Totally Stockholm 1
Each year we try to find a global name that embod
ies our core values as a festival: Bravery, creativity, innovation and punk attitude! you have an entire festival powered and made by women, non-binary and trans artists? For Stoff it means making a bold statement. L: Stoff is and was created as a platform to encourage work that is bold. Work that questions the structures of the art industry and society. It´s a reflection of the days we live in and it came about rather organically. The headline show is clearly Peaches Christ Superstar. She cancelled last year but one could argue a case for the show being very well-suited to this year’s theme. It is also a bigger name than what Stoff usually offers the audience. How do you think this influence the festival and people’s perception of it? L: Of course, inviting bigger names is a way to bring awareness to the festival. In the past we´ve had names like Forced Entertainment, Mykki Blanco and John Malkovich. It´s important that the groups or artists present work that in some way has been groundbreaking and challenged structures. H: It was truly a sad situation last year as Peaches lost her beloved father and when that sort of thing happens you sort of drop all ‘what ifs’. But if she had performed in the last edition, no doubt it would have been an incredible addition to that festival, and even though it is an amazing year to have her, I am certain we would have programmed another female, non-binary or trans act with the same calibre to this year’s event. A: We feel privileged to have been able to book Peaches in the first place. Each year we try to find a global name that embodies our core values as a festival: Bravery, creativity, innovation and punk attitude! Peaches is all that and more! So was Christeene, Mykki Blanco, Forced Entertainment and John Malkovich, in their own ways. The notion of A-list talent does elevate the entire event. The 14 Team STOFF: Adam Potrykus, Lina Karlmark, Helena Bunker untimely passing of Peaches’ father was a major set-back for us, but most of all, a very hard time for Peaches, who in her career before that, to my knowledge, has never had to cancel any gigs. I remember seeing Peaches at a festival in London a bunch of years ago. She had broken her leg or knee, and rocked through an entire concert in a pimped wheelchair! Having this tour de force coming back for our X edition, is amazing, and we look forward to seeing her live on stage at Orionteatern in Peaches Christ Superstar and getting to know the woman who inspires artists across the globe, in an intimate Live Q & A with Tiina Rosenberg at Zita cinema (after the Peaches Does Herself film screening). What’s the one thing the audience shouldn’t miss from this year’s festival? Do you each have a personal highlight you want to share with us? H: It is very hard to pick one out of 94 unique acts but we are thrilled to welcome back the indigenous rapper Aku Matu from Alaska, who took the festival by storm in 2011. A: I have a fair few shows I’m really curious about. But our audience should pour themselves a drink and flick through the 94-page programme guide. Our team has prepared ‘recommendation pathways’ through the programme. Depending on the mood you’re in, you can pick to follow one or several of ten pre-set directions such as ‘Just Give Me That Festival Feeling’, ‘Night Out With Mom’, ‘100% Queer’, ‘Interesting People, Quality Stories’ or ‘Sex, Genitals and Gender’! Make your own fringe! Dive into Stoff X and enjoy the swim! L: I would say, don´t miss out on the performances at Bångska Våningen, an amazing space. Also our off-venue performances like Soak, which is in a secret location. And use the recommendation paths that Adam mentioned. It’s a good way to make your own Fringe experience. My favourite is the ‘Shock and Challenge Me’ path. Stockholm Fringe Festival STOFF X will go ahead between September 3-7 across multiple venues around Stockholm. Photo: Hedda Axelsson