The absence of artists taking a stand on the climate issue spurred Angelina Pavanelli and Ingrid Stenlund to get involved themselves. With their performance Alarm, they want both to create recognition and convey hope for the future.

The tour of Alarm through Sörmland may be over, but the works that make up the show live on – as does the collaboration between the two creators.

On 24 May at Åsadalen, pop artist Angelina Pavanelli and performance poet Ingrid Stenlund will appear with a shortened version of their much-noted climate show.

– We’re really excited to take part, says Angelina Pavanelli, who initiated the performance.

Hard-to-find commitment
– I was organising a climate festival in Eskilstuna and sat down to book artists and performers producing popular culture with climate as the focus. It turned out to be incredibly difficult! Across the whole of Sweden, there are very few artists writing on the theme – and even fewer doing so within the framework of pop music.

She contacted performance poet Ingrid Stenlund and asked if she would like to contribute to the festival.

– That led to her writing and performing an amazing series of climate poems. I thought: “This needs to be done more!“

The result was the pop-and-poetry performance Alarm, which – in collaboration with Scenkonst Sörmland – has moved both reviewers and audiences.

Missing the stand
– We’ve both felt the lack of music and lyrics that take a clear stance on the climate issue while still feeling relevant. I find that many pop lyrics either get stuck in a vague, metaphorical language or just fall flat. I’ve always admired Angelina’s ability to make the big questions relatable, says Ingrid Stenlund.

She and Angelina quickly agreed not to create a show that felt hectoring or overly alarmist.

– So we chose an approach where virtually all the works are written from a personal and emotional perspective – where we believe everyone can recognise something of themselves, says Angelina.

“I’ve started to feel more hopeful“
Alarm explores the difficult and complex emotions around the climate crisis – such as fear, doubt and frustration – but also the fighting spirit. Angelina again:

– I feel a whole mix of things about the climate crisis and the dystopian times we live in. These feelings are definitely a big part of my everyday life, and they vary depending on my mental state.

– But above all, I feel a drive to get involved and to try to contribute to being part of the solution – somehow, to some extent!

Ingrid:

– Lately, I’ve actually started to feel more hopeful! I think it’s largely thanks to this project. Being able to dive deep and process the difficult emotions through creativity has made it easier also to see the positive forces that exist.

Text: Henrik Wising
Photo: Alvin Wedstedt