Education
EDUCATION CENTRE
As the main sponsor of the Rijksmuseum’s Education Centre (Teekenschool), Fonds 21 supports the development and delivery of workshops, theatre productions, courses and study programmes for primary and secondary schools. In 2023 this funding organisation started also developing programmes that focus on young adults and students in vocational education.
Fonds 21 is an enterprising and socially engaged fund. It supports projects that enhance the opportunities of young people to make a positive contribution to society today. The Fund has been closely involved with the Education Centre since its founding, working with us to add value and substance to society.
LEARN TO LOOK BY DOING
The motto ‘Learn to look by doing’ runs through everything we do at the Education Centre. We offer a wide range of mostly child-focused activities, workshops and courses at our Rembrandt Studio, Vermeer Studio and the new theatre .
Through their contribution, Fonds 21 is investing in a high-quality and accessible offer of education in the arts.
‘The Rijksmuseum wants to connect young people with art and history, using forward-thinking educational programmes to enrich their museum experience. We are delighted that Fonds 21 shares our ambition is making the activities at the Education Centre possible.’
Taco Dibbits, Director of the Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum believes in creativity for all. At the Education Centre we encourage our visitors to explore and develop their creativity through a focus on the Rijksmuseum collection. It’s all about learning through personal curiosity and discovery – through drawing, painting and photography, and through the history of the 17th century.
JUNIOR EDUCATORS
The Education Centre is also home to the Rijksmuseum’s Public and Education Department. Support from Fonds 21 EXTRA has enabled us to appoint four two-year trainees over the period 2022–2025. The Rijksmuseum is using this programme to train people from a variety of cultural and other backgrounds to facilitate their progress to positions within the museum or at other cultural organisations. As part of our efforts to generate valuable exchanges of knowledge and experience, we selected trainees from new target groups that the Rijksmuseum wants to connect with. The Rijksmuseum is developing with the target audience, rather than for it. The Rijksmuseum and Fonds 21 are working together to foster talent development and knowledge exchange in a more inclusive sector.
‘Fonds 21 believes that art and culture should be accessible to all. The Rijksmuseum traineeships reflect our conviction that input and engagement from this new generation is vital if we are to connect with a young and multi-vocal audience.’
Henk Christophersen, Director of Fonds 21
Vocational Education and Training
No museum can survive without creative and technical expertise, and the Rijksmuseum collection is the ideal source of inspiration for a range of vocational education programmes (MBO). Since 2019, a full-time member of the Rijksmuseum’s education team has been dedicated to vocational education and training, developing study programmes for this specific target group. As a result our offer of Dutch workshops and tours now serves all vocational courses and levels – from furniture making to security guarding to nursing.
The Rijksmuseum holds the annual ‘Document Nederland Junior’ photography competition for vocational students, and we select ten entrants who receive masterclasses and the opportunity to present their work in a group exhibition at the Rijksmuseum. In a separate project, ten students in vocational education made work for the 2024 summer exhibition Point of View, under the guidance of photographer Bete van Meeuwen. The display of their work, which formed the closing segment of the exhibition, comprised ten self-portraits in which each of the photographers showed what ‘gender’ meant to them. Their photographs and other visual material capturing the development of the display can be viewed online until 30 June 2025 and in the foyer of the Education Centre.
YOUNG ADULTS
The Rijksmuseum is working intensively to connect with future museum visitors at a young age. Through our Rijksmuseum NEXT initiative we offer a range of activities to young adults up to the age of 40, connecting a new generation to art, culture and each other. And in 2023 we appointed a Young Adults manager to actively engage and connect with the 18-30 age group, with the aim of making the Rijksmuseum collection relevant to young adults and developing activities and materials for them. Our research and programmes focusing on vocational students and adults is supported by Fonds 21.