Art Education of the 21st century by Zuyd Hogeschool

Foreword This is a re-evaluation of the strategic document on art education of the 21st century in the Faculty of the Arts, Maastricht. Perhaps re-enrichment is a more apt description of the process that we have gone through within the faculty over the past few months. As is known, the Faculty of the Arts is a relatively young faculty and various disciplines have been merged. The disciplines of communication and multimedia design and interdisciplinary arts (iArts) have been added to the spectrum together with music, theatre, architecture, fine arts, design, and the teacher training courses. Re-enrichment has led to discussions, questioning, and reflection on how we relate to the world around us and what we mean exactly by the concept of artist. The study programmes and the research centres ‘Autonomy and Openness in the Arts’ and ‘Technology Driven Art’ continually anticipate their environment and

train students to become artistic and creative professionals. Art education has a dual assignment as it were. The professional is trained on the one hand for authentic art practice and, on the other hand, for unorthodox solutions to a broad array of social issues in what is becoming an ever more complex society. Our faculty has taken up the challenge and is actively working on this two-track policy under the umbrella of artistic and creative craftsmanship of the 21st century in an international setting. We are constantly developing and our policy is a dynamic process. The talent of artistic and creative professionals is needed to find new solutions to today’s complex social issues and it forms the connection among art, science, and society. We invite everyone to develop, work, and innovate with us. Leo Swinkels Director of Arts Faculty Maastricht

Contents

Foreword

Mission and Vision

Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and AFM

Contextual developments

Artistic and creative crafts manship in the 21st century

Focal points for the years ahead

Choices and priorities

Future ambitions

73 Conclusion

Mission and Vision Arts Faculty Maastricht (AFM) advocates high-quality art education that is recognised in accordance with international standards. After completing their study programmes, our students are optimally placed to work in the creative arts, applied arts, or education. Graduates contribute towards the constant innovation of art and both question and enrich the individual and society through their creations. Innovation occurs when someone takes risks and freedom shapes their own identity and autonomy.

Mission Our mission is to train professionals who will question and enrich the individual and society through the creation of art in all its forms. Graduates are aware of their position and strength, have developed artistry, craftsmanship, and creativity, and know how to give meaning to this in conjunction with others. They are ready to be first-rate professionals within an international context.

Vision Art creates the scope to be of value to individuals, groups, and organisations. We share responsibility for an appealing and stimulating cultural climate and for cultural infrastructure. We contribute towards a vibrant work, home, and living environment in which young artistic and creative professionals can thrive and evolve in a stimulating and critically enquiring setting. By means of the above mission and vision, we provide a framework for the enhanced profiling of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. We produce young, engaged, critical, driven, individualistic, and 8

enterprising artists. Within an international setting, we establish connections among the various artistic disciplines, science, and the business community. The art programmes also strive to lead the way, both nationally and internationally, and express their social responsibility in establishing artistic and creative craftsmanship in the 21st century. We focus on the world around us and work closely with the Province of Limburg, cities particularly in the regions of Maastricht Mergelland, Parkstad Limburg, and Westelijke Mijnstreek, as well as cultural institutions, artists, and other interested parties.

Readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide This section describes our position within Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. Section IV deals with contextual developments and how our study programmes relate to them. In the next section, we position artistic and creative craftsmanship in the 21st century, taking the changed society we live in into account. Section VI looks at the focus points

that study programmes within AFM will continue to work on in the years ahead and elaborates on these in the next section. Section VIII describes a further step in the future and sets out our longer-term ambitions.

Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and AFM Zuyd University of Applied Sciences provides higher vocational education, post-initial schooling, and training for professionals, as well as carrying out practically-orientated research. The general mission, vision, and strategic goals are set out in Zuydâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy document 2014-2018. Art education within Zuyd University of Applied Sciences is provided by the Faculty of the Arts, Maastricht. The more established name of Arts Faculty Maastricht, abbreviated as AFM, is used in this document.

AFM functions in line with the general principles of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and indicates in the sections below how it responds to the stated developments, such as demographic shrinkage, the more demanding requirements that are being set for students and education institutions in the areas of quality and return, among others, increasing internationalisation, the implementation of the regional economic agenda, and the wish to apply the knowledge that is developed in practice more frequently (added value).

Our stakeholders can also hold us to account on five core values: AFM = Ambitious – our students and employers come out of their comfort zone and passionately create the future. AFM = Professional - our students and employees interact constantly with their field of work. AFM = Enterprising – our students and employees proactively engage in new initiatives. AFM = Open - our students and employees are transparent and work ‘with a broad view and open mind’. AFM = Inspiring – our students and employees create the capacity to leave an impression on each other and their environment. 12

Zuyd University of Applied Sciences has a total student population of around 15,000 and – in addition to a number of support services – has nine faculties. These faculties provide education in the form of bachelor’s programmes and master’s programmes, as well as courses and training sessions for adults. AFM has around 1,500 students, representing 10% of the total student population. The arts sector is a medium-sized sector that has a significant impact on society. Art, culture, design, media, architecture, and the creative industry are dominant sectors in our society. Art students are known for being extremely motivated and graduates in this field are particularly enterprising. AFM is organised into the following academies with their different programmes:

10% 14

AFM has also set up two research centres with the primary aim of strengthening the link between teaching and research. The administrative, financial, and technical support of AFM is provided by decentralised management offices and location services.

Arts Faculty Maastricht

Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts BA in Theatre BA in Theatre Education MA in Theatre

Maastricht Conservatory BA in Music BA in Music Education MA in Music

Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design (MAFAD) BA in Design: Fashion and Textiles BA in Design: Jewellery and ProductDesign BA in Fine Arts

Teaching within AFM is presented from a number of locations spread around Maastricht. The Conservatory is located on Bonnefantenstraat with an annex on Franciscus Romanusweg. The Academy of Performing Arts is located on Lenculenstraat. All programmes of the Maastricht Academy of Media Design and Technology (MAMDT) have recently moved to

Maastricht Academy of Architecture (MAA) BA in Design: Architecture MA in Architecture MA in Interior Architecture MA in Scientific Illustration

Maastricht Academy of Media, Design and Technology (MAMDT) BA in Design: Visual Communication BA in Communication and Multimedia Design

BA in Fine Arts and Design Education (DBKV) BA in iArts

Brusselseweg/Ravelijn. The programmes within the Maastricht Academy of Architecture (MAA), the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design (MAFAD), iArts, and Fine Arts and Design Education are based at Herdenkingsplein. The next section looks at contextual developments that involve AFM. 15

Contextual developments The world around us is changing rapidly. On the one hand, education is a co-founder and stimulator of these innovations; on the other hand it anticipates developments and brings the study programmes on offer into line with the requirements of ever-changing professional practice. Many factors, including demographic, political, and social developments, have an influence on this professional practice. For AFM, this does not always equate to giving an appropriate answer or searching for new solutions. Of equal importance is the creation and stimulation of a critical mass, the ability to reflect, and the environmental awareness that students have of these contextual developments.

Public domain The tendency towards a scaled-back government started nationally a few years ago. Central government reduced the financial contribution to cultural institutions. The decentralisation of care duties to the municipality once again means that hard choices have to be made with regard to the allocation of public resources. Political and social pressure on the arts to justify themselves has increased recently, not in relation to inherently artistic conditions or terms, but in terms of social benefit and economic viability. This relates, firstly, to the pressure on artists to orientate themselves towards a wide enough audience and, secondly, to come up with new solutions from art for complex situations and hard-toreach target groups.

It seems as though the world around us is getting increasingly larger and fast-paced. However, we want our students to ‘pause’ the environment and world at given moments to reflect on their craft, appreciation, happiness, and to go back to their roots. We are gradually seeing a change. There is a visible type of desire among students to claim a new mental space. The ‘me’ culture of the last few decades 18

seems to be making way for sharing and things in common. Young people are forming communities, searching for new values, and also want to share them. We can see this in the recently published survey of the Scientific Council for Government Policy, which calls for a reassessment of ‘cultural’ within the cultural policy. This reassessment implies a recalibration of the policy, in which attention would firstly focus on substantive developments within the cultural sector. In this way, the sector would not by definition have to serve other policy areas but would have to receive independent attention.

Increasing digitalisation The enormous increase in digital media – coupled with the enhanced ease of use and increasing mobility thereof – has significant and paradoxical consequences for our society in general, and for the arts and cultural sector in particular. Young artists are able to critically reflect in their creations on advances in digitalisation, automation, and virtualisation. Conversely, they can also use the new media in the creation and distribution of new work. Creative interaction with digital craftsmanship is playing an ever-increasing role in all study programmes.

The immediate availability of almost all knowledge – just by ‘googling’ – also has wide-ranging implications for the status of knowledge in education. AFM is developing new strategies so students can cope with this. The curriculum is critically examined and choices are made with regard to relevance within future education. Students moreover no longer distinguish between the physical and the virtual; they enter both worlds simultaneously and share their opinions and experiences at that interface. The virtual world, in particular, is a portal that provides access to new forms of art. Young artists generally become involved in the different types of available media. Intermediality is becoming the norm rather than the exception; digital production techniques influence physical creation – and vice versa – and these physical creations are presented and distributed online. In order to make the plethora of creation techniques ‘teachable’, new educational models are necessary. Students are going to specialise far quicker from a core competence within the seemingly endless offering of new production techniques. Parallel to the increasing virtualisation of daily living reality, a critical 19

countermovement has arisen that puts artisanal, manual, and ecologically sustainable creation at the forefront. Young artists are extremely well placed to place a critical role in this. Theoretical courses within AFM produce critical models and strategies to encourage students to take up their own place in that area of tension. The digital world is an exciting challenge for the future artist. Perhaps the last profession to become automated will be that of the artist. The examples below show how AFM is responsive to developments in relation to increased digitalisation.

Sittard-Geleen Media Campus Mediagroep Limburg and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences (MAMDT) are working together in order to stimulate and speed up innovation in media. Plans are currently being developed for a Media Campus. The main purpose of the campus is to develop media innovative capacity through co-creation between companies and educational institutions in the area of research and development, state-of-the-art, problem-orientated and evidence-based education, open innovative structure, and the creation of incubators for media start-ups.

New media in live art During the latest accreditation, the special quality mark ‘Intermediality’ within the Academy of Performing Arts was assessed as being at a very high level and distinctive. All students are encouraged from their first year to use new media in the creation of their representations and performances. As non-replicable ‘live’ art, theatre is especially sensitive to the influx of virtual media. This is precisely why students are challenged to develop a strategy for dealing with this. Within the performance department, in particular, many students specialise in cross-over art at the intersection of art and digital media.

Creatitve Industry The creative industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Dutch economy. It focuses on demand-driven creative disciplines such as design, fashion, architecture, gaming, advertising, media & entertainment, publicity, pop and other music, and film. The national government includes the creative industry in the top sector policy and the aim is for the Netherlands to grow into the most creative economy in Europe by 2020. The underlying vision is that the creative industry will draw its strength and competitiveness in future from a knowledge-driven approach. The examples below show how AFM is responsive to the creative industry.

Made in Maastricht Maastricht aims to become a trendsetting city in fashion over the next few years. Authentic, forwardlooking, and stylish. To this end, the training options (Zuyd University of Applied Sciences), talent development (Fashionclash) and starting a business must integrate logically with each other. The aim of AFM (MAFAD) is to create a space in which students as initiators and activators can connect with society and the relevant institutions to develop into fully-fledged participants within the manufacturing industry. MAFAD supports students as the authors of their own learning environment by offering space, a community, and connectors.

Continium Kerkrade In cooperation with the government, knowledge institutions, and the business community, Continium, a discovery centre in Kerkrade, is establishing two institutions: Columbus, an earth theatre and Cube, a design museum. A declaration of intent has been signed between the Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and Continium. The technological developments of the earth theatre and the laboratory section of Cube will be realised together with the different academies within AFM. These labs will be a meeting place where visitors work together with students and young talent on new product design.

Demographic developments Demographic developments in this region imply a decrease in the enrolment of students in higher education. We cannot control this autonomous development, but we can anticipate the consequences by pursuing new avenues. In view of this, we have boosted the recruitment and potential growth of international students for our study programmes. The adequate maintenance of an economic and social infrastructure also remains important. AFM makes choices in relation to the study programmes on offer. By investing in talent development, in particular, we wish to contribute towards an attractive home, work, and living environment.

National sector plan Universities of applied sciences that offer art courses have made arrangements with each other at national level in a Sector Plan. They will reduce the number of students in certain bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programmes in order to stay properly aligned with the job market. At the same time as these reductions, we will invest in the quality of our study programmes. Attention to young talent and coordination with practice-orientated research are focal points throughout the sector.

VIA Zuid Over the past few years, a renewed focus on talent development in Limburg under the label â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;VIA Zuidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has started at the initiative of the Province of Limburg. The aim is to apply the talent development function broadly in the performing arts, music, film, fine arts, and literature. The practice of VIA Zuid has been a national trendsetter in many respects. Existing institutions are integrating the products of talents in their own programming. Economies of scale in PR, business support, and the coaching of young talent ensures optimal career opportunities for students to develop into top talent. In view of this, AFM will remain closely involved in the continued growth of VIA Zuid.

Globalisation - Localisation Since the end of the twentieth century, globalisation has been driven even further by the emergence of the internet and the introduction of a more Anglo-Saxon than Rhineland economy. The counter response has been processes of regionalisation (localisation) and democratisation (influence of social media). In this environment, fundamental reflection on what culture is and what role it can and wishes to play in this regard is essential. Culture is more than commercial conservatism and city branding.

IBA Parkstad Parkstad is working on its future by organising an international construction exhibition - Internationale Bau Ausstellung (IBA). The essence of the IBA challenge is a series of high-quality projects that Parkstad Limburg are transforming and renewing. The first projects that were submitted have meanwhile been assessed in relation to the chosen themes: Energy City, Flexible City, and Recycle City. AFM is participating in IBA Parkstad in various ways. Projects from AFM have been submitted and the MAA is represented in the IBA Academy. This Academy constitutes a network of consultancy, training, and research institutions affiliated with IBA Parkstad, which contribute from a constructive criticism, advisory, and research role to the construction and planning challenges of IBA Parkstad.

Participation Culture comes into its own in contact with the public. This can be an aesthetic experience, cause emotion, or be thought provoking. Participation and education are closely connected with each other. The public is the sum total of many different groups, each with their own, independent characteristics, changed composition, preferences, and behaviour. The challenge for producers, institutions, the government, and education is to promptly identify what has changed, why it has changed, and, most importantly, how to respond to those changes. AFM plays an active role in this regard. Through the music education, theatre education, and fine arts and design education programmes, connections are made with society, increasing room is made for artistic research, and interventions are carried out with a critical and enquiring attitude. Where possible, the education programmes will increase cooperation with and make use of each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expertise.

Cooperation with cultural institutions In the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Duwen & Trekkenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Pushing & Pulling) project, the Schunck cultural institution becomes acquainted with the area of interactive exhibitions together with students of the fine arts and design education programme. The aim is to strengthen the relation with the existing public and approach a new, broad public. The students carry out research into interactive exhibitions.

Thoes in Limburg The central purpose of the THOES project in Limburg is knowledge enhancement and to apply, gather, and develop knowledge for specific environmental questions and the aims of regional market players. Population shrinkage, the reduction in the number of young people, and ageing coupled with the increasing sustainability requirements and shifts in care functions have far-reaching consequences for the construction sector and our environment. Coordination with this project will be mostly from within architecture and data visualisation. Architecture and interior architecture are already focusing more and more on users and functions and increasingly shifting attention towards industrial pre-fabrication.

We also regard the ‘Leven Lang Leren’ (Lifelong Learning) programme as a form of participation. We implement ‘Leven Lang Leren’ through part-time education, course offerings for professionals, and the development of more masters’ programmes, which new graduates and professionals from practice can attend to deepen and broaden their knowledge further. In this way, we extend our reach, function as a knowledge centre, and respond to the developments in and demand from a quickly changing environment.

Avicenna - Leaderschip The international programme of the Avicenna Academy for Leadership is intended for entrepreneurs, managers, and professionals from the private and public sector, who wish to invest in the quality and effectiveness of their leadership and entrepreneurship. In this regard, the Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts offers a leadership practical and focuses on sensory communication (voice, speech, physical, and movement). Participants in the Maastricht module experience the strength of this approach and its relevance for their own leadership.

Zuyd University of Applied Sciences has committed to the power and ambitions of the region of Limburg and the surrounding Euregion. This has been translated into a number of areas of emphasis, which materialise further through the establishment of Centres of Expertise – brought together under the umbrella name of Brightlands. How AFM connects with these Centres of Expertise is set out below. 30

A. Smart Service Campus Limburg and, more specifically, the region of Heerlen have a strong cluster of financial, administrative, and information-processing companies and institutions. In this area, the Smart Service Campus is the hatchery for new activities, innovation, and talent development. The Expertise and Innovation Centre for Business Intelligence & Smart Services (BISS), where education, research, and running a business come together, is based on the campus. Maastricht University, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, and the Open University jointly intend to develop new study programmes.

Connection The focus for the next few years from AFM (MAMDT) will be on the data visualisation unit. Data visualisation refers to setting out data clearly in order to perform analyses that are validated as well as possible and which lead to relevant additional knowledge and the development of new business models. The ‘data visualisation research’ centre has been established out of MAMDT and focuses on applied research in the area of behaviour, needs, and customer orientation.

Connection LIME (LImburg MEet) intends to be a regional open innovation centre with a national and international profile, in which interdisciplinary expertise (healthcare, ICT, technology, and economics) come together to advance the field of health metrics. The aim is to optimally match the supply and demand of companies, healthcare professionals, and clients, so that health metrics are both clever and worthwhile. The connection to this new initiative is made out of MAMDT.

B. Chemelot Campus Chemelot Campus is a Euregional business location for companies and educational and research organisations in the area of new materials. This involves technologically advanced raw materials and new products from biological raw materials, sustainable energy, clean technology, and the life sciences. The Ministry of Economic Affairs regards the campus as one of the open innovation campuses of national interest, where students, researchers, and entrepreneurs jointly form a community in an optimal climate for exchanging and enhancing knowledge.

Connection CHILL (Chemelot Innovation and Learning Labs) is established on the Chemelot Campus. The business community, students, lecturers, and scientists work together in CHILL in the areas of Research & Development, innovation, product development, and education. Students from different disciplines work in communities on paid assignments for external clients. Students from iArts – from the domain of Arts & Sciences – have also worked in a number of interdisciplinary teams. The programmes and objectives of CHILL and iArts fit in well together. CHILL and iArts are complementary. While chemistry students will focus on experiments, equipment, and materials, iArts students will focus mainly on the analysis of the processes.

Connection As part of the Southern Arts Sector Plan, academies in the Southern Netherlands (Avans, Design Academy, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences) have expressed their intention to establish a joint Bio Design and Bio Art research centre. The results of the research will contribute towards updating various curricula within the educational institutes concerned. The possibility of joining the Operational Programme South (OP Zuid), the South Netherlands European Stimulation Programme in relation to Top Sector policy, is being investigated.

C. Health Campus The Maastricht Health Campus is the intended hotspot for medical biotechnology, especially for neuroscience and cardiovascular diseases. The focus is on themes such as wellness, health policy, ageing, lifelong learning, and risk assessment. The Expertise Centre for Innovative Care and Technology (EIZT) forms part of the Health Campus. The key question in this regard is how innovations in care can contribute towards allowing people with care needs to remain in their own home environment as long as possible. AFM connects here with a number of aspects from a human interest perspective.

D. Limburg Economic Development Limburg Economic Development (LED) is a partnership among the business community, government, and education for the purpose of implementing the Brainport2020 programme in South Limburg. One component of LED is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;New Energy, Built Environment and Renewablesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (NEBER). The extent to which AFM can make a contribution to this will be considered in the period ahead. 36

Connection – Doctoral research within MAMDT is looking at how interactive art can serve as perception-orientated care technology. Among other things, the knowledge is used to make the experience of people in nursing homes more pleasant. Research at MAMDT is also looking at Human Interaction Design within care on the one hand and metrics research – in conjunction with occupational therapy – into brain activity to develop new therapies through applied technology on the other hand. – Within iArts, the care robots of EIZT are the reason behind the Art & Sciences programme ‘The Robots are coming’. This explores the world of robots and technology from an arts perspective.

Artistic and creative craftsmanship in the 21st century Over the past few years, the independent higher vocational education institutions in South Limburg have merged within Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. AFM has existed in its current form since 1 September 2013; AFM is a young faculty. The disciplines of communication and multimedia design and iArts have been added to music, theatre, architecture, fine arts, design, and the teacher training courses. This grouping of different disciplines within the faculty has meant that the concept of artist is changing. We are also seeing the concept of artist evolve on the basis of the contextual developments described in the previous section. Art education is diverse, adapts, and is characterised through divergence and convergence, through authentic creations and generic productions, through searching for meaning, and spreading significance. Optimal space is intentionally given within AFM for personal interpretation. AFM advocates unity in diversity. This means recognising the different study programmes with their characteristic features.

Actor, Architect, Architectural Designer, Fine Artist, Composer, Conductor, Fine Arts and Design Teacher, Music Teacher, Theatre Teacher, Documentary Maker, Educational Arts Consultant, Film Designer, Photographic Designer, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Interactive Designer, Interior Architect, Costume Designer, Art Coordinator, Communication Mediator, Fashion Designer, Multimedia Designer, Multi-instrumentalist, Musician, Designer, Performer, Product Designer, Director, Jewellery Designer, Stylist, Textile Designer, Theatre Designer, Designer ...in other words, a world of options.

This of course means that the concept of artistic practice is open to many interpretations. In view of the developments within AFM and society, the concept needs reviewing. Where one study programme might focus on artistic craftsmanship, another might focus more on concept development and on critical and creative ability. Obviously all the study programmes recognise contextual, cross-media shifts, and changed professional practice. In that sense, the study programmes continually anticipate their environment, with one taking artistry and the other taking creativity as a starting point. Both concepts show the scope of the spectrum as it were and all of AFM’s study programmes can be positioned in this way. Positioning within this spectrum is not set in stone; it is a continuous process. The study programmes are primarily aimed at the development of the student’s potential for growth coupled with social demand and supply. In order to review the concept of artistic practice, we have taken artistic craftsmanship and creative ability as conceptual starting points. We have intentionally chosen not to distinguish between the concepts of pure and applied art. Society is 42

a broad playing field with space for the fine artist, the applied artist, the coaching teacher, and the graduate, who each has a plethora of talents and skills and see beyond the borders of their own discipline. We see that students move through the spectrum of artistic craftsmanship and creative ability. This is possible from within a source that covers one or more domains within the arts, such as skills in visual, multimedia, theatrical, or musical areas. We are seeing increasingly more interdisciplinary movements in practice. We are responsive to the student’s need to look beyond the borders. Students are encouraged to develop from their own, unique position in the broad scale to potential – and frequently intermedial – artistic practices. All of AFM’s study programmes focus on the autonomy of each individual and aim to strengthen the capacity to share autonomy in thought and actions with others. This is how we cater for professional practice, in which we see people also emerging as hybrid professionals. As stated in the foreword, art education has a dual assignment as it were. The professional is trained on the one hand for authentic art practice and, on the other hand, for unorthodox solutions in a

society that is becoming ever more complex. We are actively working on this two-track policy under the umbrella of artistic and creative craftsmanship of the 21st century in an international setting.

trained to become skilled professionals who use imagination as a source for artistic and creative products and services.

The speed and complexity of technological, social, and community developments have a massive influence on current and future professional practice. Graduates work together with professionals from different disciplines in an open and virtual setting locally, nationally, and internationally. A review of the concept of the 21st century artist means that AFM students are

Focal points for the years ahead In the previous sections we outlined a number of contextual developments that are closely linked to the choices we will make for vocational art education in the years ahead. The stated tendencies – coupled with the developments already underway within AFM – are reasons to opt for the following focal points: 1. A faculty in motion – In-terdisciplinarity and In-novation 2. A European position – In-ternational 3. A number of recognised and known excellent study programmes – In-Form 4. Interaction between education and research – In-Research 5. Interaction between education and enterprise – In-Production The focal points are described in this section. The next section deals explicitly with the specific details and implementation of these focal points coupled with the normal policy for the years ahead.

Re 1: A faculty in motion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; In-terdisciplinarity and In-novation Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems require interdisciplinary solutions. The focus will be on efforts to boost interdisciplinarity over the coming years. Interdisciplinary projects are characterised by a social and cultural issue and arise from cooperation among authorities, companies, and social organisations. We regard working on an interdisciplinary basis in and with the arts as the combination of elements from different perspectives, which gives rise to a new perspective of the world (inter-perspectivism). This requires a creative spirit and the readiness to repeatedly find new ways in which to open up the world. This is a skill that firstly assumes creative ability and secondly an attitude to thoroughly investigate the context. Optimal interaction among artistic, creative, enquiring, reflective, and enterprising is essential.

Interdisciplinarity is an important curricular item within AFM. This vision of art education, by which new and existing study programmes strengthen each other, will lead to new learning pathways for students. 46

In addition to interdisciplinarity, AFM makes the connection between tradition and innovation in all activities and initiatives. Tradition means finding the backbone of artistic craftsmanship and imagination. On the other hand, professionals see innovation as an increasingly recurring challenge. We need bridge builders for fresh perspectives and creative solutions. The arts education people of tomorrow are also entrepreneurs, policymakers, producers, or researchers. This is possible within the existing domain and in conjunction with other domains within AFM or Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. Our study programmes bridge the gap between art and science, between practice and reflection, and further give shape and content through research. In 2012, for instance, iArts was started as international, practice-orientated training combined with academic skills, which expressly supplemented the existing course offering. iArts is the place where art leaves the conventional canons and disciplines, places itself in the midst of society, and forms part of social domains, such as economics, politics, communication, technology, architecture, design, literature, theatre, music, spirituality, entrepreneurship, and

nature. As confirmed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the iArts programme is unique in the Netherlands. iArts implements multidisciplinarity and entrepreneurship from the first year of the bachelor cycle. iArts also caters for the development of a new professional skills and job profile, namely that of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;activatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of socio-cultural projects, in which the characteristics of an artist, researcher, entrepreneur, and cultural producer are rolled into one.

Re 2: A European position – In-ternational AFM chooses to continuously develop a number of arts programmes to a European – and, where possible, international – position. Limburg has traditionally been European-orientated. We see that today’s students move ‘without constraints’ and consciously make choices based on the quality of study programmes (curriculum, lecturers, reputation). AFM aims to set itself apart and continue to deliver first-rate quality. We are expanding our contacts and networks 48

within and outside Europe. For this purpose, we also refer to the section on our future ambitions. AFM will be striving towards a leading position in European or international rankings in the years ahead. That will be done by offering study programmes in English, through cross-border recruitment and selection, cooperating with foreign higher education institutions and organisations, and expanding the reputation of the academies. We are also embarking on a number of projects, in which the ambitions of the relevant study programmes will be realised:

opera with a European awareness of artistic, cultural, and social matters. 4. Contributing towards the professional development of existing and new interdisciplinary musical theatre throughout Europe.

2a) European Opera Academy The Maastricht Conservatory is the driving force behind the establishment of the new European Opera Academy. The aim of the Opera Academy is to further develop educational and career opportunities in opera for master’s students, alumni, and other young professionals. The key objectives are: 1. Teaching top talents and theatre personalities in Europe. 2. Establishing an international ‘centre of excellence’ that produces highly qualified professionals. 3. Training versatile artists to a highly professional level in the area of

The main target group is talented singers. The Opera Academy offers a range of modules for compiling a post-doctoral programme in the area of musical theatre within specialised study programmes of various European conservatories in Western and Eastern Europe. The Opera Academy contributes towards cooperation in innovation and the exchange of good practices among the existing opera programmes in Europe, knowledge transfer, capacity building, and the mobility of artists, and in this way also increases employment opportunities for young artists. MAFAD and MAMDT also link up with the ambitions of the European Opera Academy through costume and décor design, generative arts (light and sound), and multimedia aspects (content and website).

2b) European Theatre School A number of European partners recently established the Platform for European Theatre Academies. The platform aims to cooperate with different academies within Europe in the area of theatre education. The partners are working together to create a European module in the curriculum of theatre study programmes. This module consists of co-productions, in which two or partners collaborate. Working in a foreign language and being confronted by a different theatre tradition gives rise to a broader artistic palette. Integrating a European module in the programme of each participating academy gives students a broader insight into their future professional options in Europe. Including this European module in the programme is urgently necessary because the demand for this type of professionals is growing in the theatre world. On the one hand, this involves creating a supply route for the demand from professional practice for graduates, who can be employed across language and other barriers and, on the other

hand, involves being more ‘open’ to new acting styles, which are gaining increasingly more ground in Europe. This innovation is also urgently necessary due to the influence of new media and ICT technology in theatre today.

The Platform for European Theatre Academies offers a high-quality European module in the normal curriculum of theatre education at bachelor’s and later master’s level. This is put into practice by means of bilateral or multilateral co-productions among cooperating partners. The academies remain responsible for the initial education itself. Each academy works with multidisciplinary teams of teachers. The focus in cooperation lies on the specific characteristics of the different academies. The confrontation among theatre traditions – coupled with the creation of a novel, cross-border, intermedial, and international theatre language – offers artistic added value, which comes into its own in a European context. The ultimate aim of this project is to increase the career opportunities of students in the European theatre job market.

Re 3: A number of recognised and known excellent study programmes – InForm Quality is one of the key words in higher vocational education and the quality assurance of the study programmes requires continuous and special attention. This relates to enhanced quality across the board: increasing the level of study programme and the diplomas to be issued, increasing return, more intensive guidance of students, expanding the practice-orientated research and the quality thereof, as well as raising the quality of lecturers. AFM works closely in this regard with a number of other art programmes in South Netherlands (Kuo-Zuid) and a number of arrangements have been made at this regional level. The aim is for each academy to have several study programmes that rank among the top three in the Netherlands. This ranking is determined nationally by combined data from the National Student Survey (NSE) and accreditations. AFM is also developing its own student survey, focusing more on art education. Since 2012, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and 52

Flanders (NVAO) has applied a new definition of excellence, namely that the programme must systematically stand well out across the board in relation to the standard basic quality and serve as a national and international example. Excellence therefore means that the study programmes set themselves apart in terms of their quality with a set of coherent themes or modules. The Research Centre for Educational Innovation and CPD of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences has drawn up a report entitled ‘Het geheim van een excellente opleiding ontrafeld’ (The secret of an excellent study programme unravelled) (2014). This was research into the Theatre study programme, among others. The figure below shows the five themes that collectively make excellence possible. Based on accreditations or NSE scores, AFM currently has six study programmes that are ranked among the top three in the Netherlands. These study programmes are: • • • • • •

Fine Arts Music Education MA in Music Theatre Theatre Education MA in Interior Architecture

The MA in Scientific Illustration (contract teaching and also the only master’s programme of its kind in the Netherlands) was also recently assessed as excellent. National and international recognition and positioning further demand additional attention, not only to maintain top rankings but also to strengthen all programmes and raise them to a higher basic level.

• Small-scale and customised • Intensive contact teaching with personalised attention • Close-knit core team structure around the study programme or course • Participation of students within several layers of the curriculum • Significant input from alumni and guest lecturers and connections with professional practice

One of the ways to further enhance quality is by working in ‘learning communities’. This form of teaching and coaching is developing strongly within AFM’s study programmes. The communities share a number of common characteristics:

Our aim is to further develop working in learning communities, bearing in mind the wide range of experiences that are gained elsewhere (nationally and internationally).

Re 4: Interaction between education and research – In-Research Practical research, in which creation and reflection converge, plays an important role in the arts as a catalyst and articulator of innovation and quality development. AFM has chosen to establish two research centres, namely: • Autonomy and openness in the arts – a research centre looking at questions that arise from the characteristic tension that exists for artistic practices between the autonomy of arts and the openness to which arts relate. • Technology Driven Art – a research centre looking at the influence of technological developments on artistic processes. 4A) Research centre for ‘Autonomy and openness in the arts’ We cherish the idea that the raison d’être of artists and cultural institutions lies within the sector itself. But this is only partly the case. The raison d’être also lies partly in the connection of society. AFM contributes towards strengthening art education and art prac54

tice. The focus in this research centre is on questions that arise from the characteristic tension that exists for artistic practices between the autonomy of arts and the openness to which arts relate. The research centre places these areas of tension on the interfaces between art disciplines, between art and research, and between art and society. It investigates how artists relate from their own artistic practice to social questions on the basis of three lines of research; culture and urban development, art for/with the community, and art in the perception society. The research centre is developing its own style of artistic research through these three lines. It is experimenting with a working method that focuses on a pragmatic notion of knowledge, questioning external practices, exchanging research styles, and the importance of documentation and debate. These experiments tie in with the idea that art is a crucially critical, engaging, reflexive, mental, and experiential space for society, and that artists can also be researchers who create forms of knowledge. The research centre continues exploring the role of research in art education by contributing towards thinking about these roles and practising with their implementation.

4B) Research centre for ‘Technology Driven Art’’ We cherish the idea that artists stand at the helm of their own art and, by extension, how the history of art develops. But this is only partly the case. New technological developments often take over that helm. Technology ‘forces’ new developments in the history of art. AFM wishes to research, question, and encourage the influence of technological developments on artistic processes within its art programmes. Rapid developments in the digital area, in particular, offer new opportunities and challenges for artistic practice. New materials and production techniques are making inroads into artistic practice. The ‘Technology Driven Artist’ switches expertly among different media, art disciplines, and production processes. The art work nestles in fringe areas, which also influences its distribution and how it is perceived. Technology Driven Art infiltrates the classic exhibition channels with hybrid art and also searches for new exhibition locations. Cross-over and intermediality have become core concepts for contemporary art practice. The research centre for ‘Technology Driven Art’ investigates the influence of technological

developments on artistic processes. This is done on the basis of actual projects, in which a lecturer and a group of students experiment with and critically question the implementation of new technologies and media in the creation of art. These projects are often the first step towards the implementation of such techniques in standard teaching. In addition to a stimulating role, the research centre also plays a critically investigative and questioning role in this area.

Re 5. Interaction between education and enterprise In-Production Cultural entrepreneurship has been making progress in the Netherlands since the 1990s with the aim of reducing dependence on government subsidies in the cultural sector and creating scope for own initiative. Meanwhile one out of every eight people working in the Netherlands is an entrepreneur and – partly due to economic developments – more and more people are becoming self-employed. Students from vocational art education are particularly enterprising. This is clear from the fact that more than 60% of art graduates start out as self-employed in comparison to 8% of the total graduates from higher vocational education. It is precisely because so many art graduates start work as self-employed individuals that we pay special attention to entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. We call this ‘In-Production’, which refers to the continuous interaction between art education and the external environment. This interaction has two movements: from the inside out and from the outside in. 56

5a) From the inside out AFM is characterised by a large and varied reservoir of artistic and creative professionals. We offer students and alumni entrepreneurial support on different levels. All students deal with cultural enterprise in their study programme. This is specifically detailed for each study programme in terms of content, form, and the award of study credits. The difference in approach relates to the structure of the curriculum and how the ‘external market’ is organised. We are also looking at options for organising a cultural entrepreneurship week in conjunction with a number of major stakeholders. The purpose of this week is to create interaction between education and practice in the area of cultural enterprise from within an interdisciplinary setting. The students are also given guidance in organising large projects during their master’s programmes in relation to all aspects of cultural enterprise. We also offer additional support to starters, who opt for independent practice and wish to establish themselves as cultural entrepreneurs. This is done through what is known as the office for the creative entrepreneur: ‘Creative City Zuid’. Many aspects require attention when starting your own

business, including the financial and legal structure. Students can benefit from the expertise of ‘Creative City Zuid’. We adapt our programmes to demand from new entrepreneurs, so we can continually cater for their changing requirements and wishes. 5b) From the outside in Social demand for creative artistic solutions is growing. The contribution from the arts meanwhile has a recognised and respected added value in social, economic, and political issues. Within AFM, we are also noticing a growing social demand for unconventional solutions. We are more than prepared to put our shoulder to the wheel in this regard with companies, authorities and other organisations.

business community can support a favourable working climate for young people in Limburg. The start and set-up of the pilot ‘music impresario’ is in the pipeline. This is a service that will facilitate promising projects and products of the conservatory through production and marketing at the interface of education and professional practice.

This is moreover not only about responding to social requests for an innovative solution. Contact with organisations, companies, and the authorities also ensures that education is raised to a higher level. Organising a network and maintaining these contacts is essential. Guest lecturers from the business community are invaluable to education, attracting new internship places offers opportunities to students, and, in this way, AFM in conjunction with the 57

Choices and priorities This section focuses on the further details of our plans based on the principles of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, contextual developments, and our own chosen focal points. We are also open to innovation and surprises. Working with young people keeps our faculty lively and on its toes. Daily events give rise to new impulses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our policy is not static and can only be partly put into words and arrangements. We have broadly made the choices and set the priorities that follow below. For more detailed information, please refer to AFMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual plan.

1. Sector Plan arrangements Based on the arrangements made in the Sector Plan, we are reducing the number of students in some bachelor’s programmes in order to remain properly aligned with the job market. We will also be working on implementing the following in the coming years:

2. Expanding the master’s programmes We strive to offer our students the broadest and most in-depth study programmes possible. This means that we aim to offer appropriate master’s programmes that follow on from the available bachelor’s programmes. To this end, we are working on the following specific changes:

Study programme

Reductionpercentage

Music Fine Arts Design

Master

Maximum number of students on 1 October 2016

10% 25% 20%

Status

298 80 292

Cooperation

Time schedule

Students

International professional practice Van Eyck Academy

Starts 2015/2016 Starts 01-09-2016 -

From 0 to 20

Theatre

New

Fine Arts and Design Music

Development phase Controlled growth

Architecture

Integration

Merging Architecture and Interior Architecture

Starts 01-09-2016

From current 49 to 70

Art & Education

Growth of Maastricht Teaching Ideaphase

Fontys

From 0 to 20

MAD Genk

Starts 01-09-2017

From 0 to 25

MAMDT

From 0 to 20 From 115 to 125

3. Innovation through iArts The Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science recently agreed to the proposal to provide the higher vocational education programme iArts on a state-funded basis in Maastricht. The Ministry believes that: • iArts is an innovative and broad concept, in which different forms of expertise connect with each other, giving rise to ground-breaking and new, socially relevant applications and professional profiles. • iArts emphatically responds to the central government’s policy of strengthening the creative sector and creating links between the arts and other sectors. • iArts fits in with the Ministry’s policy of qualitatively strengthening art education. • There is a justified expectation that graduates of the iArts programme will be able to create their own employment. • iArts fits in with continued profiling in which connections are made between the various art disciplines and independent entrepreneurship and between art and science. This specifically means that the accreditation process for the iArts bachelor’s programme is being initiated. The following developments are being considered for the future:

Study programme

Phase

Cooperation

Students

Bachelor of iArts

Accreditation 2014/2015

Van Eyck And Maastricht University

From 30 to 45 with continued growth to 100

Master of iArts

Designphase

International Partners

From 0 to 25

4. Innovation in Architecture Due to arrangements made in Bologna in 1999, higher education in Europe is in motion. These arrangements allow for greater mobility of students in Europe. The Dublin descriptors also describe the intended European qualifications. The provision of professional qualifications is placed in bachelor’s programmes while research qualifications are placed in master’s programmes. This creates a clear divide between bachelor and master-level education, making it easier for students to continue their master’s studies elsewhere. There are two Master’s degrees: Master of Arts and Master of Science.

Architecture programmes in the Netherlands currently only offer a Master of Science degree. There is a Master of Arts for interior architecture. A Master of Arts in architecture is possible elsewhere in Europe. This presents an opportunity for AFM, within its euregional location, to capitalise on this vacuum in the Netherlands. Partly because of low enrolment and opportunities at euregional level, we are introducing a two-year master’s programme – accredited by the NVAO – with two final specialisations (Master of Arts MA and MIA).

5. Augmentation of research Artistic research is not only intrinsically valuable for art education; it is specifically justified by changes in artistic practice. Change requires new skills that art education must cater for. Perhaps more so than in the past, future artists must be able to skilfully and critically orientate themselves in their artistic practice to other contexts and partners and be able to develop their relevance in the public domain. Learning to do research is therefore crucial. Art students now already learn an enquiring and reflexive attitude in the creation itself, which needs supplementing by means of skills such as creating, documenting, and making the work and work process divisible and contestable. Bottom-up experiments with research studios have been tried in various ways and places over the past few years. Research studios are teaching blocks in which artistic and production processes are combined with research processes. The research studios are customised, aimed at developing craftsmanship in research into the artistic production process. From 2015/2016, each academy will present at least one structural research studio at bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level and work on developing and holding it 64

with one of the two research centres. The research centres will also present intensive workshops as continuing professional development for lecturers. The aim is to for them to develop their own research proposal during the workshop with their peers acting as a critical research community. Insight into the details of the research centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programme lines and the practical requirements for a research proposal is also provided in lectures and interactive sessions.

6. More profiling Optimal space is intentionally given within AFM to the different study programmes with their characteristic features. AFM advocates unity in diversity. Since a contemporary PR and Communication Policy suits the specific activities, this will be put into practice over the coming years on the basis of this document.

Future ambitions As is already clear from the above sections, the professional world is becoming increasingly more international due to globalisation. Zuyd University of Applied Sciences is addressing this by developing an international vision to equip students with the right knowledge and skills. In this way, future professionals will be able to respond to international developments that extend beyond the borders of Netherlands and the European Union. The location of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences – in the middle of a cross-border region – presents a golden opportunity to contribute towards really studying, living, and working ‘without constraints’. Internationalisation is an express part of its strategy. Students come to Maastricht because of the quality of the education and the international nature of the city and wider region. This is also boosted by the presence of various European institutions and events, such as United World College, EIPA, TEFAF, UNU-MERIT, and the university. AFM chooses to invest in the coming years – with partners – in the establishment of a ZUYD International Campus. These ambitions are detailed further below.

A. Substantive programming: ZUYD International Campus In the Higher Vocational Education Sector Plan for the Arts, AFM has clearly opted for a European – and, in some cases, even international – profile. The reason for this is twofold: • Students who choose AFM come from around the world; in fact more than 72% of those on the BA in Music programme are foreign students. The programme is English and the students, lecturers, and professors come from more than 42 countries, including from outside Europe. • AFM’s ambition is to develop its programmes into top European programmes. The conservatory already has international scope. There has traditionally been strong links with Germany in fine art, while the theatre programme is clearly connected with Flanders, the Netherlands, and Germany. Most of the students on the new iArts programme are international and, given digital developments, the world is also open for MAMDT and MAFAD. None of the AFM programmes are aimed solely at Dutch enrolment. 68

The three Maastricht faculties (Faculty of International Business and Communication, Faculty Hotel and Facility Management, and our own faculty) – each with a specific international profile – have combined forces and wish to direct their efforts in the coming years at strengthening international education and research in Maastricht with the ZUYD International Campus. This ambition ties in with the Province of Limburg’s profile as an international knowledge region and the city of Limburg as an international city of knowledge. We choose to further develop our academies at European and international level. This is our unique selling point. Our aim is to have achieved an excellent position in the international rankings by 2018. In the years ahead, we wish to work together with the above faculties to give further shape and substance to the ZUYD International Campus. This is possible in relation to the following aspects:

• We will continue to focus in the coming years on the potential growth of international students for our Maastricht study programmes. • The special quality mark of internationalisation can be awarded in the NVAO accreditation if internationalisation is visible and demonstrable in the vision, teaching methods, study results, and personnel. We will work towards the award of the internationalisation quality mark for music and iArts in the years ahead.

The further development of ZUYD International Campus requires the support of several partners, such as the Province of Limburg, the MAHHLS cities (Maastricht, Aachen, Hasselt, Heerlen, Liège, and Sittard-Geleen) and other organisations. From a position of shared responsibility and with joint support, we wish to assume our role and place international higher vocational education in Maastricht on the map.

• We wish to increase participation in cross-border and international research and education projects. • We wish to further reinforce international partnerships and cooperation. • We wish to promote lifelong internationalisation and encourage international mobility and life experiences. The efforts that lead to successful results in cross-border cooperation in education are significant. 69

B. Physical connection: ZUYD International Campus Education needs high-quality facilities that are tailored to 21st century study programmes. It is important for these to be concentrated in the city centre of Maastricht with a greater connection from the built amenities. The academies fulfil a role in the public domain; this also requires physical and public accessibility. An optimal physical environment communicates with society. It ensures a connection with: • start-ups and alumni, who can establish themselves around the campus; • companies and self-employed individuals, working in the top sectors; • undertakings, which coupled with education, strengthen Limburg as a knowledge region; • citizens, students, and tourists, who provide a critical mass with reflection on society.

A number of the built amenities no longer comply with modern-day requirements, have little space, and do not project much of an image. An educational institution in a knowledge city, in the centre of a knowledge region, should be recognisable as such for both international students and residents, visitors, and the general public. This requires a long-term vision for the physical component with various options varying from new developments to retaining existing sites. From a substantive vision, the time is ripe to transform physical buildings for the city and region, using a built ‘education landmark’ to lend colour to Maastricht and radiate international knowledge from Limburg.

Conclusion The Scientific Council for Government Policy recently presented its latest survey entitled ‘Cultuur herwaarderen’ (Re-evaluating Culture) to Minister Bussemaker of Education, Culture, and Science. The question of the value of culture is heard regularly at home and abroad. The answer is increasingly being sought in the social and economic effects of culture. The effects have also been increasingly focused on cultural policy and the cultural sector is being given new objectives. In the survey, the Council calls for a reassessment of ‘cultural’ within the cultural policy. A strong cultural sector is of lasting value to Dutch society. To this end, more focus is needed on developments within the sector itself. How can the connection between vocational art education and the job market be improved? Is the cultural sector adequately prepared for changes in public taste patterns? What are the consequences of new financial models for the cultural landscape?

The above survey represents the first steps being taken for the development of the national cultural policy for the next 2017-2020 policy period. The Council for Culture recently issued its recommendations and the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament will give its opinion on the assumptions for the new period during autumn 2015. Being as pro-active as we are, we wish to contribute towards the discussions, policy-making, and implementation of a broad range of art education programmes in Limburg that cater for the needs of society and to job market opportunities. We have set our priorities for the coming years and set out our longerterm international ambitions. We will continue to re-evaluate our education and policy and re-enrich current and future students in the process!

Faculty of Arts Maastricht Herdenkingsplein 12 6211 PW Maastricht Postbus 531 6200 AM Maastricht facultyofarts@zuyd.nl Zuyd University of Applied Sciences Postbus 550 6400 AN Heerlen www.zuyd.nl info@zuyd.nl

Colophon Photos Faculty of Arts Maastricht Design Luuk Jaspers & Bente van Melick Text Sonja Troisfontaine Newsletter Would you like to stay up to date with all the news of the Faculty of Arts Maastricht? Please sign up for our digital newsletter by sending an e-mail to: facultyofarts@zuyd.nl . This leaflet was produced in November 2015. Some information may have been subject to change since then. No rights can be derived from the text in this leaflet. No part of this leaflet may be used or reproduces without prior written permission of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences.