Listen. Unlearn. Reimagine. Build.
We follow the hum of history. For over a hundred years, sound has been cultivated in Struer—invented, refined, expanded, sent across the world. 89 joins this journey, tuning into the past, amplifying the present, composing the future.
We inherit another promise. These buildings were raised with the dream of a school—a place for learning, for gathering, for shaping knowledge. That promise stands, reimagined. A space where ideas take form, where practice leads thought, where knowledge is shared, shaped, and lived.
To learn is to unlearn. We break habits, question assumptions, and make space for new ways of thinking, making, and listening.
89 is a frequency of transformation. A space where listening is action, where making is a way of thinking, where people, places, and processes shape each other.
Struer is our instrument. Its wind, its water, its industrial whispers. A landscape of invention, where past and future fold into the now.
Here, we build together. Each sound, each idea, each connection leaves a trace. A shared space, carried forward by those who listen, those who create, those who gather.
Step inside. Tune in. Be part of it.
Vision
A school? A lab? A playground? 89 is an experimental sound art learning community born out of the unique ecology of Struer—City of Sound, Denmark.
89 offers a radical alternative to the establishment of universities and art schools. It’s a space of knowledge and making where learning is lived; new learning spaces, programs, structures tested and allowed to thrive, and sound becomes a way of thinking, doing and being.
89 values hands-on experience, collaboration, and artistic autonomy. We believe in learning by doing, failing, experimenting, and questioning, and in cultivating a powerful agency among all stakeholders in order to create the programme relevant to you and the world.
For 89 days, you co-create your programme alongside artists, makers, artistic researchers, and thinkers. No ivory towers. No grades. No hierarchy. Just sound, art making, critical reflection, and action.
Whether you are looking for an alternative to traditional academia or a supplement to your existing education, 89 provides a space where you can expand your practice, develop new skills, and engage in meaningful creative work.
Values
Radical Learning: We embrace co-creation, transdisciplinarity, and synesthesia while empowering participants to direct their own learning. Learning is an active, shared, and evolving process that thrives through collaboration across fields and senses.
Engagement in the Community: You are more than just a participant. You are a participant, an organizer, a collaborator. Learning happens together, through shared experience and engagement, rooted in the local context of Struer and our global network beyond. If you’re here, you’re involved. 89 is an evolving, living organism, shaped by those who take part.
Sound as Thought: Sound is more than just material; it’s a way of thinking, questioning, and engaging with the world. We explore its role in art history, culture, society, and technology while staying connected to a broader global perspective.
Do-It-Yourself and Do-It-Together: We build this place together, across disciplines, ideas, and explorations. Curiosity and openness drive us forward, ensuring that every experiment, every new idea, and every failure is part of a larger process of discovery.
Sustainable Resources: Social, artistic, and environmental sustainability is embedded in everything we do. Our processes, our collaborations, and our creations all contribute to a shared, ongoing learning experience. From furniture, to tools, to art materials, to food, to people, to how we move around, we strive to make the most of the resources at hand in a considerate manner.
Organisation
89 is an experimental sound art learning community; an alternative learning framework, an art school and expansive platform. It thrives as a dynamic, participant-driven space, rooted in transdisciplinary and co-learning exploration.
89 grows out of a partnership led by the association Uddannelsesinitiativet i Struer (administration) and Sound Art Lab (content), consists of local partners and external collaborators, and is shaped by the participants.
Facilities
Located in Struer, Denmark, and with the whole of our community of sound supporting us, we work from an evolving space where sound, art, and technology have already cross-pollinated for a century. There is access to:
- Seminar rooms
- Sound studios
- Sound equipment
- Artist ateliers
- Workshops and makerspaces
- Advanced sound labs, test and listening facilities
- Research and innovation hubs for sound technology and sonic cultural heritage
- Networks
- Professional exhibition and performance platforms
- Biogeology or Great Outdoors (formerly known as “nature”)
- Silence
Program
Overview
89 days. Mornings may start with check-ins, lectures, seminary and listening sessions. Afternoons could involve soldering circuits. Nights might be spent recording soundscapes by the sea. Each week unfolds organically, shaped by the people here.
Each week has a recurring structure:
Mondays: Community check-in and idea-sharing
Tuesdays to Thursdays: Workshops, projects, skill-sharing, public engagements
Fridays: Feedback, reflection, experiments
Weekends: Open for collaborations, rest, or the unexpected
Timeline
Days 1–7: Arrival and introduction
Days 7–80: Co-learning
Days 81–88: Public presentation
Day 89: Departure
Subjects
Sound Art Practice: From installation to performance, explore how sound is shaped in artistic expression.
Technology and Design: Build, hack, break, and rethink tools for making sound.
Sonic Narratives and Sound Studies: What does sound mean? Dive into the philosophy, sonic cultural heritage, archival sound practice, critical aspects of sound, and sound as artistic research.
Sound Ecologies: Engage with sound as an environmental and political force.
The Professional Sound Artist: Live, work and thrive as an artist: funding, networking, and self-organizing.
Learning Objectives
By participating at 89, you will:
- Have created, built, and experimented with sound in ways you never imagined.
- Obtained new technical skills and hands-on experience in sound making and designing.
- Have been mentored by established sound artists as well as other sound professionals in nurturing your own practice.
- Have experienced alternative models of learning and engage relevant theory that challenge the status quo in the field of sound arts.
- Have worked with art as research where artistic exploration supports theoretic reflection and vice verse.
- Be ready to continue and advance your own professional path in sound, art, or into yet to be known territories.
Outcome
At 89, success is not measured by grades or exams but by what you create, contribute, and take with you. You will leave with practical skills, new work for your portfolio, and real-world professional engagement. Whether it’s a developed installation, a sonic experiment, a network of peers and mentors, or hands-on experience with new tools, you shape your own outcome. Your work speaks louder than any certificate.
Professional Presentation: Participants will have prepared their work to be included and showcased at an established exhibition or festival program alongside professional artists.
Expanded Network: Through collaborations, mentorships, and partnerships, participants will develop connections and gain access to a broader artistic and professional network.
Skills and Knowledge: Participants will acquire new technical, theoretical, and conceptual skills aligned with the subjects explored during the program, equipping them for future projects and opportunities.
Engagement
You are the school. Participants and mentors work side by side. Your input shapes the program, the space, and the way we learn. Expect to contribute—whether it’s organizing an event, running a workshop, or fixing the coffee machine. Engagement is both something you give and also receive at 89.
You will shape your own learning experience while also supporting the learning environment of others. This means being open to challenges, actively participating in workshops and discussions, and embracing the dynamic, hands-on nature of the program. Whether organizing an event, initiating a project, or refining your artistic practice, your engagement is key to making 89 a thriving community of sound and exploration.
People
Who’s here? Artists. Listeners. Technicians. Makers. Rebels. Every cycle, invited mentors, artists-in-residence, and guest lecturers challenge and guide you. There’s no fixed faculty—just an evolving network of practitioners from around the world.
Between the 6 to 12 enrolled participants and a smaller team at Sound Art Lab makes up the daily people at 89.
Staff
- Administration: Katrine Frausig (Uddannelsesinitiativet i Struer)
- Head of studies: Jacob Eriksen (Sound Art Lab)
Partners/network
We are in close and regular contact with the manifold of organizations within the local sound ecosystem of Struer and with our external network of like-minded arts and educational institutions, artist communities, festivals and exhibition spaces.
Locals
- Uddannelsesinitiativet i Struer
- Sound Art Lab
- Sound Hub Denmark
- Struer Museum
- Bang & Olufsen
- Struer Kommune
- Struer Tracks
- Regelbau 411
Externals
- CRiSAP
- DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program
- more to be announced soon ...
Code of conduct
Trust and respect are at the core of 89. We expect every participant to contribute to an environment of thoughtfulness, care, and collaboration. Learning and creating together require openness, responsibility, and integrity. We encourage exploration, but also accountability.
By joining 89, you commit to upholding these values and fostering a safe and inspiring space for everyone. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct can result in dismissal from the program.
Be good, as in kind and respectful to others.
Be wondering, as in challenge your practice and thinking.
Be fun and caring, as in, you are not alone in the world and that’s great!
Apply
Admission
Apply here. For your application we need:
- Full name, email, country of residence
- Motivation letter (max. 2500 signs)
- Artistic CV in PDF-format (max. 2 pages)
- Link to documentation of a work that exemplifies your artistic practice (the link must be permanently accessible, e.g. Dropbox, Soundcloud, Youtube, Vimeo, personal website, etc.)
Important dates for the fall cycle 2025
- 1 April 2025: Application process opens
- 1 May 2025: Application deadline at 23:59 CEST
- 1 June 2025: Admission notice
- 1 September 2025: Beginning of cycle
- 29 November 2025: End of cycle
- 1 August 2025: Payment of 20% of the fee
- 1 September 2025: Payment of 40% of the fee
- 15 October 2025: Payment of 40% of the fee
The course fee is 15.000 DKK (fall 2025 rate).
We acknowledge that living, travelling to Struer, learning in general, and co-organizing 89 comes with expenses, such as accommodation and food. We will help to the extent possible with finding affordable solutions.
Accommodation
We help you find affordable and cosy accommodation in the city of Struer. Expect the rent to be no more than 3.000 DKK/month.
FAQ
Who is it for? Who can apply?
- 89 is a place for the self-driven, the experimental, and the collaborative. 89 is an alternative to traditional art schools and conservatories. If you are eager to learn through doing, embrace uncertainty, and contribute to a dynamic learning environment, then 89 is for you. It is for artists, designers, musicians, technologists, and thinkers who see sound as a tool for exploration.
What are the selection criteria?
- The selection of participants will mainly be based on their portfolio and motivation letter, from which an interview process will be initiated.
- We aim at setting a team which asks for differences in experiences, skills, outlooks, and artistic practice.
- Being self-reflective and possessing a minimum technical skill, curiosity and understanding is required.
- Our common language is English. We have no formal requirements, but you must be able to express yourself fluently in English.
How many participants will be accepted?
- We accept 6 to 12 participants per cycle.
What is expected from the participants?
- At 89, participation goes beyond attendance. You are expected to engage fully—experiment, collaborate, contribute, and take initiative.
What does it cost?
- The course fee is 15,000 DKK.
- This covers admin, basic materials, excursions, access to studios and labs, workshops, lectures etc.
Can international participants apply?
- Yes. The program is in English. Note that participants from outside the EU might need a visa.
Is there a minimum or maximum age requirement?
- No.
What kind of equipment or software do participants need?
- A computer for personal needs is advised but not required. You are welcome to bring instruments and tools for art production.
- We encourage the use of open source software.
Can I participate in more than one cycle?
- Yes. You are welcome to apply and participate in more than one cycle. And each cycle will be different.
Contact
Concept, design, coding: BANK™ @bank_graphic_design_today
Illustration: Célestin Krier @celestin_krier
Typefaces: Oracle by @abcdinamo and Facitype by @ops_type