Did you miss the premiere of Fogelstad Music Theatre’s new production? Then you should make your way to Åsadalen, where the ideas of the Women’s Citizens’ School are being brought back to life.

This year marks the centenary of the opening of the revolutionary school in Fogelstad, Julita.

It was founded by a collective of five women in the wake of women gaining the right to vote in 1921. The aim was to provide education for women of all ages and from all social classes, and in the process to strengthen their confidence and sense of self-worth.

Highlighting women’s struggles
Against this historical backdrop, Fogelstad Music Theatre presents The Heart, the Head, the Hand – Three Dangerous Hs on the closing day at Åsadalen.

– We want to highlight how these women’s struggles brought about major changes in Sweden during the 20th century, says artistic director and scriptwriter Marie Selander.

The school’s founders – Elisabeth Tamm, Honorine Hermelin, Elin Wägner, Ada Nilsson and Kerstin Hesselgren – were far ahead of their time, Selander notes.

The fictional “Komtemåtta“
– They understood early on the need for active participation from their “students“ in their pedagogy. They were called course participants, not pupils. They used role-play in their civic education teaching through the fictional municipality of Komtemåtta. They recognised the role of culture in teaching: drama, music, storytelling, art. They saw the link between waging war on the earth and having peace on earth. They understood the importance of culture in every activity.

Until the school’s closure in the mid-1950s, a large number of women from different backgrounds and with different experiences took part in its courses. For many, their time at Fogelstad became a life-changing turning point.

Awakening, not steering
Ultimately, the purpose of the school was to equip women to participate in building society on equal terms with men. But what has become of the Citizens’ School’s ideas? How much has been achieved, and what has been lost?

One concrete conclusion of the production is that there is still a great deal left to do in society.

– Democracy is under threat, the earth and the forests are under threat, peace is under threat, and we humans are under threat. The motto of the production is “to awaken, not to steer“, which was also Fogelstad’s motto.

The Heart, the Head, the Hand – Three Dangerous Hs reminds us that as citizens, we must also remain active today.

– It depends on us, as Elisabeth Tamm once put it. We address new aspects of women’s struggle, the situation in Iran, and the Sami people’s threatened rights to their land.

The school was aimed exclusively at women. Is there today a need for a similar educational initiative specifically for women – or perhaps for another group in society?

– My own feeling is that – even though we’re now in 2025 – there is still a need for separate groups. For several years I was active in Popkollo for young girls, which had a real impact on our times. I believe in the need for educational initiatives that strengthen vulnerable groups in society, but the goal must always be to work together, to integrate.

Text: Henrik Wising
Photos: Lasse Johansson and Eino Evald