Teater Fryshuset – Changing stories

For 15 years, Teater Fryshuset has used real-life stories on stage to reach young people at risk of social exclusion. Now the method is being systematised and shared with theatres in Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom.

About the project

«Berättelser som förändrar» (Changing stories) will develop and quality-assure a transferable method in which testimonial theatre, performances built on real-life stories, is used to prevent destructive social exclusion among young people. The method combines an existing production from Teater Fryshuset with local grounding through an on-site «bridge-builder», and a moderated conversation with the audience after the performance. The method will be tested through three pilots during the project period: in Sweden and the United Kingdom in 2028, and in Norway in 2029, in partnership with Stiftelsen Norrbottensteatern, Coldstore Theater CIC and The Globe Ensemble AS. Schools are the main arena, and the performances form part of a process that includes preparatory material, moderated dialogue and follow-up. The project is expected to reach 17,500 young people directly during the project period, eventually rising to around 25,000 a year once the method is fully operational.

How will Kavli Trust’s funding be used

The funding covers method development, project management, artistic supervision, local adaptation and delivery of the three pilots, as well as documentation and evaluation. SEK 400,000 goes to each pilot, in addition to SEK 200,000 for set-up work for the pilots in Norway and the United Kingdom. The receiving theatres themselves contribute significant resources in the form of venues, technical equipment, production and staff.

About the organisation

Stiftelsen Fryshuset is a religiously and politically independent, non-profit foundation established in 1984, running around 60 operations for children and young people across Sweden. Teater Fryshuset is the foundation’s nationwide, touring theatre operation, using documentary and testimonial theatre built on real-life stories about issues including violence, crime, extremism and self-destructive behaviour. The theatre normally reaches around 10,000 young people a year; in 2025 it reached almost 15,000. Kavli Trust already supports Fryshuset through the project «4uvas», but this is the first time the partnership goes directly to Teater Fryshuset.