St. Joost School of Art & Design

Operating under Avans University of Applied Sciences, St. Joost School of Art & Design is a studio-based Dutch art academy with campuses in Breda and 's-Hertogenbosch. Tracing its roots to the 1812 establishment of the Royal and Imperial Academy in 's-Hertogenbosch, the institution combines traditional studio crafts with contemporary digital arts research and media production.

Studio Culture and Hybrid Making

The academy structures learning around an open-studio model designed for continuous peer critique and self-directed projects. Rather than separating digital disciplines from physical media, St. Joost co-locates virtual production, VR/AR, 3D visualization, and interactive media alongside workshops for printmaking, film, wood, metal, and ceramics. Material research is further supported by the Material Incubator Lab, run in partnership with the Centre of Applied Research for Art, Design, and Technology (CARADT).

Undergraduate Pathways

Undergraduate study divides into narrative and research-led pathways across the two campuses:

• Illustrated & Animated Storytelling (Breda): Focuses on visual narrative mechanics, character design, and the development of an individual authorial voice. Students participate in minor programs and masterclasses with industry story artists and screenwriters.
• Photography, Film & the Digital (Breda): Examines the intersection of still photography and moving image, using digital workflows for documentary and fiction projects.
• New Design & Attitudes (Breda and 's-Hertogenbosch): Centers on iterative material experimentation, prototyping, and spatial design.
• Art & Research (Breda and 's-Hertogenbosch): Explores autonomous fine art practice, performance, and cross-disciplinary interventions.

Master Institute of Visual Cultures

Postgraduate programs are centralized at the 's-Hertogenbosch campus under the Master Institute of Visual Cultures (MIVC). Its flagship Master of Animation is an intensive 12-month, 60 ECTS professional degree catering to practicing animators and graduates seeking deeper contextual and technical development.

The curriculum progresses through five study periods organized around four continuous threads: Storytelling & Design, Producing, Positioning and Research, and Professional Practice. Studio work spans both digital techniques and physical methods, including hands-on cameraless animation on film stock. External collaboration is integrated into coursework through student commissions with organizations such as Submarine, Nickelodeon, and the Amsterdam Academic Medical Centre, alongside involvement with festivals including Playgrounds, Graphic Matters, and BredaPhoto.