Robert Henke - Concert

Creative Synergies 2026

Building a Space Between Artistic Practice, Education, and Research

From February 23–27, CreaTeME and the University of Agder hosted Creative Synergies 2026 in Kristiansand at Kraftverk, bringing together artists, educators, researchers, and students for an intensive week ofseminars, roundtables, artist talks, group work, and showcases. 

Creative Synergies 2027 - March 1-5th

Hosted by CreaTeME at the Univercity of Agder. Join us in Kristiansand.
Save the date

As the second edition of Creative Synergies, the 2026 program built on the momentum of earlier initiatives, including Creative Synergies 2025 and D4: Designing Sound, Body, Place and Narrative. 

“Creative Synergies is an attempt to build a different kind of format. Usually, research discussions, artist talks, and student project work happen separately. Here, we try to bring them together in the same week, in the same building, and ask what becomes possible when artists, educators, researchers, and students think and work side by side.”
Andreas Waaler Røshol

The program combined two shared seminar days with track-based student work in scoring for picture, songmaking, performance, and cross-aesthetic collaboration, and concluded with public presentations of new student work. 

Creative Synergies was developed as a response to a simple question: what kind of format should a center for excellence in education actually create? Rather than separating research conferences, artist talks, and student project weeks into different arenas, the format brings them together in the same building, during the same week, with many of the same participants. 

“The entire Creative Synergies event was a testament to how these things should work. It offered an incredible opportunity for sharing ideas, for listening to ideas, for stretching thoughts and reappraising approaches. It was everything I love about education and educators at their very best. No ego, only generosity.” 
Martin James 

Photo credits: CreaTeME // Anja Kathrine Laland Gyberg & Aleksandra Nowak

The program included artist talks with Robert Henke, Carmen Villain, Johanna Scheie Orellana, André Bratten, and Ole-Henrik Moe, alongside artists-in-residence Magne Furuholmen, Jonas Bjerre, and Martin Terefe, whowere present throughout the week. Academic contributions were given by Pamela Burnard, Heidi Partti, and adam patrick bell. A series of roundtables addressed topics such as artistic growth, entrepreneurship, songmaking, AI and creativity, artistic research in BA/MA programs, electronic music history and theory, and vocal identity in the processed voice. 

“[Creative Synergies gave me] the opportunity to get tips and tricks from skilled musicians and tools you can bring with you into your future music career. [It also gave me] inspiration and a sense of mastery from being challenged to do something new or unfamiliar with people you do not usually work with.”
Student participant 

“[Creative Synergies served as] a hub for talks and presentations across multiple disciplines, and the opportunity to get a broad variety of inputs over the week.”
Student participant

“The point of Creative Synergies is not only to inspire students, but to place artistic practice, education, and research in direct contact with each other. We want to create a format where new methods, new questions, and new collaborations can emerge across institutions, disciplines, and countries.”
Andreas Waaler Røshol

The week brought together participants from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, England, Belgium, Canada, and the United States. In parallel, students worked across the four tracks, developing material that was later presented in the final showcases. The overall aim was to strengthen music education through exchange across institutions, disciplines, and national contexts.

“It’s been an amazing week that has invited and enabled some radical rethinking, reimagining the possibility of new musics and new musical practices, and how a plurality of creativities can contribute to broadening practice. A stunning community of changemakers.”
Pamela Burnard 

Creative Synergies will return in 2027. 

Building a Space Between Artistic Practice, Education, and Research

From February 23–27, CreaTeME and the University of Agder hosted Creative Synergies 2026 in Kristiansand at Kraftverk, bringing together artists, educators, researchers, and students for an intensive week ofseminars, roundtables, artist talks, group work, and showcases. 

Creative Synergies 2027 - March 1-5th

Hosted by CreaTeME at the Univercity of Agder. Join us in Kristiansand.
Save the date

As the second edition of Creative Synergies, the 2026 program built on the momentum of earlier initiatives, including Creative Synergies 2025 and D4: Designing Sound, Body, Place and Narrative. 

“Creative Synergies is an attempt to build a different kind of format. Usually, research discussions, artist talks, and student project work happen separately. Here, we try to bring them together in the same week, in the same building, and ask what becomes possible when artists, educators, researchers, and students think and work side by side.”
Andreas Waaler Røshol

The program combined two shared seminar days with track-based student work in scoring for picture, songmaking, performance, and cross-aesthetic collaboration, and concluded with public presentations of new student work. 

Creative Synergies was developed as a response to a simple question: what kind of format should a center for excellence in education actually create? Rather than separating research conferences, artist talks, and student project weeks into different arenas, the format brings them together in the same building, during the same week, with many of the same participants. 

“The entire Creative Synergies event was a testament to how these things should work. It offered an incredible opportunity for sharing ideas, for listening to ideas, for stretching thoughts and reappraising approaches. It was everything I love about education and educators at their very best. No ego, only generosity.” 
Martin James 

Photo credits: CreaTeME // Anja Kathrine Laland Gyberg & Aleksandra Nowak

The program included artist talks with Robert Henke, Carmen Villain, Johanna Scheie Orellana, André Bratten, and Ole-Henrik Moe, alongside artists-in-residence Magne Furuholmen, Jonas Bjerre, and Martin Terefe, whowere present throughout the week. Academic contributions were given by Pamela Burnard, Heidi Partti, and adam patrick bell. A series of roundtables addressed topics such as artistic growth, entrepreneurship, songmaking, AI and creativity, artistic research in BA/MA programs, electronic music history and theory, and vocal identity in the processed voice. 

“[Creative Synergies gave me] the opportunity to get tips and tricks from skilled musicians and tools you can bring with you into your future music career. [It also gave me] inspiration and a sense of mastery from being challenged to do something new or unfamiliar with people you do not usually work with.”
Student participant 

“[Creative Synergies served as] a hub for talks and presentations across multiple disciplines, and the opportunity to get a broad variety of inputs over the week.”
Student participant

“The point of Creative Synergies is not only to inspire students, but to place artistic practice, education, and research in direct contact with each other. We want to create a format where new methods, new questions, and new collaborations can emerge across institutions, disciplines, and countries.”
Andreas Waaler Røshol

The week brought together participants from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, England, Belgium, Canada, and the United States. In parallel, students worked across the four tracks, developing material that was later presented in the final showcases. The overall aim was to strengthen music education through exchange across institutions, disciplines, and national contexts.

“It’s been an amazing week that has invited and enabled some radical rethinking, reimagining the possibility of new musics and new musical practices, and how a plurality of creativities can contribute to broadening practice. A stunning community of changemakers.”
Pamela Burnard 

Creative Synergies will return in 2027. 

Table of Contents

Creative use of Technology in Music Education