References
Agergaard, B. (2014). Næste stop: Fredens Plads.
Byråd, A. (2022a). BYRÅDSMØDE 1. DECEMBER 2022 (punkt 8).
Byråd, A. (2022b). BYRÅDSMØDE 14. DECEMBER 2022 (punkt 13).
Indenrigsministeriet, S.-o. (2018). Kommunestyrelsesloven: Bekendtgørelse af lov om kommunernes styrelse.
Kulturministeriet. (2019). Bekendtgørelse af lov om folkehøjskoler.
Marcus, G. E. (1997). The uses of complicity in the changing mise-en-scene of anthropological fieldwork. Representations 1997 Issue 59 Pages 85-108, 59, 85-108.
Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen, K. (2019). Nye kulturprojekter i udsatte boligområder.
Collaborators:
︎︎︎ Gellerup Højskole
︎︎︎ Julie Trojaborg - BLIK
︎︎︎ Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen
Agergaard, B. (2014). Næste stop: Fredens Plads.
Byråd, A. (2022a). BYRÅDSMØDE 1. DECEMBER 2022 (punkt 8).
Byråd, A. (2022b). BYRÅDSMØDE 14. DECEMBER 2022 (punkt 13).
Indenrigsministeriet, S.-o. (2018). Kommunestyrelsesloven: Bekendtgørelse af lov om kommunernes styrelse.
Kulturministeriet. (2019). Bekendtgørelse af lov om folkehøjskoler.
Marcus, G. E. (1997). The uses of complicity in the changing mise-en-scene of anthropological fieldwork. Representations 1997 Issue 59 Pages 85-108, 59, 85-108.
Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen, K. (2019). Nye kulturprojekter i udsatte boligområder.
Collaborators:
︎︎︎ Gellerup Højskole
︎︎︎ Julie Trojaborg - BLIK
︎︎︎ Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen
The
short film exhibited below was produced as part of a broader process
evaluation conducted in the spring of 2021 by The Danish Palaces and Culture
Agency (DPCA - DA: Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen: Puljen for Kunst og Kultur i Udsatte boligområder).
In 2019 – against the backdrop of a political
discourse in Danish politics that seemed to favour polarizing rhetoric and
systematic interventions into the physical and social constitution of select
residential areas around the country – DPCA along with the Danish Arts
Foundation extended substantial funding to a series of projects across Denmark (Slots- og
Kulturstyrelsen, 2019). The eligibility criteria for applying
to this funding required projects to focus on cultural integration and
democratic awareness, but more importantly, the project in question had to be located
in a residential area identified by the Danish government as disadvantaged (ibid.). Among the first recipients were Gellerup
Forsamlingshus and Gellerup Højskole, located as part of a plaza
known locally as Fredspladsen (Agergaard, 2014) at Gudrunsvej 82 in Gellerupparken,
Aarhus.
I refer to these two initiatives collectively as Gellerup Højskole, as they constitute the same project. Initially, the use of two names for the same project stem from a hesitation within the city council of Aarhus, regarding the level of involvement possible in developing the foundation for a folk high school in Gellerup. Moreover, Danish legislation mandates that folk high schools operate as independent entities (Kulturministeriet, 2019). This legal requirement ensures that folk high schools have a certain level of autonomy and independence in their operations and curriculum, allowing them to provide unique educational opportunities outside the scope of public educational institutions (ibid.). This generated political uncertainty about the extent to which the municipality could be involved both politically and legally.
However, in December 2022, the city council decided, with twenty-nine votes out of thirty-one, that supporting such a project falls within the bounds of the law (Indenrigsministeriet, 2018) and the municipality’s political agenda for the future of Aarhus, as long as it aligns with the overarching framework of the so called masterplan for Gellerupparken (Byråd, 2022a; 2022b – I will return to a detailed discussion of the masterplan later).
The purpose of the evaluation film was to share the progress and development of Gellerup Højskole two years after having received funding with other DPCA beneficiaries. The making of the film was a collaborative effort between me, the participants involved in the folk high school project, and Julie Trojaborg, a journalist employed by DPCA. As a junior researcher and visual anthropologist, I adopted a dual role by actively engaging myself in the development of Gellerup Højskole. My intention as a researcher could therefore be described as twofold: Firstly, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the project, which encompasses inherent complexities shaped by Danish socio-political dynamics, particularly those surrounding integration. Secondly, to actively contribute to the actualization of the project. Balancing this composite role as both researcher and participant posed a particular challenge and the different complicities and obstacles involved in my role mirror those faced by other participating anthropologists (Marcus, 1997). The intricacy lay in discerning, both for me and the participants, when each role was being embodied. Often, they would intricately intertwine, leading to a subtle sense of ambivalence surrounding my presence in the project. This ambivalence was further heightened by my frequent engagement in offering points of critique on various aspects related to the project, such as content, values, or the methods employed by those involved in actualizing Gellerup Højskole to achieve this goal.
Find the full process evaluation on DPCA’s website by clicking here
I refer to these two initiatives collectively as Gellerup Højskole, as they constitute the same project. Initially, the use of two names for the same project stem from a hesitation within the city council of Aarhus, regarding the level of involvement possible in developing the foundation for a folk high school in Gellerup. Moreover, Danish legislation mandates that folk high schools operate as independent entities (Kulturministeriet, 2019). This legal requirement ensures that folk high schools have a certain level of autonomy and independence in their operations and curriculum, allowing them to provide unique educational opportunities outside the scope of public educational institutions (ibid.). This generated political uncertainty about the extent to which the municipality could be involved both politically and legally.
However, in December 2022, the city council decided, with twenty-nine votes out of thirty-one, that supporting such a project falls within the bounds of the law (Indenrigsministeriet, 2018) and the municipality’s political agenda for the future of Aarhus, as long as it aligns with the overarching framework of the so called masterplan for Gellerupparken (Byråd, 2022a; 2022b – I will return to a detailed discussion of the masterplan later).
The purpose of the evaluation film was to share the progress and development of Gellerup Højskole two years after having received funding with other DPCA beneficiaries. The making of the film was a collaborative effort between me, the participants involved in the folk high school project, and Julie Trojaborg, a journalist employed by DPCA. As a junior researcher and visual anthropologist, I adopted a dual role by actively engaging myself in the development of Gellerup Højskole. My intention as a researcher could therefore be described as twofold: Firstly, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the project, which encompasses inherent complexities shaped by Danish socio-political dynamics, particularly those surrounding integration. Secondly, to actively contribute to the actualization of the project. Balancing this composite role as both researcher and participant posed a particular challenge and the different complicities and obstacles involved in my role mirror those faced by other participating anthropologists (Marcus, 1997). The intricacy lay in discerning, both for me and the participants, when each role was being embodied. Often, they would intricately intertwine, leading to a subtle sense of ambivalence surrounding my presence in the project. This ambivalence was further heightened by my frequent engagement in offering points of critique on various aspects related to the project, such as content, values, or the methods employed by those involved in actualizing Gellerup Højskole to achieve this goal.
Find the full process evaluation on DPCA’s website by clicking here