After 40 years, classic music theater school forced to close

After 40 years of operation, the music theater school in Bjärnum faces closure, leaving 40 admitted students unable to begin their studies. The school's financial woes stem from the bankruptcy of its parent institution, Markaryds folkhögskola, last year. This situation highlights a broader trend of declining enrollment in Sweden's folk high schools, which have seen a 10% drop in participants since 2022.

The school had operated as a branch of Markaryds folkhögskola for 35 years. The parent school's bankruptcy, attributed to rising societal costs and state subsidies not keeping pace with inflation, created a domino effect. Although Eslövs folkhögskola temporarily took over, the state subsidies allocated to Markaryds folkhögskola did not transfer, making it impossible for Eslöv to continue running the Bjärnum branch.

“

We have existed for 40 years and now we are being completely erased.

"We have existed for 40 years and now we are being completely erased," said Sara Städe, the former course manager. She noted that the school had previously been financially stable with high demand. Efforts to secure funding through private sponsors and donations allowed the school to operate for an additional year after facing closure last summer, but these measures proved insufficient.

“

We have previously not had financial problems and we have always had high demand.

Städe explained that while Markaryd's closure occurred after the current academic year's state funding was already secured, the transfer issue with Eslöv complicated matters. The school explored various solutions, including applying to become a vocational university, but their application was rejected. "We have turned over so many stones, but nothing is working out," Städe lamented.

Nationally, the decline in folk high school enrollment is partly linked to the cessation of pandemic-related support and the absence of cost-of-living adjustments in state funding, according to Olle Westberg, secretary-general of the Swedish National Association of Folk High Schools. He stated that the removal of support at the end of 2023 led to the loss of 2,500 students, coinciding with a surge in inflation that outpaced state budget increases.

“

We have turned over so many stones, but nothing is working out.