For a year, the poet Jimmy Alm will compose about Tranemo and deliver one poem a week.
The project will run until next autumn.
A new poem is released every week and then collected in a book.
In addition to the poems, Jimmy will also hold writing courses and invite guest artists to interpret the municipal poems.
"Does not use municipal money"
The person who first hatched the idea of the municipal poet was the head of culture in Tranemo.
But it is not the municipality that finances the project, but the municipality is a partner.
The poet Jimmy Alm owns the project.
And it is he who applied for a grant for the project and received SEK 894,000 from Kulturbryggan.
Kulturbryggan is part of the state authority Konstnärsnämnden and has the task of providing grants for innovative culture.
The head of culture in Tranemo believes that some of the criticism directed at the project is based on incorrect grounds.
- We do not use municipal budget money for this project, says Juan Ochoa-Echevaria.
Crisis meeting after reactions
The news about the municipal poet has provoked strong reactions, including on Tranemo municipality's channels on social media.
Yesterday, a crisis meeting was held in the municipality, something that Dagens Samhälle first reported on.
In addition to communicators and staff from the cultural administration, the person in charge of security in the municipality was present at the meeting, says Juan Ochoa-Echevaria.
- We met to get a picture of the situation if there were offensive or threatening comments.
It was also about giving support to the person who may be the target of threats.
The artist should feel that the municipality is behind him.
Did you expect that there could be this kind of reaction?
- Questioning almost always occurs when it comes to cultural projects.
There are people who think that we should instead invest in school and care.
It is not the municipality that has invested money, but the idea came from you and it is still tax money that is used. What do you think about the criticism that this is a waste of taxpayers' money?
- I rarely think that culture is a waste of tax money.
Culture strengthens people.
This project will shape the municipality of Tranemo from different perspectives.
It will be able to tell who we are and where we are going.
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Hear the poem about the concrete factory and the municipal poet about his mission.
Photo: SVT