Polyfon's first annual meeting a great success

10 June 2026 marked an important milestone for Polyfon. The cluster's first annual meeting was held as part of a full day of activities, including a seminar on engagement with public authorities and an information meeting on the future development of the cluster. The day demonstrated the strength of the collaboration and bodes well for the future of the Polyfon network.

Published:

Polyfons årsmøtedelegater samla i trappa på Vestlandshuset
The photo shows annual meeting representatives from the cluster's 21 member organisations, together with three representatives from the lived experience panel and three student representatives. A highly engaged and knowledgeable group! Photo: UiB / Polyfon

Annual meeting

At the annual meeting, the 2025 annual report and accounts were approved, and a new and highly competent steering group was elected for the coming years.

Cluster seminar on engagement with public authorities

Polyfon's engagement with public authorities takes many different forms. At the cluster seminar on 10 June, we wanted to explore what this type of engagement can and should involve in the years ahead, and what role it can play within the Polyfon collaboration.

  • Opening performance by young musicians from Kom Nærmere and Bergen Cathedral School, Kyrre Campus, led by music therapist Johannes Medlien
  • Presentation: "Engagement with public authorities to support new ways of working and new competencies in services" by Torbjørn Mohn-Haugen, Professional Adviser at NAPHA and former Director of Erfaringssentrum
  • Short address: "Why does the lived experience panel want a stronger focus on engagement with public authorities in Polyfon?" by Nils Mæhle, member of Polyfon's lived experience panel, Chair of the Bergen Council for Older People, and Chair of the Network of Councils for Older People in Norway's Major Cities
  • Panel discussion focusing on: 1) What are the most important issues for Polyfon to highlight in its engagement with public authorities? 2) What forms of engagement are most relevant for a cluster such as Polyfon? 3) Who can contribute, and in what ways? Moderator: Torbjørn Mohn-Haugen

Information meeting on the future development of the cluster

The information meeting included the following programme:

  • OPPTAKT and the development of regional hubs: status update. Cluster Director Brynjulf Stige and Regional Coordinators Marie Skånland, Hans Petter Paulen Solli and Kaja Enge presented progress and developments to date.
  • Supporters and collaborating partners of the cluster. Presentation of Polyfon's financial supporters and professional partners.
  • Experiences from the student summer scholarship scheme. Alexandra Khazaie (music therapy student at the Grieg Academy, UiB) and Siri Narum (medical student at UiB) presented an exciting interdisciplinary project on music and perinatal mental health.
  • Polyfon-nytt. A brief introduction to the role of this Norwegian-language newsletter within the cluster, as well as an overview of the various online resources available on Polyfon's website.

The role of the annual meeting in the Polyfon collaboration

Under the new Cluster Agreement, which entered into force on 1 January 2026, the Annual Meeting is the highest governing body of the cluster and must be held no later than 15 June each year.

The Annual Meeting consists of:

  • one representative from each cluster partner
  • three representatives from the lived experience panel
  • three student representatives

The Annual Meeting is responsible for considering the following matters:

  • approval of the annual report and accounts
  • any amendments to the Cluster Agreement
  • election of the Steering Group (in even-numbered years)
  • election of the Nomination Committee (in odd-numbered years)
  • any other matters submitted for consideration