Creative Summer Jobs 2022

In the summer of 2021, the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður, in collaboration with the town's youth centre, Hamarinn, decided to revive the project “Creative summer jobs”which had been run in the summer of 2017. It then invited individuals and groups aged 18-20 to come forward with ideas for creative projects in Hafnarfjörður. Selected groups were given the opportunity to work on various creative projects in different areas of the arts, which would also enliven the town's social life and delight tourists and residents in one way or another.

The staff of Creative Summer Jobs, run as part of the Hafnarfjörður Summer School, are tasked with bringing the town to life, making it more fun, beautiful and diverse with artistic and creative events. The projects are varied and appeal to different age groups and interests. Klara Ósk Elíasdóttir is the project manager for Creative Summer Jobs.

Six varied and creative projects this year

This summer, there are six groups and/or individuals working as part of the Creative Summer Jobs scheme. These diverse projects include a podcast, songwriting and performance, a visual artist, a children's book author, and an original string quartet. 

The podcast “Book Talk” Lára Debarúna Árnadóttir / Kolbrún María Másdóttir

Kiljuhjal is a podcast hosted by Kolbrún María Másdóttir and Lára Debarúnu Árnadóttir. The friends shine a light on books by women, and the idea behind Kiljuhjal is to create a kind of book club in the form of a podcast, with the aim of encouraging young people to read. Kiljuhjal began a partnership with Storytel in June and ran a fantastic giveaway sponsored by them.

You can follow the friends here:

Book Talk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiljuhjal/

KILJUHJAL on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7zcMR6srvqtidTt8uXkvwL

GÚA MARGRÉT BJARNADÓTTIR / “GÚA”

Gúa Margrét Bjarnadóttir, or “Gúa”, is a songwriter, pianist and singer. Her project this summer is to put the finishing touches on an EP. She works on the music, writing and recording the songs, and the accompanying graphic visuals, which are designed specifically for each song and play in the background on a large screen during performances. In July, when the songs are ready, she will travel around Hafnarfjörður, armed with a keyboard and microphone, singing the songs in cafés, shops and care homes, as well as holding a launch concert at the Hamar youth centre in September.

Magnús Trevenen Davíðsson / “Kids on Holiday”

Magnús Trevenen Davíðsson is a songwriter, guitarist and singer who performs under the stage name “Kids on Holiday”. Magnús's project this summer is to finalise a short-disc, or so-called “EP”, on which he writes all the songs and records them himself, and will release the tracks at the end of the summer. Magnús was a prominent sight in the centre of Hafnarfjörður on the 17th of June at the Austurgata Festival, where he sang and played for passers-by and made a splash when he performed on the evening programme later that same day.

CHILDREN'S BOOK (A CHRISTMAS CALENDAR IN BOOK FORM) HRAFNHILDUR EMMA BJÖRNSDÓTTIRTTIR / “SEIZE”

Hrafnhildur Emma Björnsdóttir, “HREMMA”, is a Hafnarfjörður-based artist and writer. This summer, Hremma is working on writing and illustrating the Christmas calendar 'Katla and Leó Save Christmas' and adapting it into a book. The idea has evolved a great deal since its inception; what was first intended as television content became a book, then a comic book, and now, once again, a book.

The book „Katla and Leó Save Christmas“ is about the adventures of the siblings, Katla and Leó, and their dad, Grím and Kára, in the run-up to Christmas. The family lights the four Advent candles, shops for Christmas presents at Kringlan, and the children receive gifts in their shoes from 13 famous brothers. The siblings discover a secret about the Yule Lads and find out that Christmas is in danger. The story also involves earthquakes, a rescue mission, and Grýla's attempt to learn how to use a smartphone.

More about the project: https://sites.google.com/view/joladagatal/heim

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/katlaogleo/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katla_og_leo/

WORLD PREMIERE STRING QUARTET – “Hafnarfjörður” ÚLFUR ÞÓRARINSSON

Viola player Úlfur Þórarinsson, a member of the Youth Symphony Orchestra, is composing his debut work this summer, which is working titled “Hafnarfjörður”. The work is a string quartet in 4 movements, all of which are named after places or parts of Hafnarfjörður. Úlfur will perform the work at the Gamla Apótekið in Hafnarborg on 18 August.

FINE ART – “INSECTA HAFNARFJÖRÐUR” / SINDRI KRISTINSSON

This summer, visual artist and painter Sindri Kristinsson is painting insects of various sizes and types on different surfaces, including canvas, stone slabs and paper. Sindri will exhibit the works at a formal opening in Hafnarborg on 18 August. Sindri meticulously researches his subject each time, reading up on the animals and familiarising himself with them before bringing them to life in his paintings. We will get to see a completely different side to these unpopular animals, which become truly magnificent in Sindri's hands.

On the same day that Sindri premieres his works, he will also take part in the premiere of a newly composed string quartet, previously mentioned, as part of the Creative Summer Jobs programme. Sindri is also a violinist in the Youth Symphony Orchestra.

So, these creative young people have plenty to keep them busy, and it will be exciting to follow their progress this summer. Each project will be covered in more detail on a weekly basis!