October 2023
This October issue of FORUM+ is dedicated to exploring the art school as an ecosystem in the 21st century. What does the 21st-century art school look like? What remains of the original mission of conservatoires and academies, after a series of institutional reforms and the introduction of research in the arts? And what challenges does the future hold? These are some of the questions that this new dossier "The art school as an ecosystem" seeks to address.
The sympoiesis garden
Eline De Clercq
This edition of FORUM+ holds a poster between her pages. It is a map of The sympoiesis garden , a project of many, with patches of words along a path for the reader to discover the project. This …
What’s in a name? Being an artist and a teacher: a seduction towards the centre
Ann Saelens
Today, art schools also educate our art teachers. Ann Saelens and Tanja Oostvogels, both theatre teachers and actors, are conducting research together at the KASK & Conservatory (HOGENT) on the …
Professionalizing teaching artists through process drama. An experiment with a community of practice of School of Arts alumni
Bob Selderslaghs
In 2023, lifelong learning and professionalization have become an integral part of the vocabulary in higher education. But what form can they take for art school alumni? Bob Selderslaghs researches …
Some thoughts on the School of Arts*
Johan Pas
The School of Arts is a pile of bricks, an institution, an ecosystem, a community, a biotope, an organization, an organism, an organ, a brain, and a pile of bricks. ... The School of Arts explores …
The academic career of the caterpillar track. Means of progression – Meaning of progress
Bert Willems
Discussing the forms of research that are relevant in higher art education, we can metaphorically use various means of progression. In that respect, the caterpillar track in particular stands out for …
Foraging as an artistic counter strategy
Frederiek Bennema
Frederiek Bennema introduces foraging as a strategy for learning and research within higher art education, and as a practice and an attitude focused on ecological thinking, care and dialogue. This …
Like a fish out of water. From artistic extractivism to oceanic grounding
Joeri Verbesselt
During his research stay in late 2020 on the small Pacific island of Pongso no Tao, Joeri Verbesselt went through an existential crisis about his nascent audiovisual artistry. The crisis confronted …
C’est aux fruits qu’on connaît l’arbre. Belgian music education during the civilising offensive of the belle époque
Jeroen Billiet
At the beginning of the belle époque, Belgian education was fully engaged in the first “Schoolstrijd” (school struggle, historical conflict between public and Catholic schools). Under the influence …
The academy as a mythical landscape
Yorgos Maraziotis
Yorgos Maraziotis’ artistic research Mythical Truths stems from his necessity to look into the school model as a pedagogical and cultural ecosystem where his vision of sculpture and archiving can …
FAST45 - Futures arts school trends 2045
Koenraad Hinnekint
In 2045, the world will look very different. Although we cannot predict this future, we can shape it. The question is how to prepare today for higher arts education in the future. How can we imagine …