Magne on stage with Apparatjik in 2016

Magne Furuholmen, Jonas Bjerre and Martin Terefe will all appear at next week’s Creative Synergies 2026 event at the University in Agder (UiA) in Kristiansand, Norway from 23-27 February, as Apparatjik will be the Artist-in-Residence and present their new album Entropolis.

Creative Synergies 2026 is set to bring together “artists, educators, researchers, and students for an intensive week of seminars, group work, and performances”.

“This will be a rare opportunity for our students to work closely with artists that have shaped popular culture and who also work experimentally across different fields. To have our honorary doctor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Magne Furuholmen, coming here and bringing along Jonas Bjerre and Martin Terefe for a whole week with our students, says something about our level of ambition for this event”, UiA Professor (and a-ha / Apparatjik drummer) Karl Oluf Wennerberg says.

a-ha’s musical director (and Apparatjik contributor) Erik Ljunggren is also connected to UiA as an Associate Professor, and will serve as producer and technical advisor for the residency.

Here are some of the scheduled events:

Monday 23/2:
Apparatjik (Artist-in-Residence): Presenting Their New Album ‘Entropolis’
In this talk, you will meet Apparatjik as they present and discuss their upcoming album. They will also discuss different approaches, strategies, and mindsets for facilitating creative processes. Chaired by Bernt Rune Stray and Jan Bang.

Tuesday 24/2:
Talk: ‘Cross-Platform Aesthetics, Artistic Bildung (kunstnerisk dannelse), and the Search for a Unique Artistic Expression’ – with Magne Furuholmen
In this talk, Magne will discuss and reflect on the effects of working within and moving between different aesthetic forms of expression, such as music and the visual arts. Chaired by Karl Olav Segrov Mortensen.

Talk: ‘The Role of the Producer and Collaborative Decision-Making in the Studio’ – with Martin Terefe
In this talk, Martin will present examples from his extensive career as a producer and songwriter with a particular focus on collaborative decision making and the producer role. Chaired by Kristine Hoff.

Talk: ‘Using Animation as a Visual Expression in a Concert Format’ – with Jonas Bjerre
In this talk, Jonas will discuss and showcase different approaches to how animation can be used in concert settings. Chaired by Erik Ljunggren.

Participation is free for staff and students.
More info can be found at uia.no.