Culture scholarships
Every year, the Sten A Olsson Foundation awards culture scholarships in several artistic disciplines such as performing arts - music, dance, theatre, circus - visual arts, literature and film.
Culture scholarships 2022
Zerjon
Abebe
Zerjon Abebe is a dancer, a choreographer, and one of the founders of the Gothenburg-based international dance company Twisted Feet and the Twisted Feet Dance Academy.
I work with people; dance is just my vehicle to achieve that.
Kerstin
Avemo
The soprano Kerstin Avemo has won much acclaim for her standout performances both internationally and in Sweden, and particularly at the Gothenburg Opera.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been singing. I don’t primarily see myself as a singer, though: I’m a performer, always looking for new modes of expression.
Gizem
Kling Erdogan
Gizem Kling Erdogan was born and raised in Högsbo, Gothenburg. Television audiences know her from major roles in series such as the drama Caliphate, a turn that earned her a Kristallen award for best actress in a TV production.
My career choice is based on a need to tell stories, and in a desire to explore and portray the complicated and intricate ties that shape us human beings.
Helena
Hansson
For the first time in the history of the Stena Foundation, one of our scholarships will be awarded to a translator. Helena Hansson lives in Gothenburg and one of the authors she has translated into Swedish are the 2021 Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah.
The whole point is to convey something beyond just facts and events, this includes the rhythm, flow, voice, and any connotations and associations present.
Eric
Magassa
The artist Eric Magassa is based in Gothenburg, but he spent a great deal of time in France when he grew up, mainly in Paris. He studied at Central Saint Martins in London and the Art Students League in New York for six years in the 1990s.
I want my art to speak directly to people – like a drumbeat, a musical note or a chord that instantly registers.
Jelizaveta
Suska
At the age of 24, jewellery artist Jelizaveta Suska moved from Riga till Gothenburg in 2013 to complete her master’s degree at the School of Design and Crafts (HDK) at the University of Gothenburg. In her work, she adventurously combines materials such as polymers, gold, semi-precious stones, and marble in highly unexpected ways.
My favourite perspective is that of Thumbelina: I imagine what it would be like to land on one of my brooches if you were as tiny as Thumbelina and discover an amazing landscape.
161 successful culture scholars
Every year, the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture awards culture scholarships to three to six scholars. The scholarships cover several artistic disciplines, such as the performing arts (music, dance, theatre, circus) the visual arts, as well as literature and film.
Since 1996, when the Foundation was established and including the scholarships 2022, 161 scholarships have been awarded to support individual artistic development of the scholars. The recipients represent Sweden’s top artists in various genres, and many have gone on to make a name for themselves internationally.
It is not possible to apply for the Foundation’s culture scholarships.
