Trøndertun Folkhøgskole: Dream for real in Trøndelag

By Molly McPharlin | Photos: Arne Hauge

Located in Trøndelag – often called the heart of Norway – and just south of the city of Trondheim, Trøndertun Folkhøgskole is a folk high school for both Norwegian and international students. Founded in 1919, Trøndertun was the first school in Norway to teach a rock music course. Today it offers a variety of programmes in music and theatre arts, and is the only folk high school where students can immerse themselves in dance at a pre-university level.

Many people are unfamiliar with what a Norwegian folk high school is. Folk high schools are one year boarding schools that offer both traditional and non-traditional academic subjects, with no exams or grades. The idea is to learn for life, giving students the chance to develop socially and academically as individuals. Students integrate into small learning communities as they live on campus and interact closely with both students and staff. The philosophy of the school is that learning for life happens all day long, as you go about your day.

Trøndertun Folkhøgskole: Dream for real in Trøndelag

Camilla Spidsøe, legendary dancer and choreographer from the Norwegian National Ballet teaching at Trøndertun.

For the people

Folk high schools are not high schools. They are designed for people of all ages, but most participate between the ages of 18-25, after they have finished secondary school and before higher education. There are no tuition fees at folk high schools, even for international students. Everyone pays for their room, board, study trips, and teaching materials.

Throughout the country, there are over 70 folk high schools, each with their own specialties and expertise. For people from abroad, many schools offer Norwegian classes, and by living in a Norwegian-speaking environment, the idea is that international students should understand and speak Norwegian reasonably well by the end of the academic year.

At Trøndertun Folkehøgskole, there is a strong emphasis placed on both academic teaching and creating a safe, generous, and inclusive learning community. “Good education begins with providing a place where students feel comfortable to be bold and stretch beyond their limits,” says Tormod Gjersvold, principal at Trøndertun. “We create a community where students know it’s safe to make mistakes, that they’ll be accepted even if they stumble.”

The joy of performing together.

Exploring the world outside of school

Trøndertun organises different events and trips that run throughout the school year alongside the ordinary weekly schedule. Excursions to Norwegian cabins take place at the beginning of the school year, when the students are getting to know each other. Every year the school goes on a week-long cultural trip to Berlin. In Germany, dance students take classes at professional studios, and the school rents the legendary Hansa Studios where musicians can record their own music in the same venue as Bowie, U2, and Simple Minds once did.

In the autumn, students create their own projects and bands, culminating in the Family Day Festival before the Christmas holidays, when family and friends are invited to view student achievements. “It’s a packed celebration with live music and dance the entire day,” says Gjersvold. “One of Trøndertun’s great strengths is that everyone is here for music or dance. This provides endless opportunities to be creative and expressive.” At the end of the school year, the music and dance students create a live show in two of Trondheim’s main cultural venues; the Rosendal theatre and the Rockheim Museum of Music.

Gjersvold believes that students enjoy their time at Trøndertun for a variety of reasons. “Everyone comes to us because they want to immerse themselves in music or dance. They have great access to rehearsal rooms, studios, instruments. At the same time, students say the social aspects, the friendships they’ve made, and learning so much about themselves, are what they remember most.”

From the world to Norway

Sam Balhorn came to Trøndertun from his home in Berlin, Germany after a childhood trip to Norway made him feel that the country was a place where he would like to study, especially after connecting with Norwegian music. For him, Trøndertun has been the ideal place to develop as an individual. “I really enjoy my jazz class. So far, I’ve learned so much about music and my instrument. It’s been the perfect place to discover myself, but it’s not just about school,” says Balhorn. “At Trøndertun, I’m learning how to really be alive.”

Asta Vidarsdottir came from Iceland and is studying dance at Trøndertun too. “We learn so many different dance styles,” she says. “We’re lucky to have the chance to meet many professional dancers. We get advice from them and that’s been really helpful.”

The most important part of the folk high school system is the creation of a functioning group and finding your own voice inside it as a person and, at Trøndertun at least, as an artist. “We’re constantly in dialogue with our students,” says Gjersvold. “Developing as a person and artist is not something that can be measured. It’s a deeply personal matter. The individual knows his own growth and development and must evaluate himself. As a school, we’re here to support that process.”