It is clear that the sector considers social safety a crucial issue and we have decided to elaborate on this theme in a joint approach. This is informed in part by the attention recently paid to various issues of social safety. In this context, studies have been carried out, discussions held, conclusions drawn and policies and procedures reviewed at various art schools. The sector takes a critical look at itself and takes steps where necessary. This statement and the accompanying ‘outline of the social safety code’ are the next step in that process, a joint step that we are taking as a sector. As an art education sector, we wish to send out a clear joint signal. A signal that shows that the sector is aware that social safety is not an ad-hoc matter but requires constant attention. And that social safety consists of various facets and therefore forms an integral part of our organisations and of the dialogue. In addition to the existing approach at the various art schools, a follow-up step is therefore now being taken in which we work together. In art education, everyone should be able to work and study in a good and professional atmosphere that is safe and transparent, both in teaching and in research. It is crystal clear that undesirable behaviour such as bullying, discrimination, intimidation, sexual harassment, aggression, violence and other forms of transgressive behaviour are unacceptable and must be prevented. Art education works not only on prevention but also on goals that contribute to strengthening a healthy and respectful culture at art schools. The most important pillars are that every signal is followed up, that we never look away and always take action. And it is of crucial importance that students and staff can and dare call each other to account for their behaviour. Another prerequisite is that it is clear where complaints and objections can be lodged. Art education is a form of education centring not only on professional development but also on personal development. Physical and mental proximity plays a major role in this. While a great quality of art education, it is a vulnerability that we as a sector are aware of. There are relatively many individual forms of education and there is intensive collaboration between student and lecturer and among students. This makes it all the more necessary to pay attention to social safety. This attention should take shape in various areas. For example, didactics and forms of teaching and assessment need to be handled very consciously. A social and sustainable personnel policy provides an important basis for lecturers to be able to pay explicit attention on the basis of trust to the way in which they communicate with students. Clear frameworks must be established with regard to the way in which people at an institution communicate and deal with one another. Knowledge about diversity and inclusion provides insight into aspects of social safety. Of course, the organisation must also have structures in place within which any undesirable experiences can be reported. Intermediaries and the complaints procedure play an important role in this. But it is also essential to continue to identify, actively and regularly, any risks in the area of social safety and the social safety experienced by students and lecturers. Art education has united as a sector to name the facets of social safety in a Social Safety Code. All art schools undertake to post on their own websites from 1 September 2021 how they implement these facets. In addition, a joint venture has been set up between the art schools aimed at sharing knowledge and experiences regarding the various facets of social safety and at establishing a national ‘Ombud’s office’ in the area of social safety in art education. 20 May 2021 Executive Boards of Amsterdam School of the Arts ArtEZ University of the Arts Avans University of Applied Sciences Codarts Rotterdam Design Academy Eindhoven Fontys Universities of Applied Sciences Gerrit Rietveld Academy Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen University of the Arts The Hague Inholland University of Applied Sciences Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences HKU Utrecht School of the Arts Zuyd University of Applied Sciences 1) See page 3 of the sector agenda: “In recent years, protocols and codes of conduct have been developed in various disciplines around safety and welfare. These can be even better connected and need to be made more widely known to everyone in art education.”
The three young dancers auditioned last Saturday (April 10) in The Hague for a grant from Stichting Dansersfonds ’97. Not only have they gained a lot of experience with this, they have also been awarded € 2,000 each, they were told this afternoon (13 April). They can spend that nice amount on their further dance training, for example following a summer course abroad. And they are very happy with that!
Charlotte Veenstra (23) from Tiel is a first-year student of the study programme Dance in Education and she also studies ‘Health and Life Sciences’ at the Vrije Universiteit. Recently, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Medicine. In addition to studying, she works on a Covid-19 ward. ‘I love dancing and I’m very glad to have started at Codarts.’ Why did you choose Codarts' Dance in education? ‘I have always wanted to do something in dance. I have been on ballet since I was six, aspiring to become a prima ballerina. In year five of secondary school, I did the Schakelklas at Codarts, which was super fun! All the same, I started university first, letting go of dance altogether. But the urge came back and so last year I finally auditioned. Codarts is a very technical school and that suits me. I’m a great fan of ballet but I now also enjoy modern dance very much.’ You are combining multiple studies. How does that work out? ‘Over the past three years I have taken two study programmes: a Bachelor in Medicine and Health and Life Sciences. The Bachelor Medicine is now in the pocket. Much education is online now, but Codarts is practical education, so dancing is still possible. I get up at 6 AM and then often do an online class on the train. I then do my day of studying at Codarts. Around 6 PM I travel back, arriving home at 8:15 PM. I am currently still living with my parents in Tiel, but by the end of this year I want to be living on my own.’ What is studying in times of corona like for you? ‘It doesn’t inconvenience me very much, so far. The dance classes at Codarts continue as usual and many other things I do from home, on Zoom. It actually rather suits me, as I like to dance at home and try out things without the large mirrors of the dance studio. The lack of space is an issue of course, when you want to do a solo on a few square metres. It is a huge adjustment to then be able to make large strides doing modern dance at school!’ In addition to studying, you also work on the Covid-19 ward in Nieuwegein. What exactly is it you do there? ‘Since May last year I’ve been working on a special Covid-19 ward, which is a separate part in a hospital for patients who have the virus. Fully protected and wrapped up, my main tasks are measuring the patients’ blood pressure and oxygen level. These people are really very ill, with temperatures of 40 degrees and higher and they are often very short of breath. What strikes me is that the patients are increasingly younger: we see more ‘healthy’ sixty-somethings coming in. They could be our parents! I have the impression that many people my age are thinking that it won’t happen to them. This worries me. The best approach is to regard everyone as potentially contaminated. Then you are sure to keep your distance.’ What are your dreams for the future? ‘No idea, really. As long as I do things that make me happy, I’m sure that I will find a job that suits me. Having said that, a combination of teaching dance and being a doctor would be nice. Perhaps at the Medical Centre for Dancers & Musicians in The Hague. For now, however, it is studying hard and, fortunately, also dancing a lot.’
Teachers get the feeling that they are walking on eggs and no longer dare to say or show what they want to say or show for fear of threats. Such self-censorship does not belong in education, but it is there, more and more often. The list of ‘sensitivities’ in the classroom is growing, as is the number of ‘observers’ from outside the classroom. It’s not just a subject like cartoons. As educational institutions in Rotterdam, we believe that everything can be shown and said, embedded in the pedagogical and didactic vision of the educational institution or study programme. For the record: not everything can be shown, everything should be shown. Teachers have the freedom, in the context of the pedagogical-didactical design of their study programme, to organise their lessons as they see fit without censorship. Not to provoke. Not to make a political statement. But to teach young people how to interpret today’s complex world. Learning from each other Education must be a safe place where we can learn from each other in complete freedom. Schools are the ideal place to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, where there is room for everyone’s opinion and to respect someone else’s ideas. It is only in such a safe environment that students, teachers and other staff can fully develop their talents. After all, education is the place where we practice for society, a breeding ground for our democracy and the rule of law, where there is room for difference and dialogue on any subject. Purely to learn to understand each other better. We do not have to agree with each other, it can and will rub off on us, but (the threat of) violence should never be the result. Even if these images or opinions rub off, let this also be a call to all the people around our pupils and students. Give young people their education. We do this in an inclusive way in Rotterdam. That’s why, in recent years, we have set up activities aimed at a safe working environment, giving respectful feedback, preventing discrimination and discussing sensitive issues. From the point of view of equality of opportunity, attention for students in minority positions is essential in all areas. Manifesto Earlier this year we drew up the manifesto ‘Schools: the training ground for citizenship’. An important rendezvous in the manifesto – which is endorsed by the municipality of Rotterdam – is that teachers are supported by their school board when they practice with pupils or students. We also prepare prospective teachers for this role in our training programmes, and teachers can receive (additional) training if they do not feel able to lead sensitive discussions or challenge students to express their opinions, for example. We stand behind our teachers That is why we want to underline once again that we stand together behind our teachers. Our teaching deserve that. Our teachers deserve that. Our society deserves it. We are accountable for this. The Rotterdam Primary Education Secondary education Secondary vocational education Higher vocational education Scientific education
The resources are used to continue Codarts’ strong position in the field of practice-oriented research within the performing arts in these turbulent times. This is a challenge, because the pandemic is putting practice-oriented research under pressure. Current research projects are delayed and it appears to be more difficult to start up new research projects, because collaboration partners give priority to other, corona-related activities. Codarts will spend the research funding on RASL activities, the establishment of a new research lab at Het Nederlands Danstheater and the preparation of a new research application.
On the 1 st of March 2021, the very first Dutch Higher Education Premium was awarded by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Ingrid Van Engelshoven, as part of the annual ComeniusFestival. The assessment committee expressed admiration for ‘the educational team’s ambition level’, calling the scale at which the RASL minor operates ‘unique in the context of Dutch higher education’. Wilma Franchimon – President Executive Board Codarts Rotterdam : “This Premium is a wonderful sign of recognition. Codarts regards students as self-aware designers of their own future. It is also from that notion that the RASL initiative started, five years ago. I am so proud of our collaboration with Erasmus University and Hogeschool Rotterdam/Willem de Kooning Academy in this dual degree. I also compliment the team that has brought RASL to where it is now: developing new transdisciplinary Bachelor and Master programmes, made all the more possible by this Higher Education Premium. I am convinced that we will continue to find new ways of working together and of building bridges across disciplines.” Re-imagining Tomorrow through Arts and Sciences RASL, the Rotterdam Arts and Sciences Lab, is a collaboration between Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), the Willem de Kooning Academy (WdKA) Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and Codarts Rotterdam for joint, cross-disciplinary education and research.RASL’s aim is to arrive at an equal crosspollination between arts and science in order to address and redefine societal issues. The RASL minor ‘Re-imagining Tomorrow through Arts and Sciences’ is an innovative educational programme in which students redefine a societal issue of their own choosing in a transdisciplinary collaboration. Teams are made up of students from Codarts, EUR, WdKA and other Universities. The Higher Education Premium committee praised ‘the intensive and inspiring collaboration of the institutes involved’ and especially mentioned ‘the close and committed educational team – with the different backgrounds of its members enriching the team’. Premium for the development of new Bachelor and Master study programmes This minor, which started in September 2019, is a good example of how RASL intends to work now and in the future. The generous sum of 500,000 euros will be used for the development of new Bachelor and Master programmes, based on the principles that constitute the RASL minor. In addition, RASL intends to keep developing the minor as a space for experimentation, where new forms of education can be tested and developed. Investment in young educating-researchers is indispensable in doing so. The Higher Education Premium committee applauds ‘the future ambitions of the RASL team to extend her portfolio to a joint bachelor and master program’. The Dutch Higher Education Premium This new Dutch Higher Education Premium was established to endorse the high quality of education at universities and academies and to express appreciation for educational teams that perform at top level. Minister Van Engelshoven: “For 25 years now, we have the Spinoza Premium to honour top level researchers in the Netherlands. For teachers and teams of teachers such a premium was lacking and with it a way of expressing appreciation for their excellent work. This premium should change that.” RASL Call for Participants The next RASL minor will start in September 2021 and accepts students from most universities and academies in the Netherlands. But there are other ways to be involved in RASL’s education, as there are currently two open calls: RASL Summer School 2021 The Rotterdam Arts & Sciences Lab organizes a RASL Summer School from 9 to 18 July 2021. The aim of the Summer School is to further innovate, through transdisciplinary education, with and beyond the arts and the sciences. Would you like to engage with a pressing societal issue in a creative and scientific manner? Then register for the Summer School (see details below). RASL Students Workshop ‘Transactions’ 2021 This workshop – which will take place on 25 and 26 March—aims to think (and create) through a process of transdisciplinary ‘transactions’. The core aim of this workshop is simple: to produce and share different methods that might improve collaborations that aim to move beyond the confinements of disciplinary borders. The deadline for applying for this workshop is 8 March. For further information and registration for these two events, please contact events@rasl.nu There are only a limited number of places available. Please help us by adding ‘RASL Summer School 2021’ or ‘RASL Transactions workshop 2021’ as the subject of your email. More information More information about RASL and the minor ‘Re-imagining Tomorrow through Arts and Sciences’ can be found at rasl.nu , which also features a video about students’ experiences with the minor. Or follow our social media channels, where you will also find video portraits of RASL minor students: RASL LinkedIn RASL Instagram RASL Facebook RASL Twitter
This consolidates our position as a university of the arts and proves that our strategy (2018-2022) of designing all our processes in the service of promoting our students’ development has been successful. The following Bachelor’s programmes now have the designation Top Study Programme: Circus Arts, Dance in Education, Music in Education, Music (jazz, pop, world music, classical music, and music theatre), and Dance. The Bachelor’s programme Dance had the highest score. Having reached second place among dance study programmes with 95 points last year, they are now top of the list with 97 points. Dance in Education also showed enormous progress; reaching third place with a score of 94 points. The Choice Guide is an independent consumer guide that judges and compares the quality of all study programmes. Programmes that score 75 or higher may call themselves Top Study Programme. The Choice Guide is published by the Centre for Higher Education Information (C.H.O.I.). The scoring is based on students’ assessment (NSE 2018), study success rates (Vereniging Hogescholen) and labour market figures (Research Centre for Research and Labour market). Elsevier Best Studies 2021 In the Elsevier research "Best Studies 2021," Codarts Dance receives a gold medal. Dance Teacher and Circus Arts receive a bronze medal. Elsevier bases itself on parts of the National Student Survey and looks at the percentages of (very) satisfied students. Source Article from www.ewmagazine.nl .
With her impressive act, Melody Nolan managed to leave the other nominees behind and convince the jury. Melody received a cheque of 5000 Euros and will be given the opportunity to further develop her act into a full performance. In addition, she gets to show her act during the first Circusstad festival gala in May 2022 in het Nieuwe Luxor theater in Rotterdam. Since 2012, the award goes to the most talented graduating act of the past year. The nominated acts stand out for their original, innovative approach to their discipline and excellent technical skills. Raff Pringuet, who also got his Bachelor’s Degree in Circus Arts a few months ago, was one of the other nominees. The final winner was chosen by a professional jury that this year consisted of Hanneke Meijers (director/board member Tent Circustheater productions), Jonas van Soom (artistic staff Festival Cirkl / Cirklabo Leuven Belgium), Arlette Hanson (Director Arlette Hanson Wintercircus / board member Circuspunt) and Marc Eysink Smeets (director/board member Festival Circolo – board member Circuspunt). From the jury report: “Melody has developed a wonderful movement language of her own that is highly original within her discipline. The exploration of the human body makes every movement necessary and meaningful. In addition, the chosen soundbed contributes to the intensity of the performance. Where the discipline can sometimes be static, Melody knows how to make this dynamic in her act through her use of space and the very fluent choreography”.
On Monday, February 13, the Erasmus Stipend 2022 was awarded to a promising student of Music Theater. There is a lot of diverse talent in this academic year. In the end, after extensive deliberation by the committee, it was unanimously decided to award the stipend to Iris Verhoek. The stipend is an annual scholarship awarded on behalf of Erasmus University Rotterdam to a Music Theater student of Codarts. The scholarship, worth € 1.000 is intended to enable the student to take the next steps in the field of personal development. Every year, the teachers of the program nominate a fourth-year student who they believe is eligible for the stipend. A committee then makes the selection from the nominated candidates. Iris' qualities Iris' craft skills and abilities as a vocal performer are above average, according to the committee. She masters the talent to bring together the components of vocality, musicality and theatricality in an eloquent performance. In addition, she shows the will to continuously develop herself and face new challenges. What characterizes Iris is her ability to remain vulnerable despite her unbridled ambition and professional attitude. The stipend is a reward for her hard work and perseverance and a great incentive to further develop her talent and create her own material. For Iris, the stipend came as a complete surprise. She will use the money for various workshops and courses so that she can further fill her toolbox. She likes to develop broadly. Everything she learns has potential to end up in future projects.
