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It was an eventful year at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague. A study showed that the atmosphere at school is unsafe and the quality of education is substandard. The 41 photography students who will graduate soon decided to organize a benefit art sale together. Half of the proceeds will go to the Center for Sexual Violence.

Senior photography Maria Kniaginin-Ciszewska (23) remembers the mysterious message well. On October 29, 2020, director Marieke Schoenmakers sent an email to all students, teachers and employees. She informed them that a publication was expected in NRC about a former student. "I thought it would be good to send you this message before NRC (…) publishes, so that the publication does not come as a surprise." In the e-mail, the director refers to the contact details of the student counselor and the confidant.

Immediately all app groups of the academy went loose: who would this be about? Two days later, it turned out that former student Julian A. was accused of violence, sexual assault and rape. Shortly afterwards, KABK teachers were accused of misconduct and abuse of power online. Clara Berger (27), classmate of Kniaginin-Ciszewska, says, "People were frustrated and angry. Pandora's Box was opened."

The storm has not subsided yet. In March, director Schoenmakers resigned after a critical report was published. This month, the KABK reported that two teachers who were temporarily at home after they were accused of misconduct on Instagram, may return. One of them has already announced that he does not intend to do this.

"This school is very demanding," says Kniaginin-Ciszewska, looking back on her academy days. "That's the art school vibe, it's no secret: everyone wants to be the best and there is a lot of stress and tension. People work long hours. Some stop eating and sleeping, forgetting who they are. I taught myself to stand up for myself, to protect myself."

She came to the KABK from Poland, because the academy is highly regarded internationally. Berger came from Germany to study in The Hague. Was she surprised by the results of the study? She answers cautiously, in recent months she has tried to focus her energy mainly on her graduation. What she recognized from the research is that the art academy did not have the well-being of students as its top priority: "As if the reputation of the school is more important, it invested in chic furniture in the canteen, for example."

Fellow photography student Saskia Risseeuw (58) found the atmosphere at school strange from the start of her education: “For example, that alcohol is sold in the canteen.” And a lot is stolen: “You can't leave anything lying around.” Risseeuw says the lessons are “sometimes not very stimulating”. She hopes for improvement now that the report has called for training in didactics: "Teachers can learn from each other how things can be done differently."