Polar Talks is an international series of inspiring talks and lectures on cutting edge topics, coalescing around one central theme – the Power of Music. Polar Talks focuses on some of the myriad ways that music can produce powerful outcomes across a range of social, artistic and scientific disciplines.

This year, Polar Talks and curator Alfons Karabuda (Chairman of the Polar Music Prize Award Committee) have invited, among others, drummer Josephine Forsman (Sahara Hotnights, Casablanca), Howlin' Pelle Almqvist from the Hives and the organisation ShareMusic & Performing Arts to discuss diversity and inclusion within the musical world, and to answer the question, why is it good to play music together?

Polar TALKS is part of a complete conference program presented by the Polar Music Prize. The all day programme also includes Polar TECH and interviews with this year's Laureates of the Polar Music Prize, The Afghanistan National Institute of Music and Metallica. Tickets are sold separately for each conference and a day pass is available as well. More details here: http://www.polarmusicprize.org/polar-talks-2018/

Students from the Royal College of Music will perform Polar Music Prize inspired music live throughout the day.

All panels, talks and interviews will be held in English.

SPECIAL OFFER FROM OUR PARTNER SVENSKA BRASSERIER:
All the guests at Polar Tech, Polar Talks and Meet the Laureates will be offered a wristband that gives 20% off in the following Svenska Brasserier restaurants on 13–14 June:
Riche, Teatergrillen, Sturehof, Stockholms matmarknad, Taverna Brillo, Luzette & Ulriksdals Värdshus. Remember to pick up your wristband during the day at KMH!

KEYNOTE: Jesper Nordin: ”Gestrument – lowering the threshold to creativity”
A presentation of the Gestrument app.

PANEL 1: THE VARIATION
Moderated by Sophia Alexandersson from ShareMusic & Performing Arts
Jesper Nordin, Peter Larsson, Petra Assio

PANEL 2: THE BAND
Josephine Forsman, Alfons Karabuda, Robert Eriksson, Sofia Lilja, Jack Jönsson, Linn Persson

Alfons Karabuda
Chairman of Polar Music Prize Award Committee and of SKAP – The Swedish Society of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. Alfons will host the Polar Talks program.

Josephine Forsman
Josephine Forsman is a Swedish drummer, songwriter and instructor. A founding member of rock band Sahara Hotnights, she started playing drums at the age of 10, and has toured around the world since then, releasing albums, gaining fans and earning gold records and Grammy nominations. Josephine has hosted music shows on Swedish TV and radio, and is now using her experience of forming a band at an early age and her work with The Loud Program, a non profit music organisation in Los Angeles, to highlight the importance of music groups.

Sophia Alexandersson/ShareMusic & Performing Arts
Sophia is the CEO of ShareMusic & Performing Arts,an arts organisation staging cutting edge performances and initiating artistic processes throughout Sweden and internationally. The organisation facilitates and leads courses in performing arts with the fundamental idea to work towards a society where all human beings should have the opportunity to express themselves as artists in a world where difference is seen as valuable. World-renowned artists share the stage equally with people of different abilities. In 2017 ShareMusic was named as one of Europe’s best practices within inclusive performing arts by the international project Un-Label.

Sofia Lilja
Sofia Lilja is working as a artistcoach and mental trainer, and used to be the vocal coach on the Swedish Idol on TV4 for nine seasons. She is an inspiring and sought after lecturer in the field of achievement.

Jack Jönsson
Jack Jönsson is a 13 year old musician, he studies music and singing at musical high school Kulturama in Stockholm. Jack composes, sings, plays the guitar and drums in punk band Jönssonligan. The band will soon release their first single on Wild Kingdom/Sound Pollution.

Jesper Nordin
Jesper Nordin is a leading Swedish composer, and one who has garnered considerable international acclaim in recent years. His music, with its powerful emotional impact and traces of traditional Swedish folk music, rock music and improvised music, is broadcast and performed throughout the world.

Peter Larsson
Peter is a musician, member of the electroduo Parasonic together with Paul Bothén.

Petra Assio
The president of the student union at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.

Robert Eriksson
Drummer and founding member of legendary Swedish rock band The Hellacopters.

Howlin' Pelle Almqvist
Lead singer of The Hives.

Polar Talks & Tech are presented by the Polar Music Prize in collaboration with the Royal College of Music (Kungl. Musikhögskolan) and Invest Stockholm.