Gamli barnaskolinn – Skolagata/Midbraut, Iceland

Why artists care about Gamli barnaskólinn

Gamli barnaskólinn, the old schoolhouse on Skólagata/Miðbraut, is home to The Old School – Hrísey residency. It sits in the center of a tiny village on a North Iceland island, just off the coast near Akureyri. The whole setup is simple: a modest school building, four bedrooms, shared workspaces, and an island that feels made for long projects and deep focus.

The residency is run as a non-profit by the art group Nordanbal. The mission is clear and pretty rare: offer a sustainable, non-commercial space where artists in any medium can work, think, and connect, without constant pressure to produce public outputs or “content.”

You get a mix of quiet isolation and low-key social contact. The island gives you landscape and silence; the house gives you fellow residents, a kitchen table, and shared studio space. If your practice needs concentration, long walks, and time away from dense art scenes, this is where the old schoolhouse starts to make sense.

The residency: how the old schoolhouse actually works

The Old School – Hrísey residency turns the former village school into a small, mixed-discipline living and working space. The infrastructure is basic but intentional: enough comfort to function well, not so much that you forget why you came.

Spaces: where you sleep, where you work

The building is set up to house a handful of artists at a time, usually a mix of disciplines. Expect:

• Four private bedrooms – each artist gets their own room to sleep and retreat.
• Shared working area – a large classroom-style space that can host about three artists or working groups at once.
• Combined sitting room and kitchen – where people cook, debrief, and accidentally start collaborations.
• Bathroom and shower – plus a washing machine, which is useful when the weather cycles through four seasons in a week.
• Library and television – more for evenings and bad-weather days than structured research, but still helpful.

There is wireless internet, but the residency does not provide technical facilities beyond that. If your work uses specific equipment, software, or hardware, you bring it or plan to work analog.

Who the residency is for

The Old School – Hrísey is set up for professional artists in all media, including:

• Visual artists (painting, drawing, photography, installation, video, etc.)
• Writers and poets
• Performing artists, choreographers, sound artists
• Cross-disciplinary or research-focused practitioners

There is no built-in requirement to produce a final exhibition, though sharing work with fellow residents or the local community can usually be arranged. The focus is on process, not spectacle.

What you actually do there

Residents use the schoolhouse as a base for:

• Studio work in the shared space or in their rooms if projects are compact.
• Writing and research using the quiet and predictable routine.
• Site-responsive projects with the island landscape, weather, and birdlife as material.
• Collaborations with other residents, often starting informally in the kitchen or on walks.

The residency’s stated goal is to support international exchange and possible cooperation. That translates on the ground into conversation, shared meals, and occasional small-scale group projects rather than constant public events.

Life on Hrísey: what your days feel like

Hrísey is small enough that you can walk across its settled area quickly, but large enough that you can take long walks along the shore or out toward the more open parts of the island. Your daily rhythm will likely oscillate between studio time and moving through the landscape.

Island atmosphere and landscape

Hrísey sits close to the Arctic Circle, surrounded by the Eyjafjörður fjord and ringed by mountains on the mainland. The visual language is strong: shifting light, long horizons, sea birds, snow or fog depending on the season. You are always aware of the water and the weather.

For many artists, that physical context becomes part of the work, even if indirectly. Expect:

• Quiet streets and a slower pace than almost anywhere else.
• Sharp seasonal shifts in daylight, temperature, and mood.
• Recurring motifs – lighthouses, boats, seaweed, snow tracks, mountain silhouettes.

The island’s scale makes it easy to build a daily walking route that works like a moving sketchbook. You can literally loop the village before or after studio hours as a way to think.

Community and social contact

The local population is small, and you are living in the center of the village rather than a secluded compound. That means you are visible: at the shop, on the road, on the ferry. The residency’s non-profit ethos sits comfortably with this; the old school is not a sealed-off “artist bubble.”

You can expect:

• Casual interactions with residents at the shop or harbor.
• Opportunities to share work if you ask – small presentations or open studios can often be arranged.
• A soft pressure toward responsibility – people notice how artists behave on the island.

If your practice benefits from slow, human-scale contact rather than a constant stream of events, the community rhythm here suits that well.

Daily practicalities

Life on Hrísey is simple but you still need to plan for basic needs.

• Groceries: there is a local shop, but expect limited selection and higher prices. Many residents do one bigger shop on the mainland before arriving.
• Cooking: the shared kitchen becomes central. Plan for cooking in rather than eating out.
• Swimming pool: Icelandic pools are social and practical. The island pool is a good place to decompress and pick up local information.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi is provided, but consider a local SIM or roaming plan as backup, especially if you rely heavily on online tools.

The art scene around Hrísey and how to use it

Hrísey itself functions more as a working retreat than a performance stage. The “scene” is really one building and a few people. If you want a larger art environment while you are there, you look to Akureyri on the mainland.

Akureyri as your external hub

Akureyri is the main town in North Iceland, and it hosts galleries, the Akureyri Art Museum, and local studios. It is also where many regional residencies, including Gil Artist Residency, connect with the public.

From Hrísey, your link to this wider context is the ferry and road to town. With good planning you can:

• Visit Akureyri Art Museum for exhibitions and context on Icelandic contemporary art.
• See local galleries and project spaces in the central area sometimes called Art Street.
• Connect informally with artists based in Akureyri who have experience with rural and northern practice.

If your project has a public or research component, consider scheduling a couple of focused trips to Akureyri during your stay in Hrísey, rather than trying to go back and forth constantly.

Other residencies as reference points

Understanding Gamli barnaskólinn is easier if you compare it to other Iceland residencies.

• SÍM Residency, Reykjavík – urban, with two locations (downtown Seljavegur and Korpúlfsstaðir at the edge of town), more artists, workshops for textiles, ceramics, and printmaking, plus regular open studios and talks. Good if you want a busier context and institutional contact.
• Nes Artist Residency, Skagaströnd – another north-coast village residency with a structured program and more residents at once. The landscape is similarly strong but the setting feels slightly less isolated than an island.
• Ós Textile Residency, Blönduós – focused on textiles and textile-adjacent research, with looms, dye studio, and a textile lab. A good point of reference if your Hrísey project uses fabric, craft, or material research and you want access to specialized tools before or after.

Compared to these, The Old School – Hrísey is smaller, quieter, and less tool-heavy. Think of it as a pared-back, non-institutional environment focused on time, space, and small scale community rather than facilities.

Where you are staying: micro “neighborhoods” and layout

Hrísey is compact, so the usual idea of neighborhoods does not really apply. Still, a few spatial details matter for how your time there feels.

The old schoolhouse location

Gamli barnaskólinn sits in the village center on the south coast of the island, around a ten-minute walk from the harbor. That placement gives you:

• Quick access to the ferry for mainland trips.
• Close distance to the shop and pool, which is useful when weather turns.
• Immediate sense of being “in” the community rather than on the edges.

For day-to-day life, the proximity to services means you do not lose hours just dealing with logistics, leaving more time for work and walks.

Walking routes and mental maps

Artists often build routines around short loops that help structure the day:

• A morning walk from the schoolhouse toward the harbor and along the shore.
• An afternoon route inland or along quieter paths to clear the head after studio time.
• Evening trips to the swimming pool or just a slow circuit of the village.

Because the island is small, you quickly develop a mental map of landmarks and shifts in light, which can feed drawing, photography, sound recording, or writing.

Studios, tools, and what to bring

The Old School – Hrísey offers space and basic infrastructure but not a full workshop. Planning what you bring can make or break your project.

On-site facilities

Count on:

• Shared studio/classroom – tables, walls, and floor space for 2–3 people or groups.
• Bedrooms that can double as micro-studios for laptop-based work or small-scale drawing and writing.
• Wi-Fi suitable for email, basic research, and communication.

You will not find specialized equipment like large-format printers, darkrooms, kilns, or textile machines in the building. If your practice depends on these, consider pairing your Hrísey stay with time at a better-equipped residency such as SÍM or Ós, or plan to work in another mode while on the island.

Materials and equipment to consider

Because access to shops and hardware stores is limited, it helps to arrive with:

• Core art materials – paper, sketchbooks, inks, paints, film, basic tools.
• Portable digital kit – laptop, tablet, camera, audio recorder, external drives, chargers, adaptors.
• Weather-appropriate clothing – waterproof layers, boots, warm base layers, non-precious clothes for messy work.
• Compact documentation setup – tripod, small lighting options, or whatever you need to document work in low natural light.

If your project involves large installations or heavy materials, plan carefully around shipping costs and ferry logistics. Sometimes it makes more sense to build models, sketches, or research toward a larger work you complete elsewhere.

Getting there, visas, and practical planning

Reaching Gamli barnaskólinn is straightforward but layered: you combine flights or buses with a regional trip and a ferry.

Typical route to Hrísey

A common route looks like this:

• Travel to Akureyri by domestic flight from Reykjavík or by long-distance bus.
• Continue from Akureyri to the Hrísey ferry port by car, taxi, or local bus, depending on schedules.
• Take the ferry to Hrísey, then walk from the harbor to the old schoolhouse (around ten minutes).

Because ferries and rural buses run on fixed schedules, build in buffer hours. Weather can cause delays, especially in winter.

Visa and residency status

Your visa situation depends mainly on your passport, not the residency itself.

• If you are from EEA/EFTA/Nordic countries, short-term stays are relatively straightforward, though you should still obey local registration rules for longer periods.
• If you are from outside Schengen, check whether you need a Schengen short-stay visa for the length of your residency. For stays over 90 days, look into residence permits or other arrangements well in advance.

Before applying or accepting an offer, clarify that the residency can provide an invitation letter with precise dates and address. That document usually helps with visa applications, funding, and institutional support letters.

Costs, budgeting, and funding strategies

Iceland is generally expensive, and small islands add another layer. Even if the residency keeps its own fees modest, you still carry high travel and living costs.

Typical expense categories

When budgeting for Gamli barnaskólinn, include:

• Residency fee or rent – check what is included: utilities, Wi-Fi, washing, studio space.
• Travel to Iceland – flights or long-distance travel to Reykjavík or directly to Akureyri if possible.
• Internal travel – domestic flight or bus to Akureyri, travel to the ferry, and the ferry itself.
• Groceries and basic supplies – higher than many other countries; cooking at home reduces costs.
• Art materials – ideally purchased before you arrive or in larger towns.
• Shipping – if you plan to send work home or ship bulky items, build this in early.

Funding angles

Because the residency is non-profit and sustainable in mission, it often sits well with public grants and artist support programs. Consider:

• Applying for travel and production grants from your home country or region.
• Using the residency’s documentation (mission statement, address, non-profit status) in your grant applications.
• Framing your project around research and international exchange, which many funding bodies value.

Who Gamli barnaskólinn suits, and who might struggle

Not every residency fits every practice. This old schoolhouse has its own personality.

Artists who tend to thrive here

• Writers and text-based artists who need long, uninterrupted days.
• Visual artists with portable practices such as drawing, photography, small-scale painting, and video.
• Performance and sound artists who can use the building and outdoor spaces for experiments and documentation.
• Artists working with landscape, ecology, or rural community as subject or collaborator.
• Small collectives who want an intense period of co-living and co-working in a shared room and studio setup.

Artists who might find it limiting

• Practices that rely on large fabrication facilities, heavy machinery, or complex technical gear.
• Artists who need constant public-facing events or a dense gallery ecosystem.
• Anyone uncomfortable with island logistics, changeable weather, or a high degree of quiet.

If you know you work best with strong routine, silence, and a small peer group, the old schoolhouse can be a productive base. If you need constant stimulation and big audiences to generate work, it may be better as a short retreat paired with a more urban residency.

Planning your project for Hrísey

To make the most of Gamli barnaskólinn, shape your project to the island rather than fighting it.

• Build in walking and observation as part of your process. The landscape is one of your main resources.
• Keep your material footprint small. Plan for tools and materials that travel easily.
• Design the project in stages: research and experimentation in Hrísey, with fabrication, exhibition, or expansion back home or at another residency.
• Think about sharing – with fellow residents, locals, or contacts in Akureyri – as an optional but valuable final phase.

Used this way, the old schoolhouse on Skólagata/Miðbraut becomes less a one-off trip and more a key chapter in a larger project arc: the part where you finally had time and quiet to think, write, and test ideas properly.