Funnys Äventyr: Doing it for the kids

Jan 12

At Funnys Äventyr, children get to meet their favourite fairy tale characters. The ambition is to promote reading – let kids discover the magic of books through play. And there is always new stuff going on at Funnys Äventyr. Here’s an update!

A new exhibit has been unveiled at the children’s house of fairy tales in Malmö. With ‘Kattspionerna på Rosengård’ (‘The Cat Spies from Rosengård’), Funnys Äventyr now adds some local flavour – Rosengård is a district in the Eastern parts of Malmö – and lets it accompany long-established characters such as the Moomins, Alfie Atkins and Pettson & Findus.

‘Kattspionerna på Rosengård’ is a book series created by writer Anja Gatu and illustrator Anna Nilsson. When they first met up with the scenographers of Funnys Äventyr, Managing Director Heléne Lloyd describes a fruitful – and very creative – discussion.

“They really connected. They shared the same vision, and here we are, a year later, with a new fairy tale world. This is the first time we have created a Malmö-based attraction, and it turned out exactly as we had hoped for. When we hear or read about Rosengård, it mostly concerns problems of some kind. But with ‘Kattspionerna’, this part of town is portrayed in a positive context. For kids coming here, there is so much recognition – the stairway at the Rosengård sports centre, a falafel cart, the minaret from Moriskan … it is a fairy tale universe based in their world, and it is amazing to see how that sparks the children’s imagination and gets their creative juices flowing.”

If you have read this far, you might be thinking that this all sounds great – but what has a children’s culture house got to do with System Verification, a company specializing in quality assurance? Well, as one of the original co-founders, System Verification has actually been involved from the very start. The collaboration was first announced in October 2019, and founder Hamdija Jusufagic then said:

“The project’s purpose and values are completely in line with what we stand for and what we believe in. Children must discover that diversity enriches and favours creativity. Funnys Äventyr will give many children new insights and tools that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

Today, that statement is still spot on. Group Digital Marketing Officer Sabina Engdahl agrees and adds:

“It is an incredible place, and it is fantastic to see what a truly magical experience it is for kids to visit. We are very proud of being a part of Funnys Äventyr.”

But the start was tough. The house opened, as scheduled, in October 2020. Six weeks later, pandemic restrictions forced it to close again. It stayed that way until early summer 2021, but some restrictions – such as limitations on the number of visitors – were still in place. It wasn’t until February 2022 Funnys Äventyr could fully open, and the first school groups were welcomed shortly thereafter. Heléne Lloyd sees great value in group visits.

“For us to really make a difference, we want to work with groups of children. So, we collaborate with various organisations and clubs. For example, eight-year-olds from a local football club come here to listen to stories. The club has two groups training at two different locations and the groups meet up here, have fun together and get to know each other.

And I might be tooting my own horn here, but I think this place is fantastic in its own right. And what really makes me tick is to get kids to read. So what happens when when children come here, play, let their imagination run free, listen to stories read by our actors, experience the atmosphere, and get a few books to take home? Hopefully they feel ‘hm, stories are interesting things!’, maybe their siblings pick up the books … and we plant that seed, encourage them to explore and discover the magic books are able to offer. Those effects are so incredibly important.”

So how does System Verification envision the upcoming year?

”Our ambition for 2023 is to strengthen our collaborations with Funnys. For us, that means opportunities to arrange events with clients, partners and co-workers. But first and foremost, we aim to continue our support for Funnys’ work to promote children’s reading,” says Sabina Engdahl.

Funnys Äventyr is open to groups and individual visits alike.