Codarts

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File:Kruisplein CodartsRotterdam.jpg
The headquarters of Codarts (Kruisplein, Rotterdam).
File:Circus Fenixloods foto Seppe Dankers.jpg
De central hall of the circus building: the Fenixloods II (Katendrecht, Rotterdam).
File:Wmdc&grounds 087 DxO WMDC gebr.jpg
The WMDC (Delfshaven, Rotterdam): one of the three Codarts buildings.

Codarts Rotterdam, university of the arts, trains talented and driven dancers, musicians and circus performers to become dedicated and inspiring artists, leaders and facilitators, ready to spread their wings in a dynamic, international context. Codarts is a vocational university, situated in the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It has about 1,000 students, of 50 nationalities, and around 340 staff members.

History

Conservatories and dance academy (1930 - 1940)

The history of Codarts goes back to the Rotterdams Conservatorium voor Muziek (Rotterdam Conservatory of Music), popularly called the Conservatorium Holthaus (Holthaus Conservatory), after its founder Jos Holthaus (1879-1943). In 1930, the alternative Rotterdamsch Toonkunst Conservatorium (Rotterdam Performing Arts Conservatory) was founded, with composer Willem Pijper as its managing director. The Rotterdamsche Dansschool (Rotterdam Dance School) opened its doors in 1931. This school offered the first official dance programme in the Netherlands and was founded by dancer/choreographer Corrie Hartong and dancer/teacher Gertrud Leistikow. During its early years, the dance school was part of Conservatorium Holthaus. In 1935, the Rotterdamse Dansschool transferred to Pijper’s conservatory.

Fusion during wartime (1940 - 1945)

The buildings of the dance school and the main building of Pijper’s conservatory were hit during the bombing of Rotterdam on May 14, 1940. Subsequently, the decision was made to fuse the Pijper and Holthaus conservatories to form a single institution. Classes would, where possible, continue at different locations in the city. Until the passing of Holthaus in 1943, the conservatory was managed by two directors.

International university (1945 - present)

Rotterdam Conservatory

After the war, the conservatory and the dance school collectively grew into an internationally appraised institution that offered a wide range of disciplines. Pijper’s successor, John Daniskas (1947-1954), installed a ‘programme for music teachers for high school education’ at the conservatory, as well as a specialisation programme for orchestral musicians. In the 1960s, the conservatory added the ULO-school for Ballet and Music; presently the Havo/vwo voor Muziek en Dans (High School for Music and Dance) – one of the preparatory courses of Codarts. The Light Music department was founded in 1978 and was expanded to include several specialisation programmes, such as Flamenco guitar, Indian Music, and Argentine tango. The Rotterdam Conservatory was the first Dutch conservatory to offer a World Music programme. With its great diversity of specialisations, this programme is truly unique in the world. Over the past few decades, the conservatory (currently the Music department) has been expanded to include new programmes such as Music Theatre and a Master of Music.

Rotterdam Dance Academy

The Rotterdam Dance Academy, which evolved from the Dance school of Corrie Hartong, was headed by ballet teacher Nel Roos from 1961 to 1970. Drawing from her good contacts with dance companies and dancers from the United States, she convinced American dancers Nelle Fisher and Sheldon Ossokovsky to join the ranks during the early seventies. Roos’ successor, Lucas Hoving (1971-1978), had previously worked as a dance teacher at the Juilliard School in New York. He further implemented American influences at Rotterdam and was a supporter of modern trends in dance that centred on dancers’ receptiveness to new ideas and influences. Under his authority, components such as dance expression, jazz dance, and folklore dance were added to the programme. During subsequent decades, the Dance Academy, currently the Dance department, increasingly focused on internationalisation. Nowadays (2015/2016) choreographers and teachers from all over the world host (guest) classes. Students intern with professional dance companies from all over the world, such as NDT2, Scapino Ballet, Conny Janssen Danst, Norrdans and Club Guy & Roni. Apart from the Dance (performance) programme, the current Dance department includes a Bachelor of Dance in Education, a Master in Dance Therapy and several preparatory courses.

Rotterdam Circus Arts

Starting in 2006, Codarts became the first vocational university in the Netherlands to offer a college-level Circus programme. One of those involved in the early development of the programme was Jan Rok Achard, an internationally renowned circus historian who was instrumental in founding the National Circus School in Montreal. The Codarts Bachelor programme of Circus Arts is primarily focused on contemporary circus arts. Besides its offering of circus specialisations, the programme also includes training in theatre techniques, dance, music, and urban/hip hop. Students perform during events and festivals such as Rotterdam Circusstad (Rotterdam Circus City), Theatre de Koopgoot, and Circo Circolo. Former students work with various professional companies, including Cirque du Soleil (Canada), Seven Fingers (Canada), Gandini Juggling (England), Tent (the Netherlands), Acrobatic Theatre Corpus (the Netherlands), Wintercircus Martin Hanson (the Netherlands) and Circus Sijm (the Netherlands). The Circus Arts programme is a member of the European Federation of Professional Circus Schools (FEDEC).

Nowadays (2015/2016), the Circus, Dance, and Music departments collectively make up Codarts Rotterdam. The university has three locations: Kruisplein (headquarters), WMDC (in Delfshaven), and Fenixloods II (at Katendrecht). The current Executive Board is composed of Wilma Franchimon (president) and Samuel Wuersten (member). The Supervisory Board consists of Sijbolt Noorda (president), Rudi Wester (member), Gerry Oosterbaan (member) and Laurens de Graaf (member).

Programmes

Codarts Rotterdam includes the following departments and supporting programmes:

  • Music department:
    • Preparatory courses: Havo/vwo voor Muziek en Dans (High School for Music and Dance), Juniorenklas (Junior class), Vooropleiding Muziek (Preparatory course in music).
    • Bachelor progammes: Music Theatre, Music in Education, Classical Music, Jazz, Pop, World Music.
    • Master programmes: Master of Music, Master of Education in Arts.
  • Dance department:
    • Preparatory courses: Havo/vwo voor Muziek en Dans (High School for Music and Dance), Juniorenklas, A-klas, Schakelklas.
    • Bachelor programmes: Dance (performance), Dance in Education.
    • Master programmes: Master in Dance therapy, Master of Education in Arts.
  • Circus department:
    • Preparatory course in circus, Bachelor of Circus Arts.

Mission and vision

The mission of Codarts runs as follows: Codarts Rotterdam trains talented and driven dancers, musicians and circus performers to become dedicated and inspiring artists, leaders and facilitators, ready to spread their wings in a dynamic, international context. This mission is founded on six concepts that together make up Codarts’ vision: Craftsmanship, Self-Management, Diversity, Inquisitiveness, Sustainability, Connectivity.

  • Craftsmanship: Codarts combines the oldest traditions and the latest trends in its professional arts education, which is based on international standards. Students immediately apply everything they learn in projects, performances and concerts.
  • Self-Management: Codarts regards students as self-conscious designers of their own future. From the very start they learn to both take and share responsibility. This means that everything is focused on developing their personal artistic identity to the greatest effect.
  • Diversity: Codarts is firmly rooted in Rotterdam and has always been passing on the most divergent cultures, styles and disciplines to new generations of performing artists who indeed see the world as their operational field.
  • Inquisitiveness: Codarts is a research-oriented community where ideas and questions are developed, exchanged and evaluated. This takes place in a constant collaboration between professors, teachers, students and external partners. At Codarts, doing follows naturally from thinking and the students are explicitly challenged to engage in both.
  • Sustainability: Codarts prepares students for a professional life that may last dozens of years. Therefore, students are coached intensively in developing and maintaining their health, resilience and flexibility.
  • Connectivity: Codarts is the link between talents and the international professional field. In the end, everything is about connections. Connections between artist and colleagues, between artist and audience, between artist and society. Obviously, the international professional field comes to Codarts to scout talent. Aside from that, Codarts is in close contact with numerous local, national and international organisations in order to make those talents be seen and heard outside its own walls as well.

Codarts Research

The Codarts research community consists of professors and their research team, the PhD students and the research teachers. Master students conduct research and bachelor students are trained to familiarise themselves with basic research principles and required skills.

The research agenda of Codarts consist of three programmes:

  • Excellence and Wellbeing: conducting research on the physical and mental strain encountered by dancers, musicians and circus artists that influence their performances. With the professorship Excellence and Wellbeing Codarts intends to improve the quality and duration of student careers;
  • Performance Practice: conducting research on concepts and methods that enable the possibility to reveal the art processes stored in the tacit knowledge;
  • Innovation in Education: conducting research on new ways of transferring knowledge and the accessibility of education in arts for young talents.

Online education

The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has made money available for an annual incentive to promote Open and Online Education, to be offered in four instalments until 2018. The Codarts-project Music Theory Education Online was granted a subsidy in 2015 [1]. With this project, the current offering of music theory courses at the Music department is being transformed into a blended learning environment. The main goal is to develop a means to improve study results, as well as improve access to the curriculum.

The Music Theoretical Education Online project builds on a pilot from 2013 and 2014, which saw the development of digital training for admission candidates. The project fits into a wider strategic framework. Innovation in Education is one of the primary research directions of the university, which will start off with a lectureship in the academic year of 2015-2016. This lectureship will focus on new digital methods of knowledge transfer and will be offered in consultation with the Delft University of Technology.

Locations and Facilities

Headquarters

The Codarts headquarters (Kruisplein 26) are located at walking distance of the Rotterdam Central Station. The headquarters house the following programmes: Music Theatre, Music in Education, Dance, Dance in Education, Classical Music, Master in Dance Therapy, Master of Music, Master of Education in Arts, and the preparatory courses in dance and music – including the Havo/vwo voor Muziek en Dans (High School for Music and Dance). The headquarters are situated next to concert- and congress building de Doelen, with which Codarts maintains close ties. Music students regularly perform at de Doelen in orchestras, ensembles, or solo performances. Furthermore, students are offered the possibility to collaborate with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra during their study. The Rotterdamse Schouwburg is also located at walking distance of the headquarters. Bachelor of Dance students present their annual performance Talent On The Move here every year. Within the university’s building, students can make use of a music and ensemble room, practice spaces and ten dance studio’s.

WMDC

The multidisciplinary WMDC (World Music & Dance Centre) building is located at the Pieter de Hoochweg (nr. 125). Here, the Jazz, Pop, and World Music programmes are housed. Codarts shares the building with the SKVR (centre for arts education) and podium / café GROUNDS, where students regularly perform. The WMDC building has several recording studios, a professional stage and practice spaces available for Codarts students. Additionally, students can make use of The Basement; an underground space with practice rooms. The Basement is situated at walking distance of the WMDC.

Fenixloods II

The Fenixloods II (Veerlaan 19F) houses the preparatory course in circus and the Bachelor of Circus Arts. The Circus Arts department has its own building, located at the Rotterdam harbour. Students have access to a practice space (the central hall), as well as dance studios and a fitness- and massage room. Fenixloods II also houses Circus Rotjeknor, one of the largest youth circuses in the Netherlands.

Notable (former) teachers (selection)

Current overviews of the teaching teams per programme are available at the official Codarts website. [2].

Notable alumni (selection)

Sources

External links

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