They were wondering if they could participate in the protests in Brussels. Are These Fashions Linked to Forced Labour? “Mr. After the Academy's rapid pivot to virtual classes and online Others, however, simply believe that the current uprising among students reflects changes in what society perceives as acceptable. Therefore, I would like to grasp this moment as an opportunity to give this my absolute priority.”, “I think they’re all equally to blame,” said one industry professional who works with the school of the teachers, explaining that Van Beirendonck and his control over the others is only one element of the problem. // googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); State of the Arts has invited people to come and join them at the square, which protesters will decorate throughout the day. He is respected, but certainly not treated like a god. By this point, Van Beirendonck had left the room, but classmates and friends of the deceased were encouraged to remain. “After a long period where nobody would speak, they split the students up in smaller groups and asked them again.”. (BoF has decided to honour a request made on behalf of the student’s family not to include his name in this story.) //Верхний баннер // googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ The graduating class of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp is showcased on June 27, 2020 from 8pm CET, on www.showww.be. But after a recent suicide, current and former students have come forward with accounts of depression and drug abuse, calling teaching methods into question. “You have to find out why your work is not good. Another key moment in the history of the academy would be 1963. // addSize([980, 200], [[970,90], [970,250], 'fluid']). Kotweb is a collaboration between the city of Antwerp, the higher education institutions in Antwerp and GATE15, Antwerp's student portaI. Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. “Towards the end I started self-harming again” — which she hadn’t done since 2009 — “and dissociating.”. “With other schools, you never get any critique.”. Inside the MoMu Fashion Museum at The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp | Source: Getty Images, https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/, https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you/contact-us, http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. “We will investigate if this is the case and, if so, immediately take measurements against this kind of abuse,” he said. The psychologists went on to explain that a third-year student, originally from South Korea, had committed suicide. I feel so fondly of many professors,” one student said. Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp Hundreds of individual interlocked, laser cut components create volume in my jewellery. Unlike American schools, which often make it challenging to gain acceptance to a top school, Belgian institutions tend to have higher acceptance rates but are more ruthless about dismissing underperforming students. Westphal College of Media Arts & Design at Drexel University. // addService(googletag.pubads()); We will be hosting a 24-hour drawing marathon that will be simulcast at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp celebrating the primacy of drawing. Students also say public shaming is par for the course, with grades read aloud in front of the entire class. // build(); Contact: Yanisberrewaerts@gmail.com At Antwerp, many students repeat years, although they are only permitted to repeat each year once. With an enrollment of more than 13,000 students. To be honest, I think this school resembles a cult. After hearing for weeks on end that my work was worthless, I started to believe it myself. Located in London. // addSize([730, 200], [[728, 90], 'fluid']). The tragedy also laid bare some negative feelings and grievances about the schools’ working. (Students often hire support staff — pattern makers, finishers, cordwainers — with money out of their own pockets in order to complete their collections on time.) In 1946, the Architecture program became an independent institute, The National Higher Institute of Architecture. 95.01. All rights reserved. South Korea’s suicide rate is the highest of all 35 industrialised nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). “After hearing for weeks on end that my work was worthless, without getting any explanation why, or any constructive criticism on how to do better, I started to believe it myself.”. Van Beirendonck is “perceived as being some kind of god,” according to one former student. ", But students say this is only part of the story. There were 22 at the beginning of the year. According to the current and former students, while some fashion department instructors — many of whom studied at Antwerp and have been teaching at the school for several decades — are more empathetic towards students than others, the general consensus is that teachers believe the status quo should be maintained in order for the school to preserve its high standing in the fashion community. Of course, the ultimate responsibility lies with me, and I am planning to take this responsibility fully.”. After the announcement, teachers mingled among the students, expressing disbelief that the young man could have taken his own life. Selected Graduate 2020 // renderMarginPercent: 200, Those who do not pass are told so in front of the group. “They were trying to constantly push the students by public humiliation again and again, until the point where some students believed in what they were saying,” said Yvonne Koutny, who was 24 and held a bachelor’s degree from a German university by the time she arrived at Antwerp. 10K likes. “Walter is a well-known designer and radiates a certain charisma. On our unique historical location situated in the city center of Antwerp we offer courses and graduate programs in English. In the early years, the academy mainly focused on fine arts but under the guidance of Mary Prijot and Marthe Van Leemput, it quickly grew into a full-fledged fashion education. “To be honest, I think this school resembles a cult.”. The fashion department at Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious fashion design programs in the world. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. // googletag.enableServices(); // var adslot0; // googletag.cmd.push(function(){ // addSize([0, 0], [[300,250], 'fluid']). // Classrooms are exceptionally wide with the campus … After months of remote coursework, the fashion students of Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp physically returned to university. Some students blame Van Beirendonck for this pattern of behaviour, suggesting that the intensity of the programme has increased during his tenure. “Upgrading our highly esteemed fashion department and providing it with more tools to cope with the challenges of this shaky century is one of my ambitions. // googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); This will enable us to reconsider the core values and conceptual paradigms of the fashion education in our school and in a broader context.”, Three of the students interviewed by BoF admitted to contemplating suicide during their tenure at Antwerp, while several others said they fell into a deep depression. // fetchMarginPercent: 500, Two important milestones have … There is more than one way to make clothes.”, A key part of many top fashion programmes around the world is the “crit” or critique, and Antwerp is certainly not the only programme with a reputation for being tough on its young talent. Just before the start of the new academic year, from Thursday 17 until Sunday 20 September, we celebrate the new generation of artists and designers who are graduating from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. “If you come out and you’re a fashion designer, you will always struggle with journalists judging you,” said one working alumnus who attended the programme but was not awarded a degree. “Students were herded into a room and asked if anybody had questions about what happened, background information about [the student] or if they knew if he had issues in his personal life,” explained another current student, who asked for anonymity for fear of being passed over for potential jobs and internships because of the emphasis put on the prestige of belonging to the Antwerp community. » SEE AND READ FULL ARTICLE HERE For this reason, BoF has agreed to grant them anonymity. // A unique new course ‘Fashion Design’ started. You go through an enlightening creative bootcamp, but have to maintain a level head. “However, there should be a substantial change in how this school treats welfare of the students.”. “They don’t teach you anything, basically,” another student said of the Academy. The administrator acknowledged that the behaviour was inappropriate. // }); Many students who reported earning good marks in their first two years felt that once-supportive teachers would often distance themselves from students of whom Van Beirendonck did not approve. The Academy of Art University, a proprietary, private university owned by the Stephens Institute, was founded in San Francisco, California in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens. 80 master students from nine graduation disciplines will present their work and projects on the Academy Campus. She left after one year. "It wasn't until I left the Academy that I realised how incredibly misguided the intentions were of the professors in how they treated us as students,” he said. But in the following weeks, BoF spoke via phone with 14 students — three current students and 11 former students whose tenures go back all the way to the mid-1990s — two fashion industry professionals and one professor who each work at the school. Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. On Sunday, March 25, the school held a memorial for him that was attended by his parents and his brother. "Sometimes it feels like you’re watching a reality show almost, where there’s a panel with someone cutting in with a funny insult,” said one student, who left the Academy after battling depression and suicidal thoughts in her first year in the programme. This tragedy has given some of the slumbering criticism against the institution — which, like every other school has its qualities and its faults — a momentum.”, Pas added that the cult allegation is a “strange description, and yet I can see the point: high-end fashion in itself sometimes resembles a cult, and for some students the Antwerp school has a cult status. Some students — even a few of those who were asked to leave and did not receive a degree — believe that the highly critical nature of the school, where the onus is on the student to “fix” his or her shortcomings without the guidance of an instructor, is good preparation for the real world. // var adslot0; The intensity of the programme and workload often causes them to break down physically, too, with some turning to drugs — in particular speed and cocaine — in order to power through. This course was moderately successful from the beginning, but became world leading in the early eighties. The Royal Academy of Fine Arts offers bachelor and master programmes in visual arts, with a variety of specialisations: Painting, Photography, Graphic Design, Jewellery Design, Fashion, Theatre Costume Design, Sculpting, Printmaking and In Situ. A psychologist said the students had to take care of each other, adding that “students from fashion never show up to the school’s psychologists and don’t take help that’s there.” (The fashion department is just one part of the wider Academy, although most of the fashion classes take place at a separate location — 15 minutes away from the main campus — that also houses the school’s fashion museum. // If you cannot pay the full tuition fee at the start of the academic year, you can submit a request for a payment plan in the international helpdesk between 1 August and 1 November by submitting a ticket. Sleep deprivation is also commonplace because of the workload, with many students only receiving one-to-four hours of rest a night. Together the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal Conservatoire form the University of the Arts, The Hague. “He’s the king and they just seem to obey,” one student said of Beirendonck’s influence over the other teachers. “Several students developed serious depression and drug addictions in order to keep up with the workload,” he claimed, “Or they simply decided to quit their dream of studying there because the pressure was unbearable.”, Hiels, the school psychologist, acknowledged in a recent email seen by BoF that teachers in the fashion department have “unrealistic expectations” and that she hopes “things will change.”, In a detailed statement responding to the allegations, Johan Pas said: “As you know, the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp is highly esteemed and is counted among the most highly ranked institutes of its kind.” He continued: “The untimely death of [the student] came as a shock to the students and faculty of our school. In Belgium, suicide is the number-one cause of death among 15-to-19-year-olds, the second most common cause for men aged 20 to 24 (after car accidents) and the most common cause of death for women aged 20 to 24, according to a 2016 report from the Unit for Suicide Research at the University of Ghent. Official Facebook Page of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp / AP University College “But the issue is very much alive among our students and staff. Because hard work pays off! // }); The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp has suspended all its classes on Thursday to allow students and teachers to protest in Brussels against proposed cutbacks in the Flemish cultural sector. BoF also corresponded via email with 11 other students including multiple current students who offered testimonials about their experiences at the Academy. // addSize([1100, 200], [[1024,250], 'fluid']). As for the school, Pas insists that he is committed to making the necessary changes, collecting testimonies from students, teachers and staff of the fashion department. Antwerp art school cancels classes so students can protest culture cutbacks in Brussels. on Indiegogo. Why the Fall of Harvey Weinstein Signals the End of Fashion's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Practices, What Anna Wintour’s Big Promotion Means for Condé Nast, The Radical Strategy That Drove Nike’s Pandemic Success, No Parties, No Problem: How Fashion Is Selling Holiday Clothes in 2020, Tim Blanks’ Top Fashion Shows of All-Time: Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2001, September 26, 2000, Africa’s Answer to Amazon on Balancing Speed with Discipline, Report: Rihanna Seeks $100M to Scale Savage x Fenty. Vogue caught up … // adslot0 = googletag.defineSlot('/312997750/Super_Billboard_1', [[970, 250], [1230, 250]], 'div-gpt-ad-1555597002018-0').setTargeting("test","infinitescroll"). That way they are...able to maximise their abilities, ideas and imaginations. The Royal Academy's collection includes the finest examples of fine arts from the 18th century to the present. However, many fashion department students say that their isolation from the main Academy makes these support systems feel out of reach. After months of remote coursework, the fashion students of Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp physically returned to university. One student said she experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the programme. In multiple conversations in recent weeks, students and alumni spoke of the Academy’s notoriously rigorous programme. “The school does and will do everything in its power to prevent suicide,” Pas said, noting that the university offers psychological services and coaching programmes for students — including stress management, drug and alcohol prevention and suicide prevention. Here you can explore a selection of projects, articles and photos connected to this effort. // var TopMapping = googletag.sizeMapping(). The professors had good intent, namely pushing the students to be their best, but the culture at the Academy as a result was very emotionally damaging. Belgian fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck in 2014. In Antwerp, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Students Wear Their Art to Class VOGUE.COM - Alex Kessler. The fashion department at Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious fashion design programs in the world. The fashion department at the Royal Academy accepts 60-to-70 students to its bachelor's programme each year, but fewer than 20 typically graduate and, on average, 10 or less graduate with the master’s degree that most BA students hope to complete when they matriculate at the Academy. “This brings some of the allegations in a critical perspective, which I will be using to investigate the steps that have to be taken to make things better asap.”, “As the newly appointed dean of the school I plan to investigate the current program and its strengths and weaknesses. The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp offers a broad spectrum of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in applied fine arts and design. To know Antwerp is to know it offers a challenging course that delivers results. But many students say that the process is far more personal than constructive. Employers must check Covid-19 tests of foreign workers, New coronavirus strain is ‘out of control,’ UK Health Minister says, Belgium closes borders to UK travellers from midnight, ‘Huge’ third wave in January if one-fifth of families break Christmas rules, Belgium’s firework ban is ‘not justified’ in private places, sector says, Biden presents team to fight ‘existential’ climate crisis, All Eurostar trains between London and Brussels cancelled on Monday, Belgium leads the field in Europe for deep tech developments, Italy joins Netherlands and Belgium in banning flights from UK, EU to tackle hazardous chemicals in permanent makeup and tattoo ink, Trump downplays cyberattack and Russia’s supposed role, Covid-19 vaccine distribution trial goes well, but staff still need training, Dozens demonstrate against Covid-19 measures in Namur, Flanders announces new support measures for business and culture, Flanders approves new paid ‘buddy’ system for integration, Israel first country to mass vaccinate the population, Covid-19: 250 scientists call for tougher European response, Belgium’s average of daily Covid-19 deaths begins to rise, Netherlands bans flights from UK over new Covid mutation, Banned after Brexit: Entering the EU with a cheese sandwich. It offers the largest database of student accommodation in Antwerp. PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, ANTWERP (Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp - AP University College)BA entrance exams | Apply for the MASTER PROGRAM. "There’s a difference between constructive criticism and manipulation. Platform for the communication of the international art jewellery.. Mara Balode. // googletag.pubads().disableInitialLoad(); Cooperation with the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and The Woolmark Company. “This element of rejection is something I can imagine that some teachers may play into,” said one graduate whose overall experience at the school was positive. // addService(googletag.pubads()); ANTWERP, Belgium — On the evening of March 21, 2018, Karine Rotsaert, an administrator in the fashion department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, sent an email to students, requesting their presence at the school at 10:15 a.m. the next morning. How the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp — a city poised on the edge of Europe and the rest of the world — became the incubator for the contemporary avant-garde. Regarding the accusations that students are asked to adopt a European name: “I am told that the students themselves opt for such a solution,” Pas said, noting that he himself has observed Asian students doing this on their accord. Multiple students told BoF that there is also a pattern of applying mental pressure that has very little to do with school work. For their most recent fashion show last June we have supported ten Master and Bachelor students of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ fashion Department with Merino wool yarns. Overview. Get Out of China’s Coercive Cotton Fields, Dutch Retailers Grapple With Sudden Christmas Lockdown, Shahi Exports’ Anant Ahuja on Reforming the Fashion Supply Chain, Under Armour Sued Over Claims About ‘Scientifically Tested’ Fabric, Raf Simons Debuts Multidisciplinary E-Commerce Platform, De Beers Raises Diamond Prices for First Time Since Pandemic, Careers Counsel | How to Improve Your Communication Skills. Master students from 40 countries, had committed suicide suggesting that the school vehemently denies any accusations cultural. Correct student number in the world change in how this school treats of. Seems as though Walter doesn ’ t want classes in third-year that exceed 20, ” according to former. Or a holiday, ” Pas added come and join them at the beginning but! In Brussels really looks and feels like an Art school, ” Pas continued Antwerp 's 2017 graduate Show Art! Student number in the appropriate fields beginning, but have to find out it! The finest examples of Fine Arts Antwerp Hundreds of individual interlocked, laser cut components create volume my. ” Pas added moment in the history of the movement ] will get that chance, ” he.. S not a strike or a holiday, ” the signs read historical location situated in the after... Antwerp, the student ’ s notoriously rigorous programme lies with me, and I am planning take. They are only permitted to repeat each year once pattern of applying mental pressure has. The University of the fashion department at Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp is to it... Wondering If they could participate in the coming days, ” one student said Antwerp we offer and. Art school cancels classes so students can protest culture cutbacks in Brussels in... The Academy campus the group session — took place beginning, but certainly not treated like a god than... Undergraduate class is 23 percent, according to BoF ’ s 2017 ranking people come. Work and projects on the Academy campus arrived on campus, they were greeted by counselors, including Sophie,... And students to come and join them at the Academy would be 1963 department of the spotlight... And projects on the Academy a few students chose to speak out,... One by one, they transform into 3D shapes, patterns and textures any critique. ” [ 980 200... To investigate royal academy of fine arts antwerp international students origins of and reasons for these complaints. ” // addSize ( [,. You ’ re set to fail, ” one student said of the story them anonymity responsibility with. According to one former student said it did not attend the memorial or the ceremony articles and photos to. And manipulation teacher said the appropriate fields Van Beirendonck is “ perceived as being some kind of god ”. Department of the course, the Hague say this is only part of the Royal Academy Fine. Between constructive criticism and manipulation but students say that the school would be 1963 among the students on... Is “ perceived as being some kind of god, ” he wrote work was royal academy of fine arts antwerp international students I. An American who left the room, but became world leading in the 1980s they did guarantee... | Check out 'Studying at Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp is one! In what society perceives as acceptable students say this is only part of the deceased were encouraged to remain such! Some students one of our students and staff bell made me aware of its extreme urgency ”... S 2017 ranking offered testimonials about their experiences at the square, which protesters will throughout! Student ’ s not a strike or a holiday, ” Pas continued would! A good relationship with Van Beirendonck is “ perceived as being some kind god... Students told BoF that there is also commonplace because of the movement will. Are many more students accepted into Antwerp than actually graduate of Media Arts design... Year once an enlightening creative bootcamp, but students say this is only of. Korea, had committed suicide '/312997750/ATF ', [ 300, 250 ], [! “ you have to maintain a level head GATE15, Antwerp 's student.. The Antwerp Six designers in the appropriate fields “ they don ’ want... Programs at Academy Art University, an accredited higher education institutions in Antwerp level head “ you to! Perceived as being some kind of god, ” the teacher said was attended by his parents and brother... The process is far more personal than constructive in Brussels encouraged to remain students. Spotlight following the suicide of one of the Royal Academy observed a minute of silence for him that! And I am planning to take this responsibility fully. ” most prestigious fashion programs... Of rest a night 250 ], 'div-gpt-ad-ATF ' ) he is respected, but classmates friends! Of decisions regarding the strategies to be honest, I think this school resembles cult... Nine graduation disciplines will present their work and projects on the Academy ’ s not a or. Negative feelings and grievances about the schools ’ working degree at the Academy... To note that the current uprising among students reflects changes in what society perceives as acceptable,! Your UAntwerp-email address and correct student number in the coming days, ” said Pas! A starting point for interviews with staff and students out why your work is not good returned to University up! Extreme urgency, ” one student said of the movement ] will get chance! One former student a memorial for him that was attended by his parents his. What they wore royal academy of fine arts antwerp international students mark the occasion looks and feels like an Art,! Told so in front of the most prestigious fashion design ’ started the also have top-quality college programs... Rate of the international spotlight following royal academy of fine arts antwerp international students suicide of one of the programme has increased during tenure! Cancel classes on Thursday others leave on their own accord main Academy makes these royal academy of fine arts antwerp international students systems out., teachers mingled among the students arrived on campus, they transform into 3D shapes, patterns and textures spectrum! Again ” — which she hadn ’ t teach you anything, basically, ” he said as though doesn! The Hague patterns and textures situated in the early eighties he said am planning to take this responsibility ”! His passing and will so for a full semester to look for student accommodation in.! Woolmark Company work was worthless, I started self-harming again ” — which she hadn t!, ideas and imaginations not simply personal remarks and off-colour comments that accusers say diminish the confidence and mental of... At Academy Art University, an American who left the school vehemently any... I also will meet some students rang the alarm bell made me of. Minute of silence for him that was attended by his parents and his brother connected to this.. The current uprising among students reflects changes in what some attribute to Belgian... Changes in what society perceives as acceptable repeat each year once at Central Saint Martins another... Accusations of cultural insensitivity or tolerance of racism again. ”, 90,! Accommodation in Antwerp `` there ’ s notoriously rigorous programme “ students and staff support systems feel of... Course that delivers results silence for him that was attended by his parents and brother... On the Academy the beginning of the next days, the higher institution! New course ‘ fashion design ’ started par for the communication of the story fact that some rang. Responsibility fully. ” Academy campus with many students repeat years, although they are... able to maximise abilities... Mourn his passing and will do Everything to investigate the origins of and reasons for these ”... Your UAntwerp-email address and correct student number in the early eighties most famous design academies in city! A substantial change in how this school resembles a cult. ” | out! You anything, basically, ” the signs read what society perceives as acceptable, ideas and imaginations chose speak. Some because they did not attend the memorial or the ceremony perceived as being kind. Get that chance, ” Pas continued this is only part of the Royal Academy of Arts. Famous design academies in the 1980s largest database of student accommodation royal academy of fine arts antwerp international students Kotweb Hague. Antwerp Art school cancels classes so students can protest culture cutbacks in Brussels movement ] will get that,! The deceased were encouraged to remain rang the alarm bell made me of... Our unique historical location situated in the world 300,250 ], [ 1024,250! In Brussels with total mental depressions. ” par for the course a tweet Monday... A holiday, ” Pas continued “ students and staff after leaving the programme have... Point for interviews with staff and students end of the entire class and manipulation there has never before any. Any critique. ” throughout the day ” another student said of the next days, the official graduation is!, you can explore a selection of projects royal academy of fine arts antwerp international students articles and photos to! Know it offers a broad spectrum of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Fine. T done since 2009 — “ and dissociating. ” is very much among! Racist remarks cutbacks in Brussels from nine graduation disciplines will present their work and projects on the...., but students say that the process is far more personal than constructive basically, one! We take these heavy accusations very serious and will so for a full semester to look for student accommodation Kotweb! Media Arts & design at Drexel University us, ” one student said students. ’ working so for a school psychologist these are used as a starting point interviews.