Hello Rebecca, last fall you were invited as an expert to contribute to the program of Blurring the Lines - International Conference on Photography and Education, at European Cultural Centre in Venice. Photography has evolved since its invention, and the use of different processes and tools goes along with its evolution. The event aimed to reflect on the medium of photography asking where photography is going nowadays. Now before sharing your thoughts about the topic and scenario, could you briefly introduce your role now at Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam (WdKA) and what are the main drivers within your motivations?

RS: I teach 1-3 rd years at the Photography Department and I coordinate the 1st year students. I also teach a course called Groundwork (practical research), coach students in their project, and cover part of their entrepreneurial learning. I like to motivate students to have a critical look at what, how and with whom they want to communicate. There are so many artists and photographers out there sending, I believe one has to know what they add to the conversation, what the right form for it is to reach the intended audience. I also love editing together with students;  getting to the core of the work, discovering connections, and pulling out the best of it.

© Blurring the Lines Exhibition and Meeting on Photography and Education, at HKU - Utrecht School of the Arts, The Netherlands, 2020

© Blurring the Lines workshop curated by Rebecca Simons with students at HKU - Utrecht School of the Arts, The Netherlands, 2020

© Rebecca Simons attending Blurring the Lines International Conference on Photography and Education at European Cultural Centre, Venice, Italy, 2019 

With regards to the specific WdKA course you have introduced in Venice what are the main assets and elements that distinguish it?

RS: The interdisciplinary character at our school is quite unique. Next to the major (in my students' case photography) the students also pick a practice that becomes the minor that they graduate in. The choice is between autonomous, commercial, or social. The practice studies are interdisciplinary meaning that students from all departments at the academy work together.

At the photography department, we encourage the students to go beyond conventional photography to investigate how the medium is used today. They do get technical training and learn how to work with analog photography but they may also use found footage or consider screenshots to be their photography.

© Rebecca Simons guest teaching at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki, Finland, 2019

© Brainstorm for El-Art on how to support entrepreneurial learning for artists.

In your experience as an educator, what are the main challenges students face today in their studies? Any lesson learned to share with us?

RS: There is so much info, technological possibilities, and platforms out there. The students are often overwhelmed and finding their own path when it’s not paved for them is not easy. I try to encourage students to define clear goals and aims with their work, and let form follow content. If you know what you want you will figure out what you need instead of getting overwhelmed by all possibilities. But I also believe that there should be time for play, to take time to just explore without a goal in mind so accidents and new ideas can emerge.

Beyond WdKA, you have worked for the World Press Photos education department. Could you tell us more about their role, and what type of education environment and activity you were involved in?

RS: Between 2009-2016 I worked at WPP education department as a producer and project manager, and last year as interim manager. I was responsible for all the books, exhibitions, and online productions that were produced as outputs from various projects that we set up with the education department. At that time we worked a lot with capacity building together with local partners to set up educational programs for visual journalists around the world. Stories of Change was one of the most interesting productions I worked on together with visual journalists from north Africa. They captured grassroots stories looking at how and if the Arab Spring had brought change to their communities. This project encouraged in-depth storytelling that went beyond the images called for by the news media. I also coordinated the annual Joop Swart Masterclass for a few years, which was a great learning environment bringing together young talent from all over the world with key players in the photography industry.

© Rebecca Simons introducing World Press Photos' activity

© Stories of Change celebrates authenticity in visual storytelling. It offers a unique, intimate perspective on everyday life in five North African countries: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. World Press Photo Academy ran a two-year training program for young photojournalists, to support them in advancing their storytelling skills. The photographers were encouraged to develop their own story ideas—ones that grew out of their personal knowledge of the region, that explored contemporary issues and reflected on lives in a time of revolution. More info on the book here.

Critical thinking and intentional debate are important assumptions when it comes to photography. How can we help students develop awareness and consciousness with regards to the use of images, the existing media, and their future career?

RS: I think it starts with understanding that you need to go beyond consuming information to verify and evaluate your sources. It’s also about investing enough time for researching what is out there to start positioning yourself as a maker. The information age has opened up for dialogue beyond geographical borders, genres, and disciplines. This provides endless possibilities, but also requires good filters to form good opinions and qualitative work.

Communication technology plays an important role in the career of image-makers. With this regards how important is to have a formal education addressing these virtual scenarios? Also, can you explain more on the strategy played with Transformations and El-Art, supporting entrepreneurial learning for artists?

I think it’s equally important for photographers to learn about new technology as it is to understand where photography came from. It’s impossible to master everything, but having a good understanding of what the possibilities are and to know where to look for collaborative partners is the key.

Transformations is a research and educational project that I’m now running with some of my former colleagues from the education department at WPP. This project was initially set up by Viewbook with whom I spent 1,5 years researching changes in photography through interviews, brainstorms, and by assigning guest writers to write on the topic. The first part of the project is bundled in a book called: Transformations, Exploring Changes in and around Photography. We are now continuing to facilitate this dialogue through various activities from arranging teachers seminars to setting up collaborative labs and workshops.

© 'Transformations': Photography Platform Brainstorm, Schiedam, The Netherlands, 2017

© 'Transformations' brainstorm at Paris College of Art, 2017

© 'Transformations. Exploring Changes in and Around Photography', Viewbook, 2018
© 'Transformations. Exploring Changes in and Around Photography', Viewbook, 2018

© 'Transformations. Exploring Changes in and Around Photography', Viewbook, 2018

El-Art (Entrepreneurial Learning for artists)  is another baby of mine that I have spent a good 10 years on. The project has seen many forms and phases mainly funded through European funding. Together with art schools around Europe, we have been looking for ways of encouraging entrepreneurial learning for artists especially through cross-disciplinary collaboration. We also produced a field guide and game for artists called Creativity as a Career that can be used in the classroom or by creative individuals.

© Rebecca Simons introducing 'El-Art (Entrepreneurial Learning for artists)'

© El-Art (Entrepreneurial Learning for Artists) is set up to help integrate entrepreneurship in European art schools through the development and distribution of teaching material and training programs for teachers and students. The aim of the program is to help art schools give their students the entrepreneurial skills necessary to thrive before they enter the working arena. The material Creativity as a Career produced by El-Art is also suitable for starting creatives who are looking to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills.

Beyond your teaching activities, can you tell us more about your artist's career? Tell us about your personal research?

RS: My intention originally was to work fulltime as an artist/photographer but quite quickly after my graduation this was put on hold as I got into teaching, editing, and producing. After I quit WPP in 2016 I decided to pick up my work again and I have since then been working on a long term project called Letters from The Past that is tackling the topic of sexual abuse within the family. The transmedia and cross-platform project consists of an installation, film, and educational program. What started with a personal story now has a larger goal of opening up for a wider more nuanced discussion around the topic and reducing stigma associated with victims of abuse.

© Rebecca Simons, installation view of 'Letters from the Past'

© Rebecca Simons, installation view of 'Letters from the Past' 

© Rebecca Simons, installation view of 'Letters from the Past'

And how you manage to combine your artistic career with your professional duties at school?

RS: At the moment I work two days a week at Willem de Kooning and two days a week as a creative director at Fotomat, which leaves three days for my artistic practice, Transformations and other projects. Next to that, I have a full-time job as a mom (and good enough partner). It’s not always an easy balance especially now when all the routines are broken during the COVID-19 isolation. But I count myself very lucky when my only complaint is a shortage of time. 

Can you suggest any interesting book for students that are willing to approach an academic programme in visual arts? And why?

RS: For photography students, I still think that Barthes, Sontag, Tagg, Berger should be part of the reading, but I think that should be mixed with more diverse and contemporary voices and ideas. In our Transformation book, for example, there are some great contemporary thinkers and writers, one of my favorite articles comes from Tanvi Mishra, in which she questions if the digital revolution can shift the power dynamics in photography. But also look for input beyond photography, find your niche interest and geek out, listen to podcasts, watch Tedtalks, read newspapers, set a google alert. My bookshelf, for example, is full of memory theory and I binge-listen storytelling science podcasts.

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LINKS
Rebecca Simons personal website
Letters from the Past
Transformations (book)
El-Art (Entrepreneurial Learning for artists)
Urbanautica The Netherlands