I was asked to do a talk about my training and career in the field of performing arts, for the theatre- and film students at Sigtuna Folkhögskola (community college), just north of Stockholm.
First of all, we established that all of the aproxiamtely 40 people in the room, except one, had seen me on TV as the character ”Henrik” in the Vintergatan series. So I had to talk about that. (And pose for pics afterwards…)
I also touched on my route to theatre, from high-school, to getting a role in a TV drama as an 18 year old, which paid for my six months in Vancouver where I auditioned for the acting programme at SFU, etc, etc… As a teenager, I didn’t know there was such a thing as Teaterhögskolan, or that there were theatre programmes at community colleges. Young people do need insights into the various ways to a career on stage or behind it, to better know what is possible and right for them.
I spoke about my years doing expeditions to areas of crisis, with Clowns without Borders, and I spoke about the important ”Gender on stage” project I was part of, at the four theatre academies in Sweden.
Inspiration went both ways, I hope!
Pelle Hanæus 