Final call for applications: interviews with master’s tutors

At the KABK, tutors combine their teaching with their practice in the cultural sector, which is well reflected in their teaching style. In this article, two tutors, Ari Versluis and Michou-Nanon de Bruijn, talk about what they try to convey from their practice.

Ari Versluis teaches at the Master’s in Photography and Society, but he is a photographer in the first place. With Gucci, Palace, and G-start among his clients, he has an extensive portfolio. His life’s work, Exactitudes, might play an even bigger role in his career. He teaches students to do it differently: “What I’ve learned is to always stay critical and do things differently than what these brands expect. When I did a shoot for Vivienne Westwood, for example, I dressed men in women’s clothing and vice versa. That was considered unusual at the time, but it became a success. As a photographer, you have to be willing to challenge conventions and take a stand. You have to try to be different and meaningful, especially now with the rise of AI.” 

Laboratories 
Classrooms at KABK function as laboratories where students have the possibility to experiment and where teachers stimulate rather than direct their students. As a student, your discipline and ideas are at the centre.  “I don’t necessarily teach, the students learn from me, and I learn from them,” Versluis says. “I made a very conscious choice to be in education because I want to contribute something. By now, I’ve been doing it for 30 years. The school is a community; it’s a space where you get the freedom to think about what you want to do.” 

As a teacher Versluis encourages students to engage in conversations with strangers. “Go to a store to buy something instead of ordering online again. Pick up the phone to call about an assignment instead of waiting around. By stepping out of your bubble and talking to people, you’ll find inspiration everywhere.”  Read the full interview.

Students in control 
Michou-Nanon de Bruijn is a teacher at the Master’s in Interior Architecture (INSIDE) at KABK. She combines her work with her job at Studio Makkink and Bey while at the same time also studying herself a Master’s in Applied History. “At university, teaching is quite traditional, with a teacher at the front of the class. I try not to be the center of attention and give students more control.”  

Teaching at KABK takes the form of small-scale lectures, with a combination of practical and theoretical artistic research. De Bruijn actively works with students, letting them become the experts and choose what they want to learn. “I think this approach gives students more responsibility and helps them learn more. I hope I have an open attitude. Whatever project a student is working on, I try to find the quality in it. My truth is not the central one. I recently had a student working on a project about musicals—definitely not my thing—but as a teacher, I believe I should give all ideas room. Of course, I was pleasantly surprised. Our field is perfect for change; you can go in any direction.” Read the full interview.

Master’s degree English taught programmes:   
Master Artistic Research, Master ArtScience, Master Industrial Design, Master Interior Architecture (INSIDE), Master Non Linear Narrative, Master Photography and Society, Master Type and Media. 

Bachelor’s programmes & PhDArts  
Next to the MA programmes, KABK offers seven bachelor’s programmes, two of which have also part-time trajectories. All BA programmes last four years.  

Interested in pursuing a master’s programme in art or design? The Royal Academy of Art The Hague (KABK) invites you to apply for one of its international master’s or (part-time) bachelor’s programmes in art and design before May 1*. Please check the department page of your interest on our website.   

*With the exception of Type and Media (March 1), PhDArts (April 1).