The 60th anniversary of Skövde Kulturhus will be celebrated in the next seven days. The program includes art, music, theater and much more. At the Odeon cinema there is also The 2024 Film Festival. The hope is to attract both Skövde residents and visitors from elsewhere.

Sweden's first cultural center

Skövde Kulturhus was opened in 1964 and was the first of its kind in Sweden. It originally consisted of two buildings, which were merged into one in the 1990s. It now houses a library, art museum, cinema and a theater with six stages - plus an outdoor stage.

- For me, this is a magnificent cultural center. It is built with great care using exclusive materials. For example, the brick is knocked by hand and burned at the brickworks across the street," says Thomas Oldrell, Head of Art at Skövde Municipality.

The cultural center has around 250,000 visitors every year. In addition to Skövde residents, many are attracted from other cities and towns.

- In terms of infrastructure, Skövde is perfectly located. It is close to Gothenburg and in Skaraborg, where about 300,000 people live, it is never more than an hour's drive here," says Öivin Tronstad, Stage and Event Manager at Skövde Municipality.

Thomas Oldrell believes that Kulturhuset is both close to the hearts of many Skövde residents - and has great value for how others outside Skövde see the city.

 - I hope that Jubilee Week will help even more people discover all that is here. And understand that things are happening all the time, every day, all year round. There is great strength in bringing culture together in one building, in one place," he adds:

- We like to talk about the effects of overspill, a word that comes from the architect of the Kulturhaus, Heineman. You can return a book, while you take the opportunity to check out an art exhibition, or spot a theater performance you want to attend that evening.

Culture is important for Skövde

Attracting new groups is part of Skövde municipality's long-term work with cultural activities.

- We want to create culture that appeals to everyone, and an important group is children and young people. There is also a destination idea, which means that we want to attract new citizens here," says Öivin Tronstad.

Öivin books many tours with famous artists. And he sees a big change just in the last few years. He used to have to chase organizers, now they come to him. 

- I hope it can help put Skövde on the map in the same way that we have become a destination for computer games and game development," he says.

What are your top tips for anniversary week?

- There is so much, but perhaps we will show what is hidden behind the scenes in Kulturhuset. Including the theatre, which has been closed for six months and is now rebuilt and modernized, says Öivin Tronstad.

- "I'm looking forward to the book release for the Art Museum's book about the Italian sculptor Luciano Minguzzi's work, Monument to Man. It stood on Kulturhustorget when Skövde Kulturhus was inaugurated, says Thomas Oldrell.

Thomas Oldrell takes the opportunity to push that the last chance to see the work is in the Small Gallery at the Art Museum, between November 28 and February 9.

- It will be both a swan song for a time that has passed, and a tribute to the ideas of democracy and the power of the human being that we still carry with us since the cultural center was inaugurated. Something we perhaps need to be reminded of now more than ever," he concludes.

Read more about culture in Skövde here!