Långedsverken: An old paper mill seeks a new future

You’ll already be familiar with Långedsverken, the old paper mill, from previous newsletters. On 11 September, I attended the cultural breakfast at Långedsverken in Dals Långed. Bengtsfors Municipality and Mötesplats Steneby had organised the event at the former paper mill. The morning can be summarised as follows:

Culture as a tool for development.

The focus was on networking in Dalsland, on cooperation between local authorities, and on the question of what role cultural activities can play in the future of various communities.

Långedsverken is a good example of this. The factory complex is being reimagined as a hub for entrepreneurship, culture and community development. This brings together a variety of initiatives: workshops and creative work, artistic events and the search for sustainable forms of collaboration. Not everything has been implemented yet. But the new use is no longer just an idea on paper either.

One example is Open Wood. The organisation uses spaces in the former factory as an experimental workshop and meeting place centred on wood, design and the circular economy. Here, people from the worlds of design, craftsmanship, architecture and production can develop, experiment and learn together. Traditional tools are used alongside digital processes. The proximity to Stenebyskolan and the HDK-Valand Campus Steneby links the site with education and creative expertise.

During the cultural breakfast, there was also discussion of Dals Långed as a cultural cluster: a place where various stakeholders can come together and benefit from one another. Regional and local networks were also on the agenda. This may sound abstract at first. It becomes concrete where spaces, knowledge and contacts are shared – and where an encounter can give rise to a joint project.

The very next day demonstrated how the factory halls can be put to artistic use. On 12 September, the BRUK festival took place there as part of Byafest 2026. According to the organising association, Långedprojektet, just under 270 guests attended – a record number of visitors. At four specially designed venues, immersive sound art, installations and performances, folk and jazz came together. The industrial architecture was not merely a backdrop, but part of the experience. Read more about this in the article on Byafest 2026 here.

Further plans were also discussed at the cultural breakfast. BRUK is already working on the 2027 edition and on other major events. How these cultural activities will tie in with the ongoing development of the entire factory complex remains a key question for the future of Dals Langed.

A vision requires not only enthusiastic people and interesting spaces, but also funding, clear responsibilities and long-term reliability. Many stakeholders in the region are working towards this.

For me, therefore, the cultural breakfast was above all a glimpse into a place in transition. Långedsverken combines its industrial past with new ways of working, learning and experiencing culture. The key will be how individual initiatives can develop into a lasting sense of community – and who can play a part in this.