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about
Fairytales in Craft is a multisensory playscape of craft-objects inspired by invented contemporary mythologies. It involves collaboration of several HDK-Steneby alumnis and performing arts professionals. The project wants to encourage and learn from the way kids understand their world through play. We are based in Dals Langed, in the heart of Dalsland.
We want to make Dalsland magic by offering a narrative hub, an entrance to a story that stretches out temporally and geographically in all directions. This hub is a play-friendly museum-like scenography appealing to all senses. To achieve this we will make use of the combination of craft skills, material knowledge and innovative artistic thinking that exists in unusual abundance in this area and makes it the special place it is. Almost magic.
The project is not just about flight of fantasy for children: we are interested in researching whether imaginative storytelling can stimulate making skills. The pilot project that we’re working on at the moment attempts to lay a basis for that exploration: it delivers a materialisation of a fairytale, and through active engagement in a dreamlike, immersive environment takes children on a journey which ends in several possible ways: be it making, storytelling, or adventure play.
Although members of our group come from 7 different countries, we want to keep the project closely connected to Dalsland. And on multitude of levels: through themes in fairytales we invent, to collaboration with local kids in creation of space. We believe this idea can grow into something that will nurture both the academic side of Dals Langed, as well as bringing benefit to local touristic development.
The project wants to achieve:
- An immersive storytelling environment characterized by the unique context of Steneby and Dals Långed, which regardless of the outcome of the pilot can be used in several different ways.
- Offer this adventure to kids.
- A method to inspire and empower kids to make things.
- A method for crossdisciplinary collaboration within craft, performing arts, pedagogy, tourism, and place development.
- Develop the area of Långbron to become more attractive for both tourists and local community.
- Shroud Dalsland in a layer of mythology: through storytelling achieve an intangible touris attraction.
- Collaborate with the civil society, the municipality, the local business sector, the university.
- Give Stenebyalumnis possibilities to implement their skills in the area and keep them connected even after leaving to other parts of the world.
- Gain experience and knowledge to be able to assess the continuation of the project.
Collaborators:
The municipality (Bengtsfors kommun)
Stenebyskolan and HDK at Steneby
Steneby-alumnis. Both Dalsland-dwellers and those who have moved on.
Local community – kids and their parents
Local professionals – performing arts, graphic design
Tourism-actors
The project is supported by Mötesplats Steneby,
HDK school of design and crafts, University of Gothenburg,
