2021-24 Curriculum vision statement
Since 2021 the TXT department operates under three big umbrellas that connect three big concepts to each of our years. Those key concepts are localities, resilience and restitution.
For the first years we focus on the idea of localities, what constitutes our local environment, local history and social and economical infrastructures? Which materials are outsourced locally, which techniques have been here for a long time? How has geography and weather influenced those textile techniques? What do we understand from Dutch heritage?
From a writing point of view, how do we shape our own inner voice? How do we learn to find a genuine approach and speak from ourselves?
During the second year the general concept of resilience comes forward. Resilience is a tricky word but we like to think of it from its meaning as something being flexible. So resilience also stands for flexibility. How versatile can we be when it comes to being critical to what we do? How can we take distance and observe and connect our personal/local quests with bigger/global questions?
From a writing point of view, how can we learn to articulate what we care for? How can we contextualize what we care for?
Lastly, when it comes to third year students we look into the word restitution. How can we care for what we have, what we know? How can we restore what’s been lost? Now that we have learned to connect with bigger questions, what needs to be done in order to rewrite our story, our histories?
First specialisation year
In the first TXT year, you will learn about conducting research and how to develop a critical view of your own work. You will develop new fabrics and concepts and learn to put them in context. You will be challenged to experiment with both materials and techniques, and you will learn to formulate a research question. You will conduct research individually or with others on a shared subject. This research may result in a joint film or (digital) publication. The fields of research may be body-related or space-related. Apart from all the making and testing, there will be a great deal of reading and writing to help you learn to develop and express your own thoughts and ideas. Writing lessons will help you to develop your use of language. You will have group discussions as well as individual talks and guidance with feedback from other students; workfloors (reflective and editorial seminars); excursions; fieldwork projects with artists in residence; lectures.
Second specialisation year
The second year is about refining and deepening your own work, and defining your position as a maker and a researcher. You will work independently on projects – a shared issue project and an individual project. How can you relate to the world and engage through your work? Collaboration with students from other departments will be encouraged. Studio 2 is developed to identify various networks and to assist students with preparing for and finding an internship. You could also opt for a research trip instead of an internship. During the first semester, an exchange is possible. In preparation for writing an essay in the third year, you will further develop your skills for writing and analysing texts.
Third specialisation year
After the internship of two months, you will write an essay. The essay is an important part of the third specialisation year. This essay will help you to reflect on your work in a bigger context; it forms your own lexicon. Together with the team, you will develop a publication of the essays. You will build a website and, of course, you will also spend much of this year working on your final presentation of ideas, materials and artefacts. Together with a curator / guest tutor and the other students, you will curate your graduation exhibition.