Telling the story of egalitarian Scandinavia

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 27 July 2010

Steve & HaconWelcome to the Story of Scandinavia - and the story of two film-making cyclists, Steven Bland and Hacon Bickerton, who will soon begin a research adventure.

Intrigued and challenged by the findings in The Spirit Level, Steven and Hacon are riding over a thousand miles in six weeks, visiting the fjords and cities of egalitarian Sweden (and a bit of Norway) seeking answers to these questions:

What is it like to live in a less unequal country? What is the human side to this story? And are there things we can learn to take back to the UK in a period of new political and economic realities?

Steven and Hacon will record their six week journey via video diary, photo-blog, interview and finally, documentary film. The material will tell their story, and that of Sweden, in an interwoven mosaic of visual media. Filming on the bikes, and off them, in town hall, house, and business; the resulting material, created and distributed both during and after the adventure, will chart an exciting adventure of social research, cultural exchange, exploration and determination.

Read more about their plans.

If you'd like to support Steven and Hacon's project, you can:

  • Make a donation - Steven and Hacon are funding this project themselves and your donations will help with essential equipment and other costs. 30% of your contribution will go to UK charity Access Sport
  • Follow them on Twitter, on Facebook, on Flickr and on Youtube and then repost their blogs and other updates through your social media networks. Contact Steven for more details at stevenbland21[at]gmail.com
  • Print and distribute some copies of their leaflet


Small disclaimer.... although we will be following their journey avidly, this is Steven and Hacon's project, not The Equality Trust's, so the opinons expressed in the blog, films and other media are those of the participants and don't necessarily represent the views of the Trust.