Koda Kultur – Composers’ retreats (arbejdsophold i refugieboliger)

If what you need is a week somewhere quiet with nothing to do but write, this is the Koda pool for it. The retreats are self-organised working stays in properties in Denmark and abroad: Lofoten in Norway, Lille Skiveren in North Jutland, Kaninhullet in South Zealand, Musikanterhuset on Langeland, Norse Retreat Thy, and Skurup in Sweden. Each stay lasts one week, except Kaninhullet, which runs five days.

It is open to any composer or songwriter who is a Koda member. The stay itself is free and some of the houses include meals, but you pay DKK 1,000 towards costs and cover your own travel, so treat it as in-kind support rather than income.

The application is short. You name the weeks you want, ranked in order of preference, up to three in total, though never more than one week at any single retreat; you can also flag other weeks that would suit. Then ten lines or fewer on the purpose of the stay and what you expect to come out of it, and ten lines or fewer describing your work as a composer.

There are two deadlines a year, both at 15:00: 1 April for stays in weeks 27 to 53, and 23 September for weeks 1 to 26 of the following year. Applications open about four weeks beforehand. A small curation committee appointed by Autor's board allocates the places and replies go out roughly a month after the deadline. The published guidelines do not set out assessment criteria.