We read an article in a Swedish newspaper about a social worker and former gang member working in one of the Stockholm suburbs grappling with social exclusion. He talked about severe insomnia among the young criminals he is in contact with. They write to him in the middle of the night, often between three and five. They write asking the same thing: “why can’t I sleep?“. We live in an attention economy, the way we structure life and work today keeps us from sleeping. Up to 30% of people in developed countries now suffer from chronic insomnia. We are too tired to do something about a system that is profiting on every glance or sliding finger on a screen. The young criminals texting a social worker when they should be sleeping are formulating the question of our time. Slumberland is our way to try and get some rest, together with you. Because isn’t the most radical thing then to sleep? And not just as an individual struggle to roost but to collectively shut our eyes for a moment. Slumberland has been in our hearts for a long time and now finally we can say: welcome and goodnight.

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Concept: Bombina Bombast & Robin Jonsson 

Screenplay: Emma Bexell Stanisic

Direction: Stefan Bexell Stanisic

Choreography: Robin Jonsson 

Production: Olivia Hultman

Dramaturgy & distribution: Andrew Z Kelsey 

Light & production design: Jesper Berger

Sound design: John Conlon

Music: Matilda Tjäder & Daniel Tjäder

Graphic design: Alma Ahnlide

Social media & communications: Hedvig Becke 

On stage: Vilde Bodsberg & Emelie Wahlman

Developer: Samuel Lindgren/Dyno Robotics

Avatar design: Cenk Güzelis

Collaborative partner: CommunityKulturCentrum

With support from: Malmö Stad, Kulturrådet, Konstnärsnämnden 

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Interviewed youth: 

Sara Mededovic

Rasmus Romfors

Moa Strömberg

Blerjan Bauta

Emilia Ahlberg

Josef Fakhro

Trinity Anja Olterman

Astrid Neumann Ignell