by Lamees Matwadia

(also see NWU-KMH academic exchange programme continues)

Our first month in Stockholm was quite wonderful! We were welcomed by Prof Eva Nivbrant Wedin, who is also our Eurhythmics and Didactics lecturer at Kungl. Musikhögskolan (KMH). Upon our arrival, we went to the school for orientation and were quite thrown off by the fact that the cars not only drove on the other side of the road, but also that the driver’s seat was now on the left. After this adjustment, it was quite nice to explore different modes of transport, such as the metro, the bus, and the ferry, which make travel in this country so easy and accessible for all. These are a few places that we explored:

• The Kulturhuset Stadsteatern (Culture House State Theatre), which at the time had an exhibition titled Total Metal, showcasing the emergence and growth of heavy metal music in Sweden.
• The Royal Swedish Opera House [below, left], where we got an exclusive guided tour for our Swedish Language & Culture class.
• The ABBA Museum [below, right], which focuses not only on the band, but also on their lives before the band and when they all went on to pursue solo projects and reunited for their album Voyage.

In our first month at KMH, we have had the opportunity to explore a different means of education, not only how we can learn through movement, but also how we can teach others through movement. This type of teaching ensures that the classroom is an inclusive learning environment, as it equips us with lifelong skills as educators and in life. KMH also provided us with the opportunity to observe the Swedish Radio Orchestra’s rehearsal, which was quite phenomenal to witness. Another highlight of our educational journey at KMH was when we had the opportunity to perform with the Drakensburg Boys Choir, which brought a slice of home to Sweden. We learnt a lot in workshops and rehearsals from their teachers, NWU alumni Carin Louw and Jacques Linde.