Magnus Ekwall

"When the children's eyes light up, I am happiest"

- The second grade choir “Tvåornas kör” came about after we’d looked at the activities offered by Malmö’s Culture School (Malmö Kulturskolan) and realized that we needed to be more accessible throughout the city. We needed to reach out better to everyone and in an equal way. I was working as a music teacher and came up with the idea of ​​getting children from all parts of the city to learn and practice the same musical repertoire and then put the choirs together to perform a big concert. It has been ten fantastic years with a lot of great events. Today, “Tvåornas kör” is located in 20 cities around Sweden.

- It's so cool to see 300 children on stage at Malmö Live with 1000 people in the audience. All the children have rehearsed the same songs and are equally nervous. They wear the same shirts and at that moment everyone is the same, regardless of background or where you come from. The conditions and requirements are the same: they all want to do their best. Then they start singing, the nervousness drops away and the smiles come out. Mingling around in the foyer after the concert is actually a bit magical, with the pride of the parents and the joy of the children. They have done something together and the parents have seen their children, but they have also seen Malmö.

- For me, public access to arts and culture is about ensuring that all children in Malmö have an equal opportunity to take part in it. We must spread knowledge and awareness of culture so that they understand their rights and can take advantage of them. If you want to go to Malmö’s Culture School, you should be able to go. Or not go, if you don’t want to. But you have to know that the opportunity exists.

- It’s about building a society where everyone has equal opportunities. It should not matter where you live or what parents you have. I believe that culture can play a very important role in offering people room to breathe and express themselves. Everyone should have the same right to the alternative forms of expression ​that are constituted in, for example, theatre or music. And it is our job to provide the conditions for that.

- The small, seemingly simple meeting is often very rewarding. When you see the children's eyes light up and they tell you that they already can’t wait for the next time. Or when we go to camp. Sure, it's important that we practice and perform, but it's just as important that we hang out and eat chips together in the evening. When I see that we make a difference, that's when I feel the best about the work.