In 2026, RITE is initiating the project The Return of the Municipality, in collaboration with a group of researchers and representatives for small municipalities.
Our ambition is to explore how ritual tools can be used to kickstart the transformation that small, shrinking municipalities urgently need to undergo in the face of, among other things, economic and demographic challenges. Due to the predicament they are in, we believe that these municipalities may be particularly well placed to take the lead in the more profound transition that society as a whole needs to undergo.
In May and June, two launch meetings were held in Skövde, bringing together RITE, participating researchers, municipal representatives and other invited participants to jointly explore the opportunities and challenges of the approach, and to plan activities for autumn 2026 and beyond.
We expect to move beyond the planning stage and test a first “kickstart model” before the end of the year. More information will follow later this autumn.
The Return of the Municipality is an expedition to find co-creative ways of exploring and activating the potential of small, shrinking, municipalities to take the lead in the (actual) societal transformation we are facing.
The idea that small municipalities may be particularly well-suited to take the lead in the profound transformations ahead is a bold one, yet not unreasonable. Among other things, they occupy a medial and political periphery, and they have long experience in dealing with complex challenges such as involuntary competition with the state, shrinking and aging populations, large deficits, and more.
At the same time, these municipalities currently lack sufficient resources. Should they attempt deeper transformation, they often encounter legislative and institutional barriers, combined with habitual modes of thinking (not least from “above”). They also have limited or no access to innovation support if they wish to test and evaluate new strategies for dealing with e.g. leaking economies, deteriorating infrastructure, or other challenges. Addressing these shortcomings is essential, and something our approach seeks to contribute to.
A Municipal Jubilee Year: Staging Ritual-Driven Action Spaces
The first phase of the expedition in 2026 explores how rites and rituals can be used to create space for new, innovative ways of relating to transformation in general – and, in particular, to the potential role of small and/or shrinking municipalities as agents of change beyond prevailing discourses of green growth, transition, sustainability, and so on.
The aim is to create spaces of possibility in which small municipalities, based on their unique conditions, are given room to redefine their positions and freely explore new trajectories. The process unfolds in collaboration between municipal representatives, researchers, artists, social thinkers, religious practitioners, and others. It may also include the development of game-based tools that can inspire novel ways of engaging with concrete challenges.
The ambition is that the methods and collaborations that emerge during the year will lead into a longer interregnum, within which social contracts may be renegotiated and innovative strategies for small and/or shrinking municipalities explored over time.