Special trajectory – ‘Speccie’

At the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) you can take art courses at the same time as your secondary education. You join an ongoing program of our preparatory courses as an external student. This means that you follow a special route as 'speccie'.

You can become speccie if you are in a high school, but then there must be a reason that you did not choose an art plan school before. For example, a reason that you are not at an art plan school may be because you are used to a different type of school, for example a so-called ‘vrije school’, Montessori or international school. If this is the case and you want to become speccie, customisation will often be required, because the schedules of your own school and the schedules of the lessons at the KABK do not always match.

As a speccie, you join the lessons of the art plan schools or the School for Young Talent. Where possible, it is examined with the own school to what extent participation in the preliminary phase can be fitted into the regular school programme.

A fee is payable for this form of participation, depending on the number of lessons/days taken.

After obtaining a HAVO or VWO diploma, a student can apply for admission to the KABK. Participation in combined education does not guarantee admission to a bachelor's programme at the KABK.

Admissions procedure

There is an admission procedure for participation in combined education and the KABK. Intermediate entry is possible. For admission you need to make an appointment for the consultation hour via voortraject@kabk.nl.

Admission consists of showing work and an interview. During this meeting you bring your portfolio. This is a folder/collection created with self-made work. This contains as many works as possible, for example: drawings, sketches, digital work, designs, models, images, photos, videos, clothing, textile expressions, constructions, tryouts, experiments, unfinished work and paintings that you have made on your own initiative. We also find it interesting to see a visual diary in which you note sources of inspiration (from the world around you and the world of the arts), ideas, plans, experiences and insights. You can also bring a laptop on which his or her videos, photos or other digital products can be shown.

You are expected to show what you have been doing on a creative level with this work. In addition, creative ability, motivation, interest in the world of the arts, ideation, individuality/originality, ability to grow, diversity and handling of materials and techniques used are aspects that we look at during admission. During the meeting, all these aspects are discussed and we look at where we can link up with the existing lessons that are given at the School for Young Talent or one of the art plans. After admission, it can also be decided that you will come back, with or without a follow-up assignment, if it turns out that it is not yet possible to join one of the existing preparatory courses on an artistic level.

How to combine with secondary education

Because the schedules of the academy and the schedules of their own school vary every year, we ask speccies to contact the coordinator at the beginning of the school year to coordinate a possible schedule for that year. For example, it can happen that a speccie takes the Drawing/Painting course on a Thursday afternoon for one school year and the other year takes the same course on a Wednesday afternoon. You have the option of taking one or two courses per week.

You can find the costs for combined education here.

After admission, a speccie can only be placed if approval is given by an authorized person from the own school for following the lessons at the KABK and related activities of the programme.