Two students conversing in the carpentry workshop
Ceramic student using the outdoor kiln
Capellagården's entrance
Capellagården's courtyard 
A student reading in the cafeteria seating area
Community, conservation and tradition within a community of pedagogic practice: the case of Capellagården
Studying at the Swedish handicraft school Capellagården involves an intense commitment to your craft, whether it be carpentry, ceramics, gardening, building maintenance, or textiles. Living, eating, working, and sleeping within the school’s grounds raises several questions in the context of theories of learning. Situated in the remote, rural village of Vickleby in Öland, an island on the Swedish East coast, the school follows a compelling philosophy based on learning by doing, rooted in learning theories from the school’s founder, Carl Malmsten, a master of furniture design. Malmsten centred the idea of community in his vision for the school. His initial aim for the school was, “to put hand and spirit in creative cooperation; to let the work be driven by solemn collaboration between masters and apprentices, between school and village…” (Johansen, 2021).
This research project examines the design and pedagogic approach of Capellagården, founded in 1960. By examining the school’s teaching practices through the lens of educational theorist Etienne Wenger’s theory of communities of practice, this thesis examines how the school’s pedagogic approach could evolve to support its current and future students. Whilst the thesis will determine areas in which the pedagogic approach could be altered or progressed, it will not conclusively determine the specificities of this process, as this is not within this thesis’ remit. The analysis is founded upon the experience of four students and three faculty members, situated within a range of different years and programs, in an attempt to gain a holistic view of the school and its encompassing community. Photographic evidence and semi-structured interviews will provide insight into the intricate relationships between different members of this community of pedagogic practice.
Two interviews were conducted in Swedish and translated by the author. These primary accounts will be analysed in conjunction with the pedagogic aims set forth by the school’s founder and theoretical studies on school environments to provide an in-depth analysis of the pedagogic approach of Capellagården, as well as how this approach is spatially manifested. The thesis aims to draw upon these accounts to consider how the pedagogic approach of the school could evolve to better accommodate its current and future students. I recognise that this is a subjective window in the topic, in that the small interview sample engaged in the study could not represent the entire community.
Originally a ‘folkhögskola’ (folk high school), which transitioned into a ‘konst och kultur utbildning’ (Art and Culture Education), the school is financed by a mixture of state funding, private student fees, and regional and local council grants. Sales from the commerce at Capellagården such as from the exhibition shop, garden boutique, and cafe also financially sustain the school. One of the benefits of Capellagården functioning as an Art and Culture Education, rather than as a traditional university, is that the school is free to sculpt its own pedagogic model, at liberty to break from the traditional regulation existing within long-established higher education institutions. This makes Capellagården an optimal case study for examining its pedagogic approach, as it has fewer constraints than traditional higher education institutions.
Capellagården’s pedagogic approach stems from the pure application of Malmsten’s philosophy regarding teaching, learning, and the school community. A member of the school’s leadership team described his aspiration for Capellagården:
“Gradually he created a philosophy about his school. He wanted a school to be a place where you learned a craft, learned a material, worked on your own - but that there would be good teachers around you when you needed help - and that there should be workshops, open not only during school hours, but also in evenings and on weekends. And that you could live at the school, so that you could have a social life, network, make friends for life, and learn more than just the craft itself.” - Astrid
The utopian description of the harmonious learning environment expresses the pedagogic intent of the school today. The thesis will establish that, although Malmsten’s ideologies were practicable in 1960, the school’s reluctance to evolve this approach is detrimental to the present community. This is evidenced by students’ disconnection from the school’s founder and his ideologies. The thesis aims to also demonstrate the hindrances and complications arising within a conservative community of pedagogic practice. The topic in question will be addressed through the themes of community, isolation and exclusivity, and tradition, whereby each chapter will locate inconsistencies between the pedagogic intent of the school and the execution of this intent.
-
Johansen, T. (2021). Keramikverkstaden - arkitekturen och funktionen. [online] UR Samtiden. 27 May. Available at: https://urplay.se/ program/225278-ur-samtiden-capellagarden-siv-och-carl-malmstensskola-keramikverkstaden-arkitekturen-och-funktionen [Accessed 26 Feb. 2022].
Studying at the Swedish handicraft school Capellagården involves an intense commitment to your craft, whether it be carpentry, ceramics, gardening, building maintenance, or textiles. Living, eating, working, and sleeping within the school’s grounds raises several questions in the context of theories of learning. Situated in the remote, rural village of Vickleby in Öland, an island on the Swedish East coast, the school follows a compelling philosophy based on learning by doing, rooted in learning theories from the school’s founder, Carl Malmsten, a master of furniture design. Malmsten centred the idea of community in his vision for the school. His initial aim for the school was, “to put hand and spirit in creative cooperation; to let the work be driven by solemn collaboration between masters and apprentices, between school and village…” (Johansen, 2021).
This research project examines the design and pedagogic approach of Capellagården, founded in 1960. By examining the school’s teaching practices through the lens of educational theorist Etienne Wenger’s theory of communities of practice, this thesis examines how the school’s pedagogic approach could evolve to support its current and future students. Whilst the thesis will determine areas in which the pedagogic approach could be altered or progressed, it will not conclusively determine the specificities of this process, as this is not within this thesis’ remit. The analysis is founded upon the experience of four students and three faculty members, situated within a range of different years and programs, in an attempt to gain a holistic view of the school and its encompassing community. Photographic evidence and semi-structured interviews will provide insight into the intricate relationships between different members of this community of pedagogic practice.
Two interviews were conducted in Swedish and translated by the author. These primary accounts will be analysed in conjunction with the pedagogic aims set forth by the school’s founder and theoretical studies on school environments to provide an in-depth analysis of the pedagogic approach of Capellagården, as well as how this approach is spatially manifested. The thesis aims to draw upon these accounts to consider how the pedagogic approach of the school could evolve to better accommodate its current and future students. I recognise that this is a subjective window in the topic, in that the small interview sample engaged in the study could not represent the entire community.
Originally a ‘folkhögskola’ (folk high school), which transitioned into a ‘konst och kultur utbildning’ (Art and Culture Education), the school is financed by a mixture of state funding, private student fees, and regional and local council grants. Sales from the commerce at Capellagården such as from the exhibition shop, garden boutique, and cafe also financially sustain the school. One of the benefits of Capellagården functioning as an Art and Culture Education, rather than as a traditional university, is that the school is free to sculpt its own pedagogic model, at liberty to break from the traditional regulation existing within long-established higher education institutions. This makes Capellagården an optimal case study for examining its pedagogic approach, as it has fewer constraints than traditional higher education institutions.
Capellagården’s pedagogic approach stems from the pure application of Malmsten’s philosophy regarding teaching, learning, and the school community. A member of the school’s leadership team described his aspiration for Capellagården:
“Gradually he created a philosophy about his school. He wanted a school to be a place where you learned a craft, learned a material, worked on your own - but that there would be good teachers around you when you needed help - and that there should be workshops, open not only during school hours, but also in evenings and on weekends. And that you could live at the school, so that you could have a social life, network, make friends for life, and learn more than just the craft itself.” - Astrid
The utopian description of the harmonious learning environment expresses the pedagogic intent of the school today. The thesis will establish that, although Malmsten’s ideologies were practicable in 1960, the school’s reluctance to evolve this approach is detrimental to the present community. This is evidenced by students’ disconnection from the school’s founder and his ideologies. The thesis aims to also demonstrate the hindrances and complications arising within a conservative community of pedagogic practice. The topic in question will be addressed through the themes of community, isolation and exclusivity, and tradition, whereby each chapter will locate inconsistencies between the pedagogic intent of the school and the execution of this intent.
-
Johansen, T. (2021). Keramikverkstaden - arkitekturen och funktionen. [online] UR Samtiden. 27 May. Available at: https://urplay.se/ program/225278-ur-samtiden-capellagarden-siv-och-carl-malmstensskola-keramikverkstaden-arkitekturen-och-funktionen [Accessed 26 Feb. 2022].