“Arbis makes you live longer!”

At Esbo Arbis (the Swedish-language adult education centre), it is never too late to learn something new, regardless of your age or prior experience. Here you can both have fun while also developing your skills. Increasingly more people have found their way to Arbis – the range of courses has grown considerably in recent years. 

“Attending an Arbis course is both useful and fun. I would claim that Arbis makes you live longer!” 

Sewing teacher Malin Meikop’s courses are very popular: before the 2023 autumn semester starts, she has added an extra full-year course to meet the demand. Six full-year courses are on the programme, with the possibility of extension. 

“I am a pattern maker by training, and my courses have a strong focus on drawing patterns. All the students get to sew clothes according to their own exact measurements.” 

One obvious trend is sustainability. Upcycling flea market finds or using second-hand fabrics has become popular. Yet some people do sew their creations with brand new material as well. 

At Malin Meikop’s sewing courses, participants create everything from everyday clothing to elegant evening wear and wedding dresses. 

 

“Although the students sew together in the classroom, my teaching is tailored to each individual. I help each student personally, so students with varying levels of prior experience can attend the same course,” says Meikop.  

“At Arbis, I have taught everyone from absolute beginners to semi-professionals. My youngest student was 12 years old; my oldest 94.” 

As a Swedish-language adult education centre, Esbo Arbis has played an important role in public education and the city’s Swedish-language cultural heritage since the 1950s.

Åke Ryynänen, teacher and head of the curriculum at Arbis, is pleased with how Arbis has developed in recent years. Since 2015, the hours of instruction per school year have increased by close to 50 per cent, from just over 6,000 to over 9,000. 

Art, exercise and languages are always popular, as are crafts. 

“In addition to sewing, popular courses include ceramics, woodwork and metalwork. Many people want to work with their hands as an antidote to all the hours they spend online,” says Ryynänen. 

When planning the course offerings, Åke Ryynänen actively draws upon the students’ feedback. Trends come and go, which is reflected in the courses offered. 

A few years ago, zumba was popular, but today people want to take aquagym classes or learn how to film with drones.

Still, there are also courses that defy all the trends and are largely taught in the same way as they were 50 years ago. 

“The navigation courses, for example, are pretty standardised,” says Åke Ryynänen. 

Both Meikop and Ryynänen would like to see more men visiting Arbis. 

“We tried to attract men with a course on chainsaw handling, but the majority of the students there were women as well,” Ryynänen says, laughing. 

• Swedish-language adult education centre founded in 1957 
• Offers courses in languages, crafts, technology and health  
• Courses are open to everyone; no previous experience is required  
• For information on the courses and how to sign up, visit the Arbis’ website.

 

 Text: Sebastian Dahlström.

This article has originally been published in the Espoo Magazine 2/2023.

Read other articles in the Espoo Magazine.