Kultursnedkeriet (The Culture Carpentry) is a new project started by the organisation Musik & Ungdom (M&U / Music and Youth), in which participants from three Danish music and culture schools get to take control of their own artistic process.
Holstebro Musikskole is one of these three schools participating in Kultursnedkeriet, where groups of young, ambitious musicians will receive guidance to further develop their musical and cultural skills. The young participants will work on their cultural ideas, and have a significant impact on what they learn and how they are taught.
The project aims to create a community where young people can take charge of their development. In Holstebro, this all takes place where creativity knows no bounds: Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium.
The local "theatre laboratory" (NTL) has invited these young creatives to use the theatre's space for practice and to build their community.
This is not the first time NTL and Holstebro Musikskole have worked together, but this project paves the way for something completely new for the theatre:
"We are thrilled to house these young artists and love having a partnership that supports taking ownership of how culture evolves – whether that be theatre, music, or something else entirely. Music is, after all, a highly inclusive art form, and we look forward to seeing what might come from Kultursnedkeriet," says Per Kap Bech Jensen, director of Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium.
New surroundings inspire new ideas
Moving the participants from their usual context at the music school and into a theatre provides a complete change of scenery and allows the young artists to be inspired by new forms of culture.
"Just like that, we have an interdisciplinary platform," says Linda Kaul Steffensen, deputy headmaster at Holstebro Musikskole, about using the facilities at NTL. She continues: "We had a group of young people who needed a rehearsal space after boarding school, but who no longer fit within the traditional music school structure. Thanks to the partnership with Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium, they now have their own space – a rehearsal room and workshop all-in-one. Here, they can develop their musical skills with support from a mentor and production teacher from the school."
The young creatives from Kultursnedkeriet have their own rooms at NTL, where they can come and go as they please.
"I don't think we can even begin to predict the creativity that might emerge from our musicians being at the theatre, but we look forward to seeing how things evolve," concludes Linda Kaul Steffensen.
The participants will receive guidance from a production teacher, who will help them grow their skills in innovation, project management, budgeting, and applications. Kultursnedkeriet is funded by Tuborgfondet.
