I once again had the pleasure of appearing on the TV program Go'kväll, this time alongside the American country singer Doug Seegers. What an extraordinary person he is!
You may remember Doug from Jill Johnson’s TV show Jills veranda. His life story is both moving and inspiring.
Doug lived in poverty and struggled with addiction. In a moment of desperation, he prayed to God for the strength to break free from his dependence. He then made a firm decision to get sober and, shortly afterward, found himself, as he often had before, playing his guitar on a street corner in Nashville near a soup kitchen where he used to eat.
That day, Jill Johnson and singer Magnus Carlson happened to walk by. When Doug performed his song Going Down to the River, they were so moved that they immediately offered him the chance to record the track in Johnny Cash’s legendary studio.
TheTV program then ended up revolving around Doug, his background, and that powerful song that came to change his life. Since then, Doug has regularly returned to Sweden for tours, and his music and life story continue to inspire and touch people worldwide.
One day, I received a phone call asking if I would consider becoming a mentor. The caller was Christine Hemdal Sandling.
At the time Christine worked at Region Norrbotten’s cultural department and was participating in the development program Latitude 66 in Luleå. She was looking for a mentor for the final phase of the program. After a first meeting, I gladly accepted her request.
It has been incredibly rewarding to follow Christine’s journey and development. Today, she is the Deputy Cultural Director for the region - a role that truly reflects her competence and drive!
This year, SKR’s (Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions) annual cultural conference was held in Skellefteå at Sara Kulturhus, and I was in attendance. It was wonderful to reconnect with old colleagues and friends I hadn’t seen in a long time.
At the last minute, I was asked to lead a workshop due to a speaker’s illness. I accepted, quickly familiarized myself with the topic, and prepared some thoughts and ideas. The workshop went very well—as did the entire conference.
The conference featured several inspiring talks, but two stood out to me. The first was about Radical Love – Care as Resistance, a program series exploring care practices within artistic and activist queer and BIPOC communities. The second focused on Moskosel Creative Lab, a project where artists from around the world work on various initiatives in the small village of Moskosel, in Arvidsjaur municipality. It was fascinating to hear one of the founders share what’s happening up there in Norrbotten.
I was so inspired that I now truly want to visit!
Another inspirational speaker at the conference was a dear colleague, textile artist Britta Marakatt Labba - the pride of Sápmi’s.
Years ago, when we met at Giron Sámi Teáhter, I admired her incredible artistry. Why I didn’t buy one of her exquisite pieces back then is beyond me!
Today, Britta’s beautiful works are displayed at institutions such as the Uppsala Art Museum and the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg.
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