative courses and can provide answers to
questions about arts and crafts, building
conservation, animals, nature and much
more.
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WHERE HISTORY COMES ALIVE
Läckö Castle: has its origins in the 13th
century and in its present form from the
17th century. One of Sweden’s most magnificent castles, on the island of Kållandsö
in Lake Vänern, offers visitors a piece of
well-preserved living history, a renowned
250-year-old kitchen garden, and highly
topical events, exhibitions and activities.
Läckö is one of Västra Götaland’s most
popular tourist attractions.
VÄSTARVET’S MUSEUMS
AND ACTIVITIES:
• Bohusläns museum
• Lödöse museum
• Forsviks Industrial Monuments
• Vänersborg Museum
and Kulturlagret
• The Natural History Museum in
Gothenburg
• Museum of Västergötland
A TASTE FOR THE GOOD THINGS
Food as a cultural experience: Region
Västra Götaland is supporting the development of the region’s own cuisine, including
the “Gröna besöksmål” network where
Gunnebo House and Gardens promote ecological, locally produced food, “Västsvensk
Mersmak – a taste of West Sweden” with 27
certified restaurants and Skolmatsakademin
(the School Food Academy) that tells children and young people how to eat healthily.
A PRESERVED INDUSTRIAL
ENVIRONMENT IN USE AGAIN
Forsvik Industrial Monuments: the place
to experience industrial history and industrialised society’s cultural heritage. Beautiful, different milieus, exhibitions, youth
hostels, classical theatre, music, and boatbuilders, founders and smiths in action –
Forsvik is a historical tourist destination
in a constant state of development.
WEB-SITES FOR NATURE AND CULTURE TOURISTS IN VÄSTRA GÖTALAND
www.vastarvet.se
www.industrihistoria.se
www.vastsverige.com/medeltid
FOR ALL LOVERS OF OLD
BUILDINGS
Nääs Architectural Heritage: Western
Sweden’s centre for practical building
conservation and Sweden’s first centre for
building conservation, with Region
Västra Götaland’s heritage organisation
Västarvet as its supervising authority. At
Nääs, anyone interested can learn and get
expert help on conserving and renovating
old buildings – and also visit neighbouring
Nääs Manor in its fantastic 19th century
setting.
www.vastsverige.com/fagelvagen
www.vastsverige.com/gotakanal
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• Vitlycke Museum
• Västra Götaland’s homecraft
consultants
• Touring exhibitions
• Studio Västsvensk Konservering
(Conservation of Cultural Property)
Region Västra Götaland also
supports the Maritime Museum and
the City Museum in Göteborg, the
regional folk movement archives and
Västra Götaland’s local heritage and
homecraft societies.
Gustavo Dudamel, maestro of the world’s concert halls.
THE NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF SWEDEN: The Gothenburg Symphony
Orchestra has its main home in a concert hall famed for both its design
and its acoustics situated on Götaplatsen in central Göteborg. With a
long line of international tours and hundreds of recordings behind them,
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EN ERGY FOR
ALL THE SENSES
the orchestra is also the National Orchestra of Sweden with Gustavo
Dudamel, one of the music world’s great talents, as its inspiring music
director. Vara Concert Hall in the heart of Västra Götaland’s farming
country is the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra’s second home. Outside
of the concert halls, the orchestra also takes part in many different events
where orchestra, music and new groups of listeners can come together
– a way of contributing to lowering the thresholds to music. The popular
outdoor concerts are one arena, mini-tours of the region playing to
packed houses another.
Read more at www.gso.se and www.varakonserthus.se
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V I TA L I T Y
ENCOUNTERS WITH THE AUDIENCE: Folk music and rock bands. Classical music
and living history. In Västra Götaland, culture’s dynamic mix is both a source of
energy and part of the region’s development – in both a social and an economic
perspective. Region Västra Götaland is committed to creating meeting-places for
culture – both in established institutions and those that provide prerequisites for
the region’s citizens’ own creative efforts.
CREATIVITY DEVELOPS WORKING LIFE
TILLT: New angles give new perspectives.
This is the principle behind TILLT, that
has its origins in the non-profit dramatic
society Skådebanan. Today TILLT works
throughout the region to create stimulating interactions between the culture sector
and workplaces in Västra Götaland. Creativity and artistes meet environments that
traditionally have not been associated with
words like art, music, literature and dance.
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ARIAS FOR EVERYONE
The Göteborg Opera: an opera house by
the water in the Port of Göteborg and another stage in Skövde. The ensemble also
frequently go on tour, giving guest performances in theatres and schools and at
other events throughout the region. This is
how the Göteborg Opera fulfi ls its assignment of making the magical world of musical theatre accessible to everyone.
THREE COLOURFUL DAYS IN MAY
Hammarkullen Carnival: Sweden’s largest
carnival and a giant multicultural street
party that has made Göteborg suburb
Hammarkullen its home since 1974.
Always the last weekend in May, always
innumerable spectators, always unpaid
performers and officials – and always full
of dancing and music to a samba beat.
AT HOME WITH CULTURE
Gullspång’s “Everyday” festivals: the different festival concept where the citizens
of Gullspång show off their creative sides
in their home environments. Gardening,
conjuring, stamp collecting, singing,
playing computer games – “Everyday” is
a place for culture that the established
arenas may not always have room for.
Gullspång’s “Everyday” festivals create
new exciting meeting places for culture.
SOME OF VÄSTRA GÖTALAND’S EVENTS AND FESTIVALS
• Göteborg Dance and Theatre Festival
• Göteborg International Film Festival
• Göteborg International Biennial for
Contemporary Art
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• Kalv Festival
• Göteborg Culture Festival
• Summer theatre at Forsvik
COLOURFUL, IMAGINATIVE
Meeting places: Cultural life in Västra
Götaland is rich and varied. The region is
home to major institutions with an international reputation alongside a cross-art-form,
free cultural life – not least thanks to the
largest regional cultural budget in Sweden
and a focus on culture for children and
young people. The many festivals cover most
kinds of cultural expression and culminate
in the summer when festivals are held almost everywhere in Västra Götaland
PROVOCATIVE THEATRE
Folkteatern i Göteborg: renewal and a
healthy view of traditions mark a completely new era at member-owned Folkteatern.
Dramatist Lars Norén is leading the new
artistic initiative with “artists in residence”,
open rehearsals, titling in different languages and expanded cooperation with
Region Västra Götaland’s institutions. All
in a new, open theatre with accessibility
and a strong artistic profi le as its objectives.
PHOTO: Cover Johan Palmborg Pages 2-3 Jason Reed/Getty Images Page 6 Rolf Konow Page 7 Curt Warås, Michael Malmborg
Page 8 Ron Berg/Getty Images Page 9 Göteborg International Film Festival, Tobias Hermansson Page 10 Atalante, Ola Kjelbye Page 11
Regionteater Väst, Mattias Tell Pages 12-13 Peter Lennby Page 15 Sergio Joselovsky, Malin Robertson Harén Page 16 Akvarellmuseet,
Gunnar Johansson Page 17 Sergio Joselovsky, Mikael Tidkvist Page 18 Anders Fors Pages 20, 26, 32 Dan Holmqvist Page 21 Pierre
Ohlsson, Innovatum Page 22 Carl Forsberg, Nicke Johansson Page 23 Åsa Carlsson, Annika Fredberg Pages 24-25 Vitlycke Page 27
Ulf Nordh, Eva Bäcklund Page 28 Lisa Nestorson, Ingrid Sporre Page 29 Jan Olander Pages 30-31 Anna Hult Page 33 TILLT,
GöteborgsOperan Page 34 Ingmar Jernberg/pixgallery.com, Staffan Hjalmarsson Page 35 Dick Gillberg, Lina Ikse Bergman
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