This was the editorial board’s fourth open call and we are very grateful to the students, tutors, alumni and workshop specialists who applied to run a platform. Thank you for the work and time you put into writing your applications. Each year the proposals pose complex and interesting research questions and exciting content, and this year we were particularly impressed by their professionalism and ambitious nature.
It was a pleasure to discuss them all, and each year we notice both a repeated interest in certain topics and questions as well as new and unpredictable ones. It is always exciting to read about the ideas that are occupying people across the academy, and to notice the overlaps, tensions and urgencies that arise. Some topics that came to the fore during this round were: embodied learning, crafting and community, body work and performance, the delivery of writing and the moving image.
This year we decided to fund two platforms, and are delighted to announce them and watch them continue with their compelling and valuable work, which will no doubt continue to benefit the academy and the discourses it stimulates. We always encourage those who were unsuccessful to join our feedback sessions, and, if suitable, to apply again in the next round, which will be announced in the autumn semester.
The following is an overview of the two new platforms, Cranberry Juice and Bring Your Own Book, that will be starting in September 2023.
Cranberry Juice
An initiative that has been active since January 2021 that aims to tackle the underrepresented topics of medical misogyny and inequalities relating to contraception and sexual health. In their work as a platform they will also address related topics such as hormonal transitioning and the pain gap, through bridging the space between art and activism and thinking collectively and politically through art. They will organise a communal meeting group and invite a variety of guests to speak on relevant topics, ranging from textile designers, medical anthropologists, sex educators and philosophers.
Bring Your Own Book
Founded in 2021, BYOB is an interdisciplinary programme on self-publishing, activated through events, lectures, workshops and book fairs, all creating a platform for DIY printed matter made by students, alumni and associates of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and the Sandberg Instituut. During their time as a platform they will focus on developing a programme around publishing that provides people with the tools and resources to grow their publishing practices. Alongside this they will organise a series of workshops and lectures, and release a website and a publication for archival purposes.