The WdKA Graduation Show of 2023 showcased the aspirations of a new generation of artists, designers, and educators. With 183 students presenting their projects, I had the privilege to witness their creative endeavours and gain insight into their perspectives (see overview with photos). In this review I describe the projects that caught my intention via […]

I visited the presentation of Ray Klaassen 12th of June 2023. As a former special forces operator he challenged his comfort zone by organizing his first public show in which he collaborated with different artistic disciplines such as; dance, music and song. He introduced the principle of the ‘learning pit’. I think he referred to […]

 “Stick your ears out the door because something is about to happen” Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending the Inclusivity Pathway Training (IPT) conference initiated by Aminata Cairo. Representatives from various Dutch art academies, including AHK, ArtEZ, CodArts, Fontys, HKU, and WdKA, gathered at Amsterdam Hogeschool for the Arts for this event. […]

There is a crisis at work. A situation I have not experienced before. Our dean, who is my direct supervisor, has decided to step aside in times of turmoil. Reason for this were different reports that indicated issues with staff. I am familiar with the challenges  as outlined in the report. I am trying to […]

How new tech will change higher art education in 2023 keywords: Online video’s, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence Danai Fuengshunut and AI As the world continues to evolve and technology advances, art academies and tutors have had to adjust their teaching methods to keep up. I believe 2023 will be a turning point due to the […]

Day one. The firs symptoms I can remember were a light headache in combination with a cold lower back. I had eaten at a pizzeria the other day. I thought the food had been way too salty. That night I went to the bathroom for about six to seven times. I had taken an aspirin, […]

A few days ago I provided a meeting for our graduate students. It was based upon the idea that graduation can be a special kind of obstacle for students. The challenge of graduation is often not graduation itself, but the story we tell ourselves about what graduation means. I had designed a meeting that involved […]

Just finished the War of Art by Stephen Pressfield. I liked his concept of Resistance. Resistance for him is a destructive force that disables you from being creative. In his words: ‘with ever tree of creativity that grows; comes a shadow. Being creative for him is about finding ways to overcome that Resistance. In his […]

Words I often hear from students during reflection-moment are distractions, procrastination, anxieties, and imposter syndrome. Studying on itself probably would not be half as difficult if it was not for ourselves. There is a title of a book that I often think about: ‘You Are What You Do’. Sometimes we perceive studying as a ritual […]

I joined a meeting with people who did not know each other and we had a shared task to bring out a singular verdict. I observed and noted what was said by participants in order to reflect upon how we try to convince others. refer to prior experience others didn’t have: I have been using […]

This week I had an individual feedback moment in MSTeams with students. It was the final feedback moment before their deadline. Our tutor team has planned different feedback meetings trough out the project. Our goal is to organize different learning activities related to the project and include a few specific small group feedback moments. In […]

“How do I Know if my Students Are Learning (Online)?’ The question was asked by a colleague in the context of online learning due to the corona measurements. I think it’s an important question because we spend so much time on education; it’s important to reflect on what is effective. I also believe it’s a […]

Last year I encountered challenges in creating a safe environment for students. When people feel unsafe in a conversation there are two paths: silence or violence. Silence can be used as a means to avoid potential situations by withdrawing (by any means) from the conversation. Violence is when verbal strategies are used in an attempt […]