Finally we start! We are SO excited!
We are looking forward to meeting you, and we are busy with the final preparations to make your stay at Vrå Folk High School as fantastic as possible.
You should have received a packing list and some practical information (otherwise, please check your spam filter) – but you can are find the packing list further down on this page – just in case.
At the beginning of the semester, we will visit the Culture Meeting on Mors, and in this connection, we will be staying overnight. Therefore, we would like to ask you to bring a sleeping bag and a sleeping pad if you have them. Both items will also be practical for the rest of the semester, as we expect a beautiful, warm, and radiant late summer, providing plenty of opportunities for sleeping outdoors in shelters, tents, or under the open sky – if you feel like it. If you don’t have a sleeping bag and sleeping pad, the school has some that we can lend out, but unfortunately, we don’t have enough for everyone.
If you have any questions, you are of course very welcome to call us or send an email. We’ll figure everything out together …
Otherwise, we will see you on Sunday, August 11th from 4 PM (if you need to arrive at a different time due to train schedules or other reasons, just show up – we will be here). Some of you have made arrangements to show up a day or two in advance, and that’s fine too.
See you …
PROGRAM for the first day, August 11th.
16:00 (4:00 PM) – Arrival
17:00 (5:00 PM) – Meet your dormitory and your dormitory teacher
17:30 (5:30 PM) – Dinner
After dinner we meet in the Lecture Hall where we will welcome you and present the staff.
Packing list
When you’re staying at the folk high school for 18 weeks, you’ll need to bring a bit more than just a toothbrush, but not much. You can always pick up anything you’re missing from local shops or have it sent to the school. The rooms have closets with shelves and a hanging rod. You can wash and dry clothes at the school for 20 DKK per wash. Here’s what we recommend you bring:
- Clothes suitable for the seasons – it’s going to get a little cold in the winter.
- Clothes that can withstand a session in ceramics or art class
- Party clothes
- Swimwear, as we are not far from Løkken beach or the public swimming pool
- Toiletries, medication, contraception, hairdryer
- Towels
- We will provide you with bed linens, pillowcases, and duvet covers – you have to wash it your self though 🙂
- Passport and possibly Travel/Health Insurance Card until you get a Yellow Card – we will also go to Sweden for a week on a study trip.
- Decorations for your room, such as family photos or other stuff from home you would like to bring.
- A laptop if you want to take Music Production class
- Musical instruments, if you have any – we have plenty of instruments in the music department, but if you only want to play on your own double bass, you can bring it.
A little tip for when you’re going home: Many students have A LOT more things to transport home than when they arrived. This can include extra clothes, ceramics, art, and potted plants. It can get pretty expensive to ship packages from Denmark to ie. Japan, and the other way round too.
Packing list
Intro week
The first week at the folk high school is designed so that everyone gets off to a good start and we get to know each other. There will be introductions to the different subjects, team-building activities, and a big party. We don’t pack the schedule with too many elements, as it can be a bit overwhelming to start in a new place.
Intro week
Students are divided into dormitories. Each dormitory has its own house or floor with rooms. Each group has a designated dormitory-teacher who holds dormitory meetings to ensure everyone is doing well and all information is communicated effectively. Students clean their dormitory themselves. Each dormitory has a common area and kitchen.
THE ROOM AND ROOMMATE
Most of our rooms are double rooms with their own bathroom. You will typically share the room with the same roommate for the whole semester. You are responsible for decorating your room, so feel free to bring some string lights, maybe get a plant while you are here, perhaps a small rug (but don’t bring it from home, buy it here).
WEEKENDS
There are no classes scheduled on weekends, maybe a trip to the beach or similar activities. You decide how to spend your free time. If you want to spend 48 hours in the ceramics workshop, that’s an option. Likewise, it’s perfectly fine if you just need to unplug and binge-watch a series. You might also visit a fellow students home in Denmark or go on a trip with some students to Sweden or Germany. Just be back by Monday morning.
MEALS
On weekdays, we serve breakfast at 08:00, lunch at 11:30, and dinner at 17:30 for meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans – and also cater to those with allergies. On weekends, brunch is served at 09:00 and dinner at 17:30. We eat quite well at the folk high school, but you might want to cook for yourself or order a pizza occasionally. There is a small kitchen in each living group. The small town we live in has a few take-away places also.
ASSEMBLIES
You might have heard of morning assemblies and something about singing from the folk high school songbook? We do it a bit differently, starting the day in the workshops and holding assemblies at 11:00. An assembly can be many things, but typically we start with a song and then maybe a lecture on anything under the sun. It could also be a debate, or perhaps a student has something they want to share for half an hour.
CLASSES
Dedicated professionals teach the various subjects. Musicians teach music, a tailor teaches sewing and design, etc. Typically, the beginning of the semester focuses on teaching the basic techniques of each subject. Once you’ve practiced, you can work on your own projects or follow some common assignments. You get your own shelf/box/workstation in the various workshops, making it easy to get started and keep track of your things.
WORKSHOPS
If you’re not done working when classes end, you can continue in the workshops until late. Of course, you need to use common sense, for example, not making noise after 22:00 if someone lives above the workshop. You must also clean up after yourself and follow the various guidelines for using machines, etc. If you want to use a workshop but are not taking that class, you need to have another student with you who knows how the workshop works or make an arrangement with the teacher.
CHORES
Like all other folk high schools, there are some tasks that students handle. These include cleaning, kitchen duties, and maintenance tasks, which are divided among you.
STUDY TRIP
Each semester we go on a one-week study trip abroad. The trip is included in the cost of your folk high school stay. We’ve been to many places over the years, but currently, the destinations are places like Gothenburg, Prague, and Berlin. Don’t forget your passport!
PORTFOLIO
Many use their stay with us to prepare for one of the creative educations where you need a portfolio/recordings to apply. We are happy to help you create a portfolio, but it’s important that you ask us as soon as possible after you start.
FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT
If you’re not sure what education you want to apply for, a folk high school stay is a fantastic opportunity to try a bit of everything before making a decision.
Guests at the Folk High School
GUESTS FROM HOME
We love having guests, so much so that we encourage you to invite friends to visit during your stay. Your guest can also stay overnight, either on a mattress in your room or in an available room that you clean yourselves. They can visit during weekdays, where they (if possible) can join the workshops, or over the weekend. Friends of students aren’t the only ones who visit. Throughout the semester, many guests come by for community dinners and lectures every 14 days, concerts, folk dancing, knitting club, or a weekend course in knitting or ceramics. In short, the folk high school is for everyone.
TRANSPORTATION
The easiest way for your guests to get to Vrå is by train. The folk high school is a 10-minute walk from the station. You take the train from Aalborg towards Hjørring or Skagen, which takes half an hour with air conditioning and plenty of space. On rejseplanen.dk, simply enter Vrå Station.
THE BUBBLE
As great as it is to have guests from home, it can be just as important to be able to say no thanks and retreat into your own little bubble at the folk high school. For some, it’s crucial to have the time and space to be alone and maybe reinvent themselves without interference from home.
Find the school
Our address to use in Google Maps etc. is:
Vrå Højskole
Højskolevej 1
9760 Vrå
Our phone number +4598981010
If you need to call us using your own phone from back home while in Denmark. Remember to research if you need to type 00 in front of the number, so it could look like: 004598981010 or something similar. When you hear the automatic Danish voice in the phone, just press 9 🙂