Codarts & de Doelen formalise and deepen their collaboration
Codarts University of the Arts and concert and congress building de Doelen are formalising and deepening their collaboration.
Whereas their relationship was previously most tangible in the physical connection between their buildings in the heart of the city, the two organisations are now taking a next step. In a strategic partnership running until at least 2030, they aim to connect education, professional practice and research more closely. At the same time, they want to increase their joint significance for audiences and the city. In doing so, the partnership aligns with a broader development in the Dutch cultural sector, in which collaboration, accessibility and social relevance are becoming increasingly important.
Early introduction to professional practice
With the renewed partnership, the connection between the two organisations is broadening. It is no longer just about sharing spaces and facilities, but above all about bringing education and professional practice closer together. For Codarts, this means, among other things, a stronger link between the curriculum and professional practice, and more opportunities for internships, commissions and professional experience.
Codarts Chair of the Executive Board David Lauwen says:
"Professional practice is already a strong part of our education. With de Doelen, we are broadening that network and giving students extra opportunities to gain experience on a major stage in the city and to come into contact with professionals from the field."
Space for new artistic ideas
For its part, de Doelen gains a more structural connection with new generations of makers, performing artists and arts teachers, and wants to create room for new artistic ideas and forms of presentation.
Edo Righini, General Director of de Doelen, states:
"For us, it is valuable that young talent not only performs on our stage, but can also practise, experiment and meet audiences here. That keeps us, as a venue, in motion and gives us room to develop new ideas right here in our building and share them with the city."
Bringing together art and wellbeing
Research also has a prominent place in the partnership. Within the Arts & Wellbeing research group, Codarts conducts research at the intersection of performing arts and mental and physical health, for example involving people with personality disorders or neurodegenerative conditions such as Korsakoff's and Parkinson's. The collaboration with de Doelen offers new possibilities for this, partly through its direct relationship with audiences and the city. Illustrative of the importance of this is the Delta Prize that professor and research group leader Janine Stubbe of Codarts previously received for her groundbreaking research into the physical and mental health of performing artists.
Cultural richness
Ultimately, with this partnership, Codarts and de Doelen also want to contribute to a stronger Rotterdam cultural ecosystem.
"We want to make the best possible use of our shared foundation in the city. It should become an open cultural place where students and teachers as well as professional makers and visitors can meet. That means that, throughout the day, (public) rehearsals, concerts, conferences and research will increasingly take place alongside and intertwined with one another. In this way, we make Rotterdam's cultural richness more visible and accessible to a broad audience," say David and Edo.