Art delighted the audience at the celebration of Creative Summer Jobs

A reading of poems and a novel, violin playing, emotions, and elves were featured at the closing event of the creative summer jobs program, which was held yesterday at the Innovation Center.

Art Comes Alive in Hafnarfjörður

It became clear that Hafnarfjörður is brimming with talent during the final celebration of the town’s Creative Summer Jobs program, held yesterday at the Innovation Center. A large crowd gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of the young people who spent the summer pursuing their passions, writing books, composing poetry, designing clothes, creating art from emotions, yarn, and sound.

First on stage were Una Mist and Kristijonas Groblys, who performed the musical piece Ómstaður using handmade instruments. The music was enchanting and beautifully hypnotic. Next, Iða Ósk Gunnarsdóttir read her own poem, written this summer in Hellisgerði. Then Smári Hannesson read from his book Eldar and introduced his debut book, which he published at the age of 14. Tómas Vigur closed the program by playing Dagný and other pieces on his violin. This summer, he also led a workshop for young violin enthusiasts at the beginner and intermediate levels.

Þorbjörg Signý Ágústsson, the program’s mentor, gave an opening speech:
“It is truly valuable to live in a community where the arts are allowed to flourish, and where young people are given the opportunity to create, grow, and shine. We often talk about the ‘Heart of Hafnarfjörður’ and I believe that heart beats in the people here: the residents, the town’s staff, and especially our youth, who are our future and our hope.”

Brilliant Energy in the Halls

After the presentations, guests had the opportunity to walk around the Innovation Center and explore the works further as well as additional projects by nine different groups and ten individual participants. Birta Bjarkardóttir presented her project Vefnaður vætta “Weaving the Hidden Folk”, focused on sewing clothing for hidden people inspired by folklore from Hafnarfjörður. Mirra Björt Hjartardóttir exhibited her project Tilfinningar “Emotions”, aimed at helping young children understand their own emotions, empathize with others, and learn to express themselves in a positive and mindful way.

Visual artist Rán Sigurjónsdóttir, a graphic design student at the Iceland University of the Arts, was also present. She will hold a unique exhibition in The Shed this September, organized by the Creative Summer Jobs program, where she shares her vision of the world of elves through oil paintings on wooden panels. Don’t miss it.

Íris Egilsdóttir presented a fantastic work-in-progress focused on designing and developing a knitted wool piece titled Áferð fjallanna “The Texture of the Mountains”, inspired by the shadows, dynamics, forms, and textures of the surrounding mountains.

Þorbjörg Signý thanked the young participants for their collaboration:
“I’ve been incredibly lucky to get to know this wonderful group, and it’s obvious they’ve inspired me deeply, filling me with pride and hope. I look forward to following their journeys, wherever they may lead. They’re just amazing! To all of you, I want to say thank you so much. Thank you for your trust, our conversations, and this summer together. And wow, I feel so lucky that you were my very first group as a program leader. You’ve made my summer incredibly fun and meaningful. I know you’ll conquer whatever you take on next. Congratulations on the summer and your projects!”

ABOUT CREATIVE SUMMER JOBS 2025

In the summer of 2021, Hafnarfjörður, in collaboration with the town’s youth center Hamarinn, revived the “Creative Summer Jobs” initiative, which was previously active in 2017. The project invited individuals and groups aged 18–25 to submit ideas for creative projects in Hafnarfjörður. Selected groups are still offered the opportunity to work on diverse artistic endeavors across various art forms, enriching local life, delighting both residents and tourists in different ways. The Creative Summer Jobs program is run as part of the Hafnarfjörður Work School, aiming to bring vibrancy to the town and make it more fun, beautiful, and diverse through artistic and creative events. The projects are varied and appeal to different age groups and interests. Þorbjörg Signý Ágústsson is the project manager of Creative Summer Jobs.