6,000 children and youth in Falun are playing an active role in the preparations for the 2027 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Together, they are creating thousands of pennants that will decorate the city during the World Championships.
From 24 February to 7 March 2027, Falun will host the World Championships for the fifth time. But preparations are already well underway, across a wide range of areas and locations.
A total of 6,000 pupils aged 6–16 from municipal schools across Falun will each contribute a pennant to the project.
“We really wanted to involve our pupils in the World Championship preparations. Together with Dalarna’s handicraft consultant, we decided that every pupil would create an A4-sized pennant. The pennants are being made during one or two lessons at school, when one of the four artists involved in the project is there,” says Frida Trygg Stöffling, development coordinator at the Education Department of Falun Municipality.
Earlier this week, Kristina Hellberg – one of the four artists, together with Marieta Toneva, Sonja Zornat and Päivi Hjerp – visited a ninth-grade class at Hälsinggårdsskolan, where the pupils were working with wool embroidery.
“The response from the pupils has been very positive. During the spring term, I worked with 800 pupils, and this autumn I will meet another 700. This gives them the opportunity to help welcome visitors to the World Championships in Falun,” says artist Kristina Hellberg.
The pupils have been able to choose the motif they want to create on their pennant, and a variety of techniques, including textile printing and weaving, have been used. The pennants, which are partly made from recycled materials, will convey a welcoming greeting from the pupils to their home city of Falun.
Här görs några av de totalt 6 000 vimplar som kommer att pryda Falun under VM-veckorna. Foto: Mårten Lång
The pennants will be attached to a long line of flags. With all 6,000 pennants displayed in a single row, the installation will stretch for a total of 1.8 kilometres. It will be on display throughout the World Championship weeks, although exactly where the pennant parade will be located remains a secret for now.
“The enthusiasm among the children and young people to play an active role in creating this together and making it ‘our World Championships’ has been tremendous. The materials used for the pennants are recycled, and once the World Championships are over, all the schools will be able to receive their share of the long pennant parade and use it to decorate their school when the World Championship celebrations have come to an end,” says Trygg Stöffling.