WdKA and Codarts join forces on a new cultural campus in Rotterdam-Zuid
Rotterdam, 20 January 2022 - Four educational institutions in Rotterdam are joining forces to significantly boost arts education in the Maasstad. Based at a new cultural campus in Rotterdam-Zuid, the new university of the arts aims to offer study programmes to new generations of students in the arts and sciences. Administrators of Hogeschool Rotterdam/Willem de Kooning Academy, Codarts, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten and Erasmus University Rotterdam signed a declaration of intent today to achieve their ambition. The arts institution will be a new entity linked to both Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and the Erasmus University. The municipality of Rotterdam supports this special initiative.
The educational institutions are joining forces with the municipality to develop the so-called Culture & Campus on the Charloisse Hoofd of Maashaven. This new cultural campus will combine education, research, and social initiatives. At the same time, the location offers the educational institutions the opportunity to intensify their mutual connection and their relationship with the city. The campus itself will be the location for the practice of art, and for artistic and cultural reflection which, on this scale, is not possible anywhere else. In addition, the campus will facilitate encounters, research, education-related social initiatives, and cultural programming that the partners will develop jointly.
"The joining of forces of two art academies rooted in Rotterdam and complementary to each other, as well as the collaboration between university of applied sciences and university, enables us to offer teaching materials that are well suited to the needs of students: from preparatory education and high-quality, internationally oriented bachelor and master programmes to doctoral research."
High-quality internationally oriented art education
“The joining of forces of two art academies rooted in Rotterdam and complementary to each other, as well as the collaboration between university of applied sciences and university, enables us to offer teaching materials that are well suited to the needs of students: from preparatory education and high-quality, internationally oriented bachelor and master programmes to doctoral research, according to Ron Bormans, President of the Executive Board, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences.”
“Based on our collaboration in the education and research programme Rotterdam Arts & Sciences Lab (RASL) – which addresses and redefines social issues with the aid of art and science (you can find more information about RASL at the end of this page) - we have learned that there is a great need for such a large umbrella educational institution”, says Jeroen Chabot, Dean of the Willem de Kooning Academy.
In addition, the new educational institution will provide a better transfer from higher education to university education, adds Wilma Franchimon, President of the Executive Board of Codarts. “In addition to the bachelor's and master's degrees, the new art institute will offer opportunities for joint educational programmes and combinations of study programmes in higher professional education and academic education. In this way, we can serve students even better.”
The Erasmus University will contribute academic education and research to the new art institution. Ed Brinksma, President of the Executive Board of Erasmus University: “Uniting the visual and performing arts, design and academia in the new art institute creates new possible collateral benefits in education and research for all the partners involved, who play a major role in tackling the major challenges facing society, not only here in Rotterdam but also nationally and internationally.”
"We applaud this collaboration between educational institutions in Rotterdam. In the future, Rotterdam will be able to distinguish itself as a leader in the field of art education, with an extensive range of professional art programmes. This new educational institution is also a powerful boost for the Culture & Campus in Zuid, where we are already working together intensively."
Vibrant and creative cultural campus at Rotterdam-Zuid
The Rotterdam Municipal Executive supports the initiative. “We applaud this collaboration between educational institutions in Rotterdam. In the future, Rotterdam will be able to distinguish itself as a leader in the field of art education, with an extensive range of professional art programmes. This new educational institution is also a powerful boost for the Culture & Campus in Zuid, where we are already working together intensively”, says Said Kasmi, Vice Mayor for Education, Culture and Tourism for the City of Rotterdam. “This will be a vibrant, creative hub where energy, creativity and young talent can come together. It is a fine development for Rotterdam-Zuid: it inspires children and young people from the area, provides employment and cohesion in neighbourhoods and attracts tourists. We are proud that we are going to work on this together with these educational institutions.”
Photo: Cristobal Pereira. From left to right: Wilma Franchimon (Codarts), Ed Brinksma (EUR), alderman Kasmi (Education, Culture and Tourism), Ron Bormans (Hogeschool Rotterdam), alderman Kurvers, Jeroen Chabot (WdKA) and alderman Moti (Labour, Income, National Programme Rotterdam Zuid (NPRZ) and EU-Migrants).
Press information
Persbericht - Verkenning fusie kunstinstellingen
For more information or for scheduling interviews with Jeroen Chabot, head of Willem de Kooning Academy (Hogeschool Rotterdam) and Wilma Frachimon, board president of Codarts Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, you can contact Anneke Olde Monnikhof, senior-communication advisor at Hogeschool Rotterdam.
E: oldac@hr.nl
For information provision from the municipality of Rotterdam or interview requests with aldermen Said Kasmi (education), Richard Moti (national program Rotterdam-Zuid) and Bas Kurvers (building and living), you can contact Joachim Kost, board officer at the municipality of Rotterdam.
Image by Plaatwerk
Student and Staff - Information
Special information sheets and consultation hours are available for students and staff of the Willem de Kooning Academy. More information is published on MyWdKA: https://2122.mywdka.nl/blog/2022/01/20/message-dean-willem-de-kooning-and-codarts-join-forces/, https://2122.mywdka.nl/blog/2022/01/20/qa-willem-de-kooning-and-codarts-join-forces/.
RASL Rotterdam Arts and Sciences Lab | Dual Degree
Are you artistically or musically talented, and at the same time thirsty for academic knowledge? You can now choose between different complementary, in-depth, and artistic interdisciplinary study paths. The Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), the Willem de Kooning Academy (WdKA) and Codarts University for the Arts offer the possibility to combine theory and practice within a five-year Dual Degree programme (300 ECTS).
The RASL Dual programme offers you the opportunity to develop your knowledge on an academic level while also developing your artistic skills. After graduating from this programme, you will have acquired the skills necessary to address complex and multidimensional challenges by approaching issues from different angles. In addition, your artistic practices will benefit from your theoretical knowledge of the arts, media and culture – and vice versa: your theoretical work will be fuelled by your experience as an artist.
Take a look at a few student portraits below.
