SAVE THE DATE | GRADUATION SHOW 2026
Join us for the Graduation Show 2026, featuring work and projects by this year’s Bachelor’s graduates of Willem de Kooning Academy and Master’s graduates of Piet Zwart Institute.
Taking place at various locations across Rotterdam, the Graduation Show showcases the diversity of our programmes and presents the work of a new generation of graduates.
We look forward to celebrating their achievements with you.
GRADUATION SHOWS
19 June - 12 July
Piet Zwart Institute
8 – 11 July
Willem de Kooning Academy
You'll find the event locations and dates in our bio.
Want more information, stories, and the latest news?
Keep an eye on our website and socials.
Creative Direction: Albert Kozikowski @kozi.studio
Sound Design: Denzel Balois @denzelmoiz
What you don’t know about studying photography at WdKA is… it’s not just about photography.
For 4th year photography student @roehmjanmalte , the camera is just a starting point. Movement, performance, and the body take over where the image stops.
In a world where everyone can take pictures, this programme pushes you to question what an image even is and what it can become. From experimentation to performance, from research to storytelling, it’s about building a way of thinking and challenging yourself to find new ways to work with photography.
GRADUATION SERIES 2026 🎓
In this year’s graduation series, we highlight the journeys of 15 BA students as they move through the early stages of their graduation projects and begin preparing for what’s next. The interviews took place during the first phase of their process, when ideas are still forming and everything feels fresh. Rather than focusing solely on final outcomes, we focus on the thinking, experimentation, and emotions that shape their work along the way.
Check out the first three interviews with Iga Wojak (audiovisual design), Maja Slowdkowska (photography) and Nia Paleshnikova (animation) on the website (link in bio) and and swipe to see the beautiful portraits made by @ritallavina
More interviews will be published soon, so keep an eye on our website and instagram page!
WdKA asks… What is a skill you learned here that you didn’t expect to love? And how would you describe WdKA in 3 words? 💬
This series is dedicated to giving WdKA students a platform to share their experiences, ideas, and perspectives. In each episode, we ask students simple questions about creativity, campus life, or the academy.
Feel free to join the conversation and share your answer in the comments!
STUDENT DUMP | a week in the life of… Charlie
“Heya, I’m Charlie or @charlz1575
This is actually my second post of this kind; the first covered my intro week as a 1st-year back in 2023. Fast forward a bit, and I’m a 3rd De-Fine art student on my exchange semester in Sydney, Australia, studying at UNSW.
I had my final history of sexuality essay due at the end of this week alongside my typical class schedule and assignments (hence the copious library sessions). My other courses are on analogue photography and media power, and I formerly had a class called cultures of resistance. I chose to do my exchange in Sydney as I am part-Australian (but never really been here) + the university course selection allowed me to enrol in cultural/media/gender studies, areas that influence much of my practice and writing.
UNSW is much larger than WDKA, so it’s been interesting studying alongside people who study anything from engineering to law to film. The 15 minutes it takes to merely walk across campus is also quite a change. I have just 2.5 more weeks of classes for the term here (it’s flown by), and as lovely as Sydney is, I am looking forward to coming home to Rotterdam and my WDKA fam <3”
WdKA asks… What is the best advice you have gotten from a tutor? And if WdKA was a movie character, who would it be? 💬
This series is dedicated to giving WdKA students a platform to share their experiences, ideas, and perspectives. In each episode, we ask students simple questions about creativity, campus life, or the academy.
Feel free to join the conversation and share your answer in the comments!
FRAME TO FINISH | a series by @nnicoleforti
Come with Nicole and Soleil into the Fabric Station for the very first time🪡
For their Plus Weeks project, the Audiovisual Design students stepped beyond the screen to create outfits inspired by a single element: buttons. By exploring their evolution through history, with a focus on the Renaissance, when buttons were decorative symbols of status as well as functional closures, they transformed a small detail into the core of their creative vision. The project culminated in a photoshoot, bringing their historical research and contemporary designs to life.
Join @yanakrastev on one of our Station Tours! During the last open day on March 28, we hosted Tours throughout the buildings. The perfect way to get to know more about our ways of working!
Curious? We are organizing tours from 16:00-17:00 on April 16, May 21 and June 18. You can register via the link in bio.
STUDENT DUMP | a week in the life of… Ragna
“Hi! I’m Ragna (24) 4th year student in Leisure & Events Management @wdka_leisure . This week was all about observation research, so I spent a lot of time exploring different RUAS locations 👀
Right now I’m working on my graduation project about the RUAS Art Collection!! If you’re curious, feel free to send me a message @ragna.dg 💌
With classes only every other week, I really have to create my own schedule. Some days I’m at the academy, other days I’m working from home (yes… sometimes from bed 😉). But I also love going in to use the facilities, like the darkroom to develop my own film 🎞️
Besides school, I’m part of EDS where I take salsa & bachata classes 💃. We also practice in the weekends and go to socials; it’s such a fun way to stay active and meet new people. I’m also a member of Ragnar, a swimming association 🏊♀️
In the weekends you’ll probably find me at the cinema, a museum, or anywhere my Rotterdampas takes me.”
FRAME TO FINISH | a series by @nnicoleforti
Come with AV student Kamilė as she builds a window from scratch in the wood workshop, to create the set design for her @moviesthatmatterfestival teaser🎬
Her teaser insists on the necessity of looking outward in a time when polarization and individualistic self-absorption are dominating. Through the simple act of moving from a dark, enclosed space toward light and colour, it reflects on empathy, perspective, and reconnecting with the world around us.
ALUMNI WORK | New West
Jack Westerlaken and Edward van Dongen graduated from the AV programme at the WdKA in 2014. Today, the former classmates are the creative minds behind New West, a Rotterdam-based agency founded in 2019 that tells stories through film, photography, and animation, always from a human perspective.
“At New West, everything revolves around connection. We help brands bring their stories to life visually, in a way that resonates, engages, and sticks. Our team of makers, strategists, and designers amplifies content so that it stands out in the noise and leaves a lasting impression.”
Swipe to see some of their work and check the link in bio for the full interview.
