Open LHÍ officially launched

The formal opening of Open LHÍ was celebrated at the premises of the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Stakkahlíð 1 on March 5. Open LHÍ is the school's new and exciting platform for opening art studies to the public and promoting the further education of professionals in the arts, design, architecture and art education.

The University of the Arts' portal for the public and professionals

The goal of Open LHÍ is twofold. On the one hand, it is a platform for lifelong learning, career development and networking for working artists and professionals. On the other hand, the aim is to spark public interest in the arts and provide the widest possible group with access to the University of the Arts' expertise and facilities.

Kristín Eysteinsdóttir, Rector of the Academy of the Arts, welcomed guests and Oliver Rähni, a student in the Department of Music, played a piano solo at the opening.

“It is a long-awaited dream for the Open University of the Arts to take flight. We want to open the doors to those interested of all ages by offering a diverse range of courses in the fields of art and culture, and I believe that in this way we make our society richer. We also intend to offer arts professionals courses that deepen their specialization and skills. We are full of expectations and look forward to welcoming as many people as possible,” said Kristín Eysteinsdóttir, Rector of the University of the Arts, in her speech on this occasion.

The first courses have started

The first courses have already started and include a very successful course in collaboration with the City Theatre in connection with the exhibition “This is Laddi” where Edda Björgvins taught participants about humor and its many aspects and purposes. Participants learned about Laddi, one of the country's best-known comedians, and subsequently went on a tour of the exhibition. Continued collaboration with the City Theatre, as well as other cultural institutions, is expected.

The course offering at Open LHÍ is constantly evolving and is based on dialogue with professional associations in the arts and culture sector, as well as being useful for the great and diverse human resources  PULL Academy of Fine Artsin lives.

Open LHÍ will offer around twenty courses in the spring semester of 2025, and the aim is to further strengthen collaboration with professional associations and former students of the school.

You can explore the diverse range of courses offered by Open LHÍ by clicking the button below.

Photos: Owen Fiennes