This is the first of two last end-of-season posts, and with fantastic news: I am more than happy to share that the board of Fontys University of Applied Sciences has officially decided to continue the professorship and research group Artistic Connective Practices! This means that we will be able to continue our work on socially engaged artistic research, and to build further towards more body in our research work, as well as continuity with our projects and partners.
Immense thanks go to our dean René Bosma, and our previous dean Karen Neervoort, who both gave me and the team the freedom, space, and trust to develop the professorship through the emergent strategy that we felt was necessary. Also to the board, in particular Arian Steenbruggen, for the trust in our work and the work of the research centre Creative Economy.
Overall, we will continue our research lines in the coming four years, and develop them further towards more substantial and sustainable practices. Next to the research lines Communities, Care, and Youth we will continue and strengthen our engagement within the institution, the connection with the study programmes and the research environment at the Academy of the Arts.
On top of this, we are preparing projects that engage with two of the most pressing complex topics of our time: climate change / climate justice and the ever-advancing racism in The Netherlands, Europe and beyond. Due to the complexity of these topics, these lines will mostly develop within the research centre Creative Economy, in collaboration with my brilliant colleagues Danielle Arets, Arthur Kok, Tessa Cramer, Bart van Bezooijen and Pieterbas Lalleman.
Together with the whole team, I cannot wait to take this work further towards the coming four years.
Falk Hübner 