Skillnaden prize 2025 goes to Rita Paqvalén

The Prize and Scholarship Committee at the Svenska Teatern has decided to award a prize from the Gerda Wrede and Runar Schauman Fund this year to Rita Paqvalén, whose efforts in the cultural industry have made a big difference.

The Prize and Scholarship Committee at the Svenska Teatern is awarding the theatre prize Skillnaden for the seventh time. The prize was presented at the Cefistos Theatre Days by Svenska Teatern’s responsible dramaturg Maria Lundström on 17th of November at Wasa Theatre. The jury awards the prize with the following justification:

Rita Paqvalén

”Rita is a versatile professional who has worked in the cultural field for a long time, she has published several books (e.g. Queera minnen, 2021), written articles and engaged in issues through discussion and debate.

Rita has contributed to the theatre field with broad and deep knowledge of equity issues through her work as an executive director at Culture for All Service. With an open, humble and sharp gaze, she can analyze power structures and dissect social norms and ingrained behavioral patterns. Rita is interested in making visible what lies outside the norm and works for intersectional inclusion both when it comes to those who work with theatre and those who sit in the audience. Rita is sensitive to subtle nuances and is happy to engage in dialogue on issues that affect culture, literature and theatre. Rita has contributed to a more equal and more conscious theatre field.”

Important to work for the right to culture

Before the award ceremony at the Vaasa Theatre Days, Rita Paqvalén said that she is extremely happy and humbled to receive this important award.

- It feels particularly significant that the work of making visible and breaking exclusionary norms within the performing arts field is being recognized. It is important to promote everyone's opportunities to work in the theatre and to participate in it as an audience. In an era marked by war, increasing polarization in society and cuts in both the cultural and social sectors, it is important that all of us in the arts field work to strengthen human rights and the right to culture, she says.

- I would also like to take this opportunity to extend a warm thank you to everyone I have had the privilege of working with over the past 25 years – my colleagues at Culture for All Service and in the arts and culture field in Finland and the Nordic countries. I have learned an enormous amount, both from my closest colleagues, from various networks and from the collective knowledge available in the field.

Read the whole press release in Swedish: Priset Skillnaden 2025 går till Rita Paqvalén (directs to svenskateatern.fi)

More information: Press officer David Lindström, tel 050-5699207