Name: Helena Bunker (OG: 17 years @ STOFF)
Origins: Sweden/Greece
Role: Founding Director

From art student to university art student to master art student to fringe artist to a producer of art and baker of life. My journey has taken me to many incredible places and people around the world through different, weird, and wonderful forms. Half Greek, half Swedish with a heart anchored in England/Australia. Of all the fantastic (and catastrophic) projects I have been involved in I would say that experiencing the Fringe (and ok the arts exchange where I lived alone in a castle in Transylvania) has taught me the most. If I could, I would do it all again.

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
Several stomach punches that'll remind you why we do what we do and why the hell we stick to it. It sounds so pretentious, but I truly feel that the Fringe gives life to so many new thoughts, meetings, acts, and experiences; it is so beautiful to see how this artistic collective thrives on its unique creative flame and how this global arts celebration creates such a strong union.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
A) In the head of John Malkovich. B) In a place, and for those, where art is not accessible.

Name: Adam J. K. Potrykus (OG: 17 years @ STOFF)
Origins: Poland / Sweden
Role: Founding Director

My FRINGE journey started in 1983, when our neighbours in Gdansk (PL) gave me a custom-built puppet theatre. It stayed with me when we migrated to Sweden. Ten years later, I got accepted to THELISI - School for Young Stage Art (Stockholm) where I met STOFF Co-founders Helena Bunker & Lina Karlmark. Many pretentious stage shows later via TV Production internships in Gdansk/Warsaw/Dublin, I ended up in Melbourne, where I studied FILM while engaging in music touring. I moved back to Europe in 2010 and joined troops with H&L, launching STOFF!

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of being part of a growing Baltic Nordic Fringe movement, which includes the launch of the Bergen and Gothenburg Fringe festivals and the subsequent launch of the Baltic Nordic Fringe Network, which today comprises 11 unique festivals in 7 countries. Read more about them here. Aside from all this fringe business, I’m engaged with the House of Producers (HOP). My “daytime” job is promoting Sweden to the world.

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
Something less ordinary that challenges my perception of life and society. Usually, a pinch of twisted + a sliver of humour, mixed with a fat dose of punk attitude, delivers amazing results. Unique experience that sticks with you for days in the deep part of your soul. The fringe gives a forum for voices less heard. For narratives that aren’t obvious in the public domain, it’s also a place where you can leave your worries behind and escape your everyday life routine, thanks to local and global talent that takes you for a thrilling ride!

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
Every day of life is a performance. If I have to be specific, i do love shows that embrace and utilise the unexpected and existing spaces in the host city. Venues that allow people to see their city in a light. A performance in an empty swimming pool hall? Maybe a boat. One of # the most memorable experiences from #STOFF2023 was “NIGHT JOURNEY” by Reich + Szyber, which took the audience on a unique evening cruise around the Stockholm waterways.

Name: Gustav A. Lilliehorn (3 years @ STOFF)
Origins: Sweden
Role: Producer / Planning

I first participated in STOFF as a volunteer back in 2019 and had a blast. 5 years later and I’m back as a producer, and I couldn’t be more excited. I hope to see as many performances as I can during this year’s festival (when I’m not working). I think STOFF is terrific because it allows the viewer to experience big variety of acts in many different genres during a very short time. It’s a very special experience with unique acts, and I’m very glad to be a part of it. I work in the film industry and I’m very amped about the FRINGE CINEMA session at Teater 3, especially because one of my films is showing there.

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
To quote a famous film: The “good”, the “bad” and especially the “ugly”. I hope to see acts that are raw, honest and unpolished; they’re my favourites.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
Preferably a big stage with a big audience. That has always been a dream of mine.

Name: Pernilla Hammargren (9 years @ STOFF, longer if we count the years participating as an artist)
Origins: Sweden
Role: Comedy & Stand-Up Curator & Opening Gala Host

First time I heard of Stockholm Fringe was on the roof of the Culture House when I did standup during 2013’s fringe, we where a couple of comedians that joined a canadians show. The crowd was not speaking Swedish so we all had to switch to english in the last minute. John Malkovich was a performer at that fringe and there was also a fantastic performance group- Enforced Entertainment! Years after I did a show with my comedy club, Stand Up Yours, and got to win a prize handed out by Peaches! The fringe is always changing, with new venues, spectaculare partys and brilliant artwork!

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
Stuff that you don’t usually get to see on Stockholm’s stages! If you go to the Launch party on the festivals first evening you will get to see the range of all the different acts! 

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
At a gay bar in Tbilisi, Georgia! Or on Island, I’m dreaming of going to Island!

Photo ©Ulrika Campbell

Name: Johan Hallström (1st year @ STOFF)
Origins: Sweden
Role: Film Curator & NewDawnFilms Producer

I’ve always been drawn to the edges of the stage—the places where polish gives way to presence, and perfection is not the goal but the obstacle. Where things can fracture a little. Where chaos is not a flaw, but a collaborator.

It’s in those spaces that something real begins to breathe, shaped in dialogue with the room, with the audience, with whatever invisible current happens to pass through that particular moment. No two encounters alike. No safety net. Just aliveness.

As Leonard Cohen put it:

“There is a crack in everything - that’s how the light gets in.”

That’s the territory I trust. I’m drawn to work that risks something, that surprises in form and unsettles in content. And more often than not, I find that pulse beating strongest on the fringe, where the unexpected is not an exception, but the whole point.

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
I want to be surprised, caught off guard in the best way. Amused, entertained, maybe even a little shaken. To leave the room with that quiet, electric feeling: that we were here, together, and fully alive.

I’m drawn to performances that gather us, beyond the noise, beyond what splits us apart, and remind us of something shared. Something human.

The kind that unlocks that playful spark we all carry, just beneath the surface, waiting patiently for its moment to step into the light and play.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
I’m drawn to spaces that weren’t built for performance, like basements, attics, apartments, and hotel rooms. Places that still breathe with their own history. I love site-specific work where the room isn’t just a backdrop, but an active force, shaping the piece in real time, in quiet collaboration with the audience.

Name: Micaela Gillenberg (2nd year @ STOFF)
Origins: Sweden
Role: Marketing & Press

I first came across the Stockholm Fringe Festival when I stepped in at the last minute as a performer in one of the theatre productions. But it was the festival itself – its creative magnetism and wild artistic energy – that drew me in. That STOFF vibe made me return — first as an audience member, just to take it all in. A few years later, I was back with the theatre group Deine Frau, presenting Säg hans namn / Say It, a piece I wrote and directed. Theatre and art in all their forms have always been a fundamental part of my life, both personally and professionally, and have shaped my academic journey in theatre studies, writing, and cultural production. My practice encompasses communication work at artistic institutions and art companies, as well as artistic collaborations with independent art groups. I’m excited to work with this year’s festival — to experience every part of it, meet the artists and their work, and communicate their stories.

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
Something I didn’t know I needed – something strange, intimate, or emotionally raw. Something that lingers, maybe even returns in my dreams. I want to be surprised, disturbed, delighted – or haunted, in the best possible way.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
Maybe in a room behind closed doors — a parliamentary chamber, a closed boardroom, a government office, or a corporate meeting room — spaces where decisions are made.It could be interesting.

Name: Stina Karlsson (1st year @ STOFF)
Origins: Sweden
Role: Festival Coordinator

I don’t have many memories from Fringe because it wasn’t until last year, 2024, that I took my very first, wobbly steps into this wonderful world. As a beginner or maybe just a Fringe embryo, I’m super excited to dive back in this year, both as part of the team and as a curious observer.

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
Something hard to explain or debate, something that just leaves me with a feeling of “Exactly!”, “Oh my god!”, or why not simply something that makes me laugh.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
A wild, free-form dance in a vast field or deep forest, ideally with the audience dancing too. Or with no audience at all. Both feel right.

Name: Jessica Barber (3rd year @ STOFF)
Origins: UK
Role: Artist & Participant Manager

Hi! I’m Jess.I design and deliver joyful, creative dance experiences that champion inclusive communities.

I primarily work as a Dance Artist and Movement Director on mass participatory performances, projects with schools, children and young people as well as community events. When I’m not creating, I love working as a Project Manager and Creative Producer to bring ideas to life! My love of logistics and creative practice combined always comes back to my enthusiasm for meeting new people and providing opportunities to be creative, so I’m thrilled to be joining team STOFF as Artist and Participant Manager this year. 

Last year was my first ever STOFF and I was blown away by the incredible programme of international artists. My favourite piece was by a South Korean company called Choi x Kang Project with their show ‘Complement: Two Eyes’ - completing mesmerising choreography and meaningful use of digital practices. 

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?

I think you have to expect the unexpected! I’m always excited to see dance works, but I’m even more intrigued by shows that surprise me with their form and themes. I adore silliness, so anything that makes me laugh or involves the audience in some way. Last year I loved ‘Tyttebærpolitiet’ by Norwegian company Friends for Fun who created an interactive performance where you are invited to a security guard training.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
I’d like to see more giant versions of tiny stages or places where you present things in everyday life, e.g., a giant chess board that invites audiences to be a Rook or a Bishop, or a giant plate with a community cast of different breakfast items. The sillier, the better!

Name: Yola Dumont (3rd year @ STOFF)
Origins: France
Role: VIP Launch & Fringe Awards Coordinator

Born in France, I moved to Sweden three years ago for my studies. I am now working to strengthen cultural and artistic exchanges between France and Sweden at the Institut français de Suède (French Institute in Sweden) here in Stockholm. I am an art lover, passionate about theatre and performances of all kinds, and I never miss an opportunity to discover something new. As a Fringe neophyte, I am ready to dive into the experience and to enjoy every bit of it!

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
I expect to see the unexpected. Something that I would never have thought of. Something that I would never have dared to imagine. Something that shakes me to the core and leaves me thinking of a million new possibilities.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
Amidst ruins, bringing life back to an abandoned place.

Name: Mimi Horrell (2nd year @ STOFF)
Origins: Sweden
Role: Volunteer Coordinator

I have an undying passion for the funky, honest and challenging expression. Especially the spaces that invite and enable them, along with the networks that flourish in those rooms. Therefore, Stockholm Fringe is a dream festival to contribute to, and I’m thrilled to join the team for the first time. My experiences stretch a wide range within the Stockholm art & culture scene, having coordinated and communicated for art fairs, film festivals, film productions, performances, and hosting short film fests.

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
Letting myself get swept off my feet, so a’m not expecting anything. But I am hoping to have a laugh and a think. 

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
Tits out, on top of the Swedish parliament. 

Name: Sandra and Daniel Burg (3rd year @ STOFF)
Origins: USA / Portugal

Role: Team Hospitality Officers (*)

Lifelong learners, sometimes writers, cooks (that is mostly Daniel) and long-term travellers, drawn to circumstances that allow us to give back, learn, mentor and co-create.

Originally from San Luis Obispo, California, currently living in Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal. They are part of the year travelling and doing volunteer work the rest of the time. Like right now here with Fringe

Together through all the swells and not-so-swells for nearly forty years. We co-created, if you know what I mean (insert smiley face emoji here), four endearing, creative and delightful children. 

I (Daniel) cook because we are meant to nourish one another. We volunteer because we recognise our privilege and are duty-bound to contribute. We travel because there are so many lovely people we haven’t met yet. 

We are fit yet not fanatical, lighthearted yet neither fickle nor unpredictable. We believe that "what if" is the way that all great adventures begin and should never be spent on mourning opportunities not taken.

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
We have no expectations, only anticipations to be dazzled by the creativity of humans left to their own devices. We are already dazzled by the leadership of this festival and the earnestness and solidarity with which they approach this herculean task. The world would be a much better place if everyone lived with such passion and dedication. We are honoured to work beside them.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
To quote an Irish blessing… where the road rises to meet us, where the wind is at our backs, the sunshine is warm upon our faces, and rains fall softly upon the fields.

(*) Ps. We prefer to be called “Kitchen creatives (aka nourishment nudniks) and scullery maids”, but it was too long for the web designer!

Name: André Hasselgren (10th year @ STOFF)
Origins: Sweden
Role: STOFFICE support & Program selection

I first participated in STOFF as an actor in 2013 and a few years later returned as part of the team. I'm trying to be around the different venues as much as possible during STOFF. It's a beautiful feeling to walk around, take in the festival's vibe, chat with artists and volunteers, and see the result of all the planning. The special feeling when so many people and creativity come together during a concentrated time, the mix of strict preparations and unpredictable events. Since like the festival format, I'm involved in others, such as the Tempo Documentary Festival. I'm also involved in the theater group Dramalabbet in Stockholm as an actor/director/pedagogue.

What would you expect to see at a Fringe festival?
Things that don't really fit in anywhere else, the unpolished, the impolite, the perplexing. Fringe, at its best, for me is to get blown away from categories such as "good" and "bad" and just feel that this is something I've never seen before.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
Anti-capitalistic performance at a bank, anti-royalistic performance at the royal castle, and so on!

Name: Lina Karlmark (OG: 17 years @ STOFF)
Origins: Sweden
Role: Co-founder

My first encounter with fringe was in Melbourne, Australia. What a fantastic journey with the performance No No Pirouette. The fringe welcomed and supported this quirky, lovable, and innovative performance piece. It made me realise that fringe is for those who dare to try, to challenge, to question what art is and can be. It’s a fantastic opportunity for new artists and work. I want young artists to be inspired and fearless in producing their work.

What would you like to see in a fringe festival?
I would like to see artists and performances that are innovative, thoughtful, silly, funny, political, fast, slow, dramatic, or moving. In other words, all ranges of art come together for a couple of days to interact and celebrate freedom of expression.

The world is your stage, where would you like to perform?
I love art in public spaces.

Name: Lilian Bäckman (8 years @ STOFF)
Origins: Sweden
Role: Art & Graphic Designer

2018 was the first time when Lilian Bäckman visited the Fringe. “It was as if I was back at The Oasis (band venue) and experienced the punk scene with bands like Ebba Grön, KSMB and other similar units!

Lilian is inspired by the unruly, imperfect, anger, foul language, sadness and the forest. Most of all, animals! Cats, Animals, animals!

Lilian Bäckman is a diverse artist and author working on various projects and educational initiatives across many different media. She gives workshops in “Ugly-Beautiful”, ”My garden”, ”Black - a colour theory” and ”Pinch with style”. 

Lilian has been working closely with Stockholm Fringe Festival since 2019, where she developed and illustrated the genius nonbinary party individual for the 10th year anniversary. In 2020, the year of the rat according to the Chinese calendar, provided a perfect foundation for creating a symbol for the festival’s onward journey. The rat is an intelligent creature most commonly met by hate. The rat took a massive upswing during the punk era, and for many, it's still something they love to hate. The rat. 

Check out Lilians wide range of work on her website, many available for download and on order in the webshop. 

About: lilianbackman.se

Name: Lee Simmons (OG: 17 years @ STOFF)
Origins: UK
Role: Visual Identity + Web Designer

In 2010 after an incredibly long, often exciting and sometimes challenging gestation period, STOFF emerged into the world. As with all living things in the early years of existence, our little friend took some time to toddle round, explore, stretch, grow & to gradually find its true personality and values. With each passing year, STOFF learnt from its mistakes, its audience & it learnt from the team who birthed it. And, in turn, we learnt from STOFF. From the start, certain things were crystal clear to our young hero. STOFF believed in diversity and that the world could hold endless beautiful possibilities - if we only gave it the chance and treated it with kindness and respect. During its early explorations, mischief frequently rose to the surface and fun was never far behind. Yet, along with all the sass, it was easy to detect a more serious & pensive side to STOFF. There was an intelligent, calm, considerate and political side to this wonderful entity. It welcomed creativity in all forms, with open arms. It was hard not to fall in love with our flourishing protagonist. I had the good fortune of meeting STOFF right at the start of its life. In the beginning, before any of us were clear what STOFF would grow to be, I worked with the team to design the festival’s brand-identity. Over the years, as STOFF’s personality has grown stronger and more luminous, this identity has been tweaked & refined to better represent the festival it is today. Over the past 12 years, I’ve directed photo shoots for the cover, amused myself by creating surreal collages and used graphic design to structure a website that, I hope, is fun to navigate & easy to digest.

What would you expect to see in a Fringe festival?
Something a little risky.

The world is your stage. Where would you want to perform?
In a light-filled forest by a lake - or the sea (does that exist?) Perfect!

In 2026 I’m engaged with another project and have been taking a hiatus from my usual / annual STOFF modules, while still staying aboard for visual identity consultancy and website maintenance work.