Bona folk high school is situated in Motala in the “dock area”, where Baltzar von Platen once founded the famous factory “Motala Verkstad”. The industrial development of Sweden started here, with bridge construction and shipbuilding for “Göta kanal”. The channel runs right by the school.

The dock area is a very special place with an atmosphere of the working life of generations, peaceful and far away from the stress of today.

Bona folk high school is located in the old office of the factory.

The course for music pedagogues of Brunnsviks folk high school is situated in the same building.

Bona folk high school also has a department in Linköping. It is located in Skäggetorp shopping centre, on floor 6, with a wide view over Linköping and the vast fields of Östergötland (“Östgötaslätten”). Here the school provides general courses. Under the name of “Skäggetorps dagfolkhögskola” the school cooperates with the ABF and Sensus.

Short background

Bona folk high school was founded in 1983 in Bona outside of Motala, by a group of enthusiastic folk high school teachers. Responsible for the school was the Left Party. The activity grew and courses were arranged both in Stockholm and in Malmö as well as in Linköping. The activity in Malmö expanded so much that a new school could be started, Kvarnby folk high school.

Bona folk high school is now run by Bona folk high school economic association, which is owned by the staff of the school, pupils and friends who can be either individuals or other associations. The first of January 1998 the association took over the school and moved it to Motala.

Our vision

Bona folk high school works for a society characterized by openness, solidarity and independent thinking. The teaching is based on the experiences and the creative power of the individual and the collective. We want the school to be a forum for radical public debate. The values of the socialist, the feminist and the solidarity movements are to be the base. Different art forms like music, theatre and free writing are tried, both in special courses and in general courses.

Activity

The school has about 150 pupils in Motala and Linköping most of whom take general courses. Bona folk high school also arranges introductory courses, seminars, summer courses, study circles, lectures etc. Furthermore Bona  folk high school contributes to the cultural life in the area of Motala Verkstad and in Motala.

Practical Information

Bona folk high school is located within 15 minutes´ walk from the railway station. There is also a bus stop nearby for buses to Linköping.

Accommodation is possible to find through information provided by the local authorities. You can find this information on the Internet on the website of Motala, www.motala.se where you go to “Leva i Motala” and from there to “Bygga och bo” and “Söka bostad”.