Norwegian Language and Culture

Baking

Price: 50,-

Love the smell of freshly baked bread? We bake bread, buns, cakes and other treats from scratch, learn basic techniques and share the results. Suitable for everyone, including complete beginners.

Ball games

We play volleyball, football, floorball, basketball and other ball games. What we play varies throughout the year. You are of course welcome to practise the different games more in the gym in the afternoons and evenings.

Basic training

We work on strength and fitness in the school’s weight room. You learn basic exercises and proper technique. Suits both beginners and those who have trained before.

Bouldering

Price: 100,-

Climbing without ropes on low walls, with thick mats below. You learn basic technique and safety, and challenge yourself at your own pace. Suits both beginners and experienced climbers.

Build and fix

We give old pallets new life by turning them into chairs. You learn to use tools safely, to measure, saw and screw, and take home a finished piece of furniture. No experience needed.

Sustainable entrepreneurship

We explore how sustainability and social responsibility can be built into a business, from developing the idea to putting it into practice.

Dance

Learn your first steps in swing and salsa! A beginners’ course where we dance in pairs, learn basic steps and simple turns, and have fun together. No experience or partner needed.

A tribute to the album

Do you love the album as a whole? Listening to entire albums and knowing the story behind them? Discussing genre, recording techniques, music history and more? Then “A Tribute to the Album” is the elective for you.

Film club

Are you one of those people who get annoyed when others talk during films, but are also tired of everyone heading straight home after a film at the cinema? Welcome to our Film club, or "Film tasting" as we call it!

Philosophy and the History of Ideas

In this elective, we learn about philosophers and other thinkers. We look at their most important ideas, where they came from and what they have meant for later generations.

Disc golf

Disc golf is golf with a frisbee: you throw your way around the course, aiming to hit the basket in as few throws as possible. We learn throwing technique and rules, and play outdoors in all weather.

Musical Improvisation

Musical improvisation is all about letting loose, having fun and trying out new things. This elective gives you an introduction to improvisation.

Introduction to Analogue Photography

In this elective, you get a basic introduction to analogue photography, an art form where we capture moments on film rather than digitally.

Canoeing

You will learn the most basic paddling techniques. We go on canoe trips in the beautiful archipelago by the school, with a focus on safety, technique and the joy of being out at sea in a canoe.

Creative writing

The writing workshop gives you a safe space to explore language and learn more about how to create good texts.

Bergen, City of culture

Price: 150,-

A taste of the best concerts, films, exhibitions and performances Bergen has to offer. This elective takes place in the afternoons and evenings, and there may be a small fee on some days.

A literary pause

Books are best when they are shared. In these shared reading sessions, we read short stories and poems aloud, taking short breaks along the way to talk about what we have read.

Magnet fishing

Magnet fishing means using strong magnets to fish for metal waste on the seabed. When you go magnet fishing, you help keep nature clean and clear away litter.

Meditation

A breathing space in everyday life. We try different meditation and breathing techniques that can bring calm, better focus and less stress. No prior experience needed.

Music video

We make a music video from idea to finished result. You get to try your hand at planning, filming, lighting and editing, working together as a small film crew. No experience needed.

Foraging

Autumn is the season for foraging. In this elective, you get to know our local area better and become aware of the natural resources around us.

Pixel animation

Pixel animation has a distinctive, grainy look that is reminiscent of early computer graphics and the nostalgic video games of the 1980s and 1990s.

Independent study

This elective gives you the opportunity to work independently on upper secondary school subjects. You get the time and space to focus on subjects you want to revise or improve your grades in.

Skateboarding

In this elective, the focus is on basic technique and plenty of practical skating. It suits both beginners and more experienced skaters.

Queer pop culture

We learn about different tropes, queer coding and queer history (or histories), and, almost more importantly, we have “brunch” together every time! No prior knowledge is needed, just curiosity and an open mind.

School newspaper

Would you like to help make the school newspaper? We put together an editorial team that organises, writes, takes photos and edits. Along the way, we will learn important things about journalism.

Let´s talk!

Good conversations about what matters. We talk about topics like friendship, identity, choices and life in a small, safe group. You share as much or as little as you like.

Social media

Show life at school! You learn to plan, shoot and edit reels and photos, and get the chance to take over the school’s social media account. For you if you like telling stories with your phone.

Playing in a band

This elective is for you who want to develop your skills on your instrument, try your hand as a vocalist, or learn what it is like to play together as a group.

Stencil and street art

In this elective, we explore exciting forms of expression in street art, with creativity, message and self-expression at the heart of it all!

Knitting

Price: 70,-

This elective suits both beginners and those with experience. You decide for yourself what you want to knit. If you like, the teacher can also give you plenty of ideas and patterns.

Sewing, Handicraft and Redesign

In this elective, you get to explore your creativity through sewing, handicraft and redesign. We work with basic techniques in sewing, knitting, crocheting and embroidery, while also learning to give old textiles new life.

Hiking

Every week, we head out on short hikes in the area around the school, and we finish by climbing one of the seven mountains surrounding Bergen.

Yoga

We do calm and varied yoga exercises that build strength, flexibility and balance. You learn to connect breath and movement. Suitable for everyone, whatever your fitness or experience.

Age limits

You must normally be at least 18 years old when the school year starts.

Applicants who are younger may request an individual assessment.

Admission requirements

Anyone can apply for a place at Fana Folk High School.

To become a student at our school, you must:

• normally be at least 18 years old when the school year starts. Applicants who are younger may request an individual assessment
• be able to understand and communicate in Norwegian, another Nordic language, or English so that you can take part in classes and the school community
• be willing to take an active part in classes, community life, and school activities
• follow the school's rules and regulations

Additional Admission Requirements for Some Courses

Norwegian Language and Culture

Applicants to the Norwegian Language and Culture course must complete an admission interview in addition to submitting an application.

The interview helps us to:

• get to know the applicant
• make sure the applicant has a good understanding of what a year at a folk high school involves
• learn more about the applicant's motivation for applying
• assess the applicant's skills in Norwegian or English

The admission interview forms part of the assessment of applications to this course.

Music

To be admitted to the Music course, you must be able to sing or play an instrument at a basic level. In your application, we ask you to briefly describe your musical experience.

Priority criteria

We process applications on a rolling basis.

To be offered a place at the school, you must meet the school's admission requirements and any additional requirements for the course you are applying to.

If there are more qualified applicants than available places, applications are prioritised in the following order:

1. When the completed application was received.
2. When necessary, the school may also take into account the distribution of students between courses and the need for a positive learning and residential environment at the school.

Applicants who submit a complete application early will normally be given priority over applicants who apply later.

Admission is also subject to national regulations for folk high schools. For some international applicants, specific rules may affect their eligibility for a place.

Admission process

When Can You Apply?

We accept applications from 15 October in the year before the school year starts.

Applications are registered on a rolling basis, but we do not begin offering places until 15 November.

After 15 November, applications are processed on a rolling basis and places are offered as long as there are places available.

Response to Your Application

You will receive written notification when your application has been processed.

If you are offered a place, you must respond within the deadline stated in the offer.

Waiting List

When a course or the school is full, applicants may be placed on a waiting list.

If places become available, they will be offered according to the same principles as the ordinary admissions process.

Appeals

Admission decisions at folk high schools are individual administrative decisions under the Norwegian Public Administration Act.

If your application is rejected, you have the right to appeal. Information about how to submit an appeal will be included with the decision.

A Time to Be Young

At Fana Folk High School, you get the time and space to develop your skills and discover more about who you are. You can explore your interests, try new things and get to know people who challenge, inspire and support you.

As a non-religious folk high school, we want to give you new perspectives on yourself, other people and the world around you. Here, you will meet students with different interests and backgrounds. Together, we create an inclusive community built on openness, respect and engagement.

Between Bergen, the Fjords and Nature

Fana Folk High School is based in a historic manor house with its own boathouse by the sea. You will live close to the fjord, surrounded by green spaces, while the centre of Bergen is only a short bus ride away.

This gives you a unique combination of nature, culture and city life. One day you can go to a festival, concert or theatre performance, and the next you can be out on the fjord or exploring the forest.

A Year That Stays With You

Through your main course, electives, shared experiences and travel, you will challenge yourself, dive deeper into your interests and discover connections you may not have noticed before. You will have the chance to try, fail, learn and succeed in an environment where curiosity is encouraged and there is room to find your own way.

A year at Fana is ultimately about learning more about who you are, what matters to you and how you want to use your strengths together with others.

Courses at the school

• Visual Art
• Music - Band & Tour
• Norwegian Language and Culture
• Music - Band & Tour
• Visual Art
• Psychology
• Norwegian Language and Culture
• Visual Art
• Visual Art
• Psychology - half-year course
• Japan, Cultural Psychology and Cognitiv Psychology
• Music - half-year course
• Music - half-year course