INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Festival & Forum 21 – Festival & Forum for the Arts of the 21st Century.

A festival with the ambition to demonstrate how the Arts could transform chaos into harmony by giving keys to ALL THE WORLDS OF MUSIC to all children.

Festival & Forum 21 is engaging world class artists like Gidon Kremer and his orchestra Kremerata Baltica as well as respected scientists, pedagogues, doctors, criminologists and economists. Concerts are surrounding a conference with lectures and discussions about why and how music should become a substatial part of children’s school curriculums.

Researchers have for decades reported about the impact of music upon the development of children’s brains. Yet, most decision makers reduce music in school curriculums to ”pleasure activities stealing time from theoretical school subjects”. There is a real lack of understanding that the process of making music, rehearsing fingerings and melodies and being part of structured rehearsal processes are training children’s brains. Working in disciplined ways towards clear goals in near future, like performances, create a harmonic study environment benefitting all other subjects.

The goal is to turn Festival & Forum 21 into a yearly returning international music festival.

Invitation to become a pilot community involving all children in music

With Festival & Forum 21 we take the first step realizing a scientific research project ”From Bullet to Fiddle”. We invite communities to become pilot communities. We will raise funds from foundations, corporations, private donors and many other sources to enable our pilot communities to engage all their children in making music throughout all school years.

Together with scientific institutions we aim to explore if we through musical classrooms can turn chaotic schools into harmonic study environments. Can musical classrooms prevent destructive behaviors, criminal gangs and violence in streets?

We have received positive reactions of support from among others The Swedish Princess Christina who has expressed appreciation for the project and wished us success. Lars Strannegård, the Principal of the Stockholm School of Economics, has described the initiative as crucial.

By participating in Norrköping Festival & Forum 21 in August, 28-30, 2026 you can be part of making a better future!

Stockholm, May 4, 2026

Göran Staxäng

Director, Festival & Forum 21