Kunstpodium T is a platform for young artists. We started in the autumn of 2007 and are based in Tilburg, the Netherlands. Creativity, exchange of knowledge and experiment are central keypoints. Young national and international artists meet eachother and talk with peers and experts. They continuously bring their own identity as artists to a higher level. The starting point of this is the concept of ‘lifelong learning’. Learning and development does not restrict itself to the regular educational system: after graduation, development continues. Kunstpodium T guides art talent from primary school up to the postacademic development of the graduated artists on a way to a life as professional and renowned artist.
The support of this concept of lifelong learning is moulded into a number of projects that we host. Central to this is our Apprentice Master project. Newly graduated artists from the Netherlands and from abroad, the apprentices, are paired up with renowned artists: the masters. The selection of the art talents comes together with help from the art academies. The apprentices are paired into groups; with their master they engage into conversation about art. The project concludes with an exhibition on one of the affiliated locations in the Netherlands. In 2017/2018, the five exhibition locations are Kunstpodium T in Tilburg, TAC in Eindhoven, Concordia in Enschede, Moira in Utrecht and Expoplu in Nijmegen.
Another project that we facilitate is ARTpart. This project focuses more on the professional development of the artist as independent cultural entrepreneur. All sorts of relevant skills will be dealt with: financial insights, time management and presentation. There is also attention in this community for artistic content, like peer critic sessions or lectures. With the project ‘de Nieuwe Vincent’ (the new Vincent) starting art talents from primary schools in the province of North Brabant are getting the opportunity to make their first steps in the art world.