Four cultural creators in Norrbotten have been awarded the Rubus Arcticus stipend, sharing 400,000 kronor. The prize, marking its 30th year this year, honors professional figures with regional ties. Recipients include author Linda Jones and musician Viktor Krutrök.
The Rubus Arcticus stipend, one of Sweden's largest cultural prizes, has been awarded to seven recipients this year. The four main stipendiates in the Rubus Arcticus category each receive 100,000 kronor, sharing a total of 400,000 kronor. The recipients are artist Stina Edin for the visual arts and design stipend, author Linda Jones for the literature stipend, musician Viktor Krutrök for the music stipend, and actor and director Harleen Kalkat for the stage poetry stipend.
Linda Jones, a former SVT Norrbotten contributor, expresses great joy over the award. "It feels really fun and very honoring," she says. She also highlights the prize's symbolic value: "There's so much honor in it, not just the money but a stamp that shows you're a cultural figure in Norrbotten."
Harleen Kalkat, based in Moskosel, points to the challenges for cultural workers in the inland. "As a cultural worker in the inland, you work a lot in the shadows, so this is a nice spotlight on what I do," she says.
In addition to the four main prizes, smaller stipends were also distributed. The honors and merit stipend of 50,000 kronor went to musician and photographer Ulf B. Jonsson. The sports stipend of 50,000 kronor was awarded to Johan Myrberg from Luleå Kayak Club, while the sports leadership stipend of 30,000 kronor went to Ida Sjögren from Luleå Public Figure Skating Association.
The prize was established 30 years ago by Region Norrbotten to support and recognize local cultural creators and sports figures.
