The Honours Programme ART and RESEARCH consists of a collaboration between the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and the University of Amsterdam. Initially developed in 2006 and already on its 6th edition, it aims to combine the best of both institutions in a programme that allows art students the opportunity to engage with theory on a deeper level than what is offered in the Gerrit Rietveld Academie’s regular courses, while on the other hand, it involves university students in creative processes absent in the scope of the University of Amsterdam’s courses. Departing from the idea that there are certain overlaps between the practices of science and art, it provides students with the incentive to link different perspectives and methodologies, as well as challenge traditions, in order to create and develop new modes of research, while learning from each other’s fields of study in the process.
Practically speaking, this means that for a period of about 14 months, a group of eighteen to twenty selected students will work on a joint project, which starts with the attendance of a one-week training in Spain. Here they are exposed to an innovative teaching method based on Socratic dialogue, through which they formulate a general theme. Back in The Netherlands, they conceive subthemes in smaller multi-disciplinary groups, and collaborate intensively on a collective research leading to a joined output, consisting of a publication and a presentation at the end of the programme.
Admission to the programme is based upon talent and grades, and the projects mentioned above are developed on top of the student’s regular schedule. Although guided by tutors, guest lecturers, and other professionals, the students contribute to the development of the programme’s content as it progresses. Besides this, most of the organisational work involved in the production of the presentation and publication also lies in their hands, which makes the programme unique.
Another characteristic feature of “ART and RESEARCH” is the extremely wide range of disciplines it brings together, with participants from departments such as the Gerrit Rietveld Academie’s “Audiovisual”, “Fine Arts”, “Glass”, and “Graphic Design”, the University’s “Future Planet Studies”, “Theatre Studies”, “Philosophy”, “Art History” and “Literature Studies”.
Previous programmes have shown us that these very motivated students have better chances of being selected for Master’s programmes abroad, and several of them have won awards in past years, such as the Gerrit Rietveld Academie Award for Best Thesis. In the words of one of the programme’s former students: ‘It’s like being given new ears to listen to things that you thought you knew’.

For information:
Cato Cramer Coordinator Honours Programme ART and RESEARCH University of Amsterdam - Gerrit Rietveld Academie j.c.cramer@uva.nl

Tutors: Maartje Fliervoet, Paula Albuquerque

www.artandresearch.nl

Students 2013-2014: Anastasia Pandilovska, Annemiek Geel, Baha Görkem Yalim, Bastien Gachet, Brenda Guesnet, Céline Hürzeler, Chris van Diemen, Deborah Schrijvers, Florian Jomain, Freja Kirchheiner, Giulia Crispiani, Kristian Mølberg Meyer, Laura Dima, Lenneke Vos, Maïa Wolf, Chi Nguyen, Rosanne van der Voet, Sofia Dupon, Tiemen Wind

Honors Program "Cracking Cobra"

The Gerrit Rietveld Academie and the Cobra Museum join hands for the new Honours Programme Cracking Cobra. The collaboration offers students an opportunity to conduct research in the museum’s archives, develop their research skills, as well as offering possibilities for the production of temporary art works.

Investigating the Cobra movement

Departure point for the Honours Programme is the collection of the museum - objects, works and documentation that constitute the archives. The Cobra Museum focuses on the work and production of the Cobra movement (1948-1951). The movement consisted of international artists, who were joined by a shared interest of a direct, immediate working method: by doing. In this way, the artists challenged the established, traditional notions of art of their time. Cracking Cobra investigates the issues that are raised by the Cobra movement, such as political engagement of the arts and interdisciplinarity in order to relate them to contemporary practices. The students thereby respond to both the material and the immaterial legacy of Cobra and to the Cobra Museum as a cultural institute.

Aim of the programme

The program includes theoretical and practice based lessons by numerous guest teachers, as well as excursions. Aim of the programme is the development of a research proposal that can be translated into temporary work formats.

Cracking Cobra offers students the unique opportunity to engage with the material and immaterial heritage of the Cobra movement, to do research and work within the museum.

www.cobramuseum.nl