What do you understand as peer-to-peer learning?

Peer-to-peer learning is the basis of the interaction and how we work in THIRD. In short: learning from and with each other towards another way of knowing and doing.

Peer to peer learning for us means collaborative learning and mutual support amongst peers, based on the idea that we learn with and through those who accompany us throughout our search, building a platform for exchange based on understanding, care, and partner attention. Acknowledging the diversity of backgrounds, experiences, aesthetics, or knowledge formations you bring to THIRD, peers facilitate each other’s development by committing to follow each other's trajectories, offering support, feedback, and mutual interlocution. The degree of involvement is fundamental to establishing a fair and horizontal exchange of information in the accompaniment of respective practice-led researchers. Peers accept to be accountable for their own as much as each other’s development.

How does the tutor structure work?

Two tutors follow, facilitate, and help structure the 4 annual quarterly meetings, as well as provide one-to-one tutoring sessions with the fellows along the duration of the programme. They support the individual needs and trajectories and are responsible for the practical organisation of the quarterlies. Tutors function as conduits to the larger institutional structure of the Academy of Theater and Dance lectorate and can support when it comes to further academic outreach.

Tutors at the moment are: Siegmar Zacherias and Gustavo Ciriaco (year 4 + year 6) and Emilie Gallier and Rajni Shah (group 5).

SELECTION

Do you need a Masters degree to enter THIRD?

No, one does not necessarily need a Masters degree to enter THIRD. The program welcomes applications from all experienced practitioners seeking to conduct practice based research, including artists, producers, curators, educators, facilitators, designers and other professionals working in the field of the arts. Read more on who is it for:https://www.atd.ahk.nl/das-research/third/

Does participation in THIRD ensure a diploma?

No, participation in THIRD does not ensure you an official diploma. When finishing the trajectory you will receive a certificate of participation.

How are people selected?

The selection procedure consists of two rounds. They are:

1. We first ask you to fill out a short application form and submit a 5min video or sound file, answering the following questions: What is your research-practice or the questions you are bringing? Why do you apply? Why do you need THIRD?

Here a pre-selection will be made and a smaller group will be invited to the next stage.

        2.a)          Ask all participants to send us something of their practice (image, video, text, audio) and be clear that the selection committee will only spend 15 minutes with each offering, so choose something simple that you feel conveys your practice. Less is more!

b)         You are invited to participate in an online workshop where we will engage with facilitation techniques of the quarterlies in groups of 7/6. They are hosted by the tutors of THIRD. You are invited to share your research as practice and react to other research-practices. At this point we will also ask you to articulate what kind of support you will need in order to participate in THIRD.

After this round a group of 7/6 fellows will be selected.

Who will be part of the selection committee?

The committee include: Siegmar Zacharias and Gustavo Círiaco (who both will be the tutors of the new group). Bita Bell and Panagiotis Panagiotakopoulos (both current THIRD fellows), Laura Cull Ó Maoilearca (lector Academy of Theater and Dance) and Paz Ponze (independant curator and creative producer)

How many people applied for THIRD in previous selection processes?

THIRD had had several people applying from different areas of interest in the previous selection processes. Year 1 was a pilot group (no open selection), year 2 included 22 applicants, year 3 had 53 applicants, year 4 had 64 applicants and year 5 had 68 applicants. THIRD aims to select 6-7 fellows per group

How does commitment to diversity manifest in the selection process?

THIRD is committed to diversity and is invested in actualising the Lectorate’s core values of access, regeneration and care in every step of our journey with you. At the same time we recognise where THIRD needs to react to structural inequities.

As a form of commitment to this, the selection process has adopted a format that will try to make it more feasible and accessible to candidates of different walks of life. Feel free to contact us for more specific information or come to our two live sessions of Q&A before submitting  your application.

Some practical examples and considerations for you

We are specifically also inviting practitioners who are active outside the academic field.

We are asking for and are committed to meet your access needs.

We keep the selection process and one/two quarterlies online, to keep them accessible also for people outside of Europe.

During the quarterlies fellows have collective meals together provided by THIRD (three lunches and one diner per quarterly).     

THIRD as a programme does not confer a doctoral degree or diploma and therefore unfortunately does not provide a legal basis for applying for a residence visa for overseas and non-European Community candidates.

Unfortunately THIRD cannot offer a bursary program.

ACCESSABILITY & SOCIAL SAFETY

Where can I find out more about the access notes of THIRD?

THIRD is situated at DAS Graduate School (Overhoeksplein 2, Amsterdam). More information on how to get there, the opening hours and the accessibility of the building you will find here: https://www.atd.ahk.nl/das-research/contact/  

How does THIRD prioritize social safety?

THIRD is part of the Amsterdam University of the Arts. The Amsterdam University of the Arts feels it is important to emphasize that within the AHK, any form of undesirable behavior should not be left unsaid and unchallenged. Socially unsafe situations, transgressive behaviour, abuse, intimidation and such are completely unacceptable. It doesn't fit who we want to be, how we want to teach and collaborate; our university of the arts must be a safe environment for everyone.

It is very important that you go to your study or work with pleasure and a safe feeling. We therefore have a Code of Conduct for Social Safety that clearly describes the standards and values ​​that apply to our university. We would also like to point out the availability of confidential advisers  to whom you can always turn with your story and to our complaints procedure, which describes which routes you can take to report undesirable behaviour. We want to do everything we can to prevent and discuss inappropriate behavior, even if this behavior has taken place in the past. More information: https://www.ahk.nl/en/facilities/student-affairs/social-safety/

FINANCES

How much does it cost to be part of THIRD?

The yearly fee to participate in THIRD is €500, for both EU citizens and non-EU citizens. An invoice is yearly sent to you in August, payment can be done in instalments. The program is running two years, so for your total THIRD trajectory you will pay €1.000.

There is a research budget?

Yes, a THIRD fellow has a personal research budget of €1.200 per year (inclusive VAT) to be spent during their THIRD trajectory. The personal budget can be used to support one's research and can be spent on research travels, training, purchase of books and material related to your research, fees for eventual collaborators and specific supervisors, publishing, etc.

Is there financial support available for travel and accommodation?

No, there is no additional budget for travel and accommodation available. THIRD can not offer a bursary program. Three of the four quarterlies take place at DAS Graduate School in Amsterdam, one of four quarterlies is held remotely.

Can THIRD provide visa support?

No, unfortunately THIRD can not provide any visa support because THIRD is not a formal educational program. THIRD as a programme does not confer a doctoral degree or diploma and therefore unfortunately does not provide a legal basis for applying for a residence visa for overseas and non-European Community candidates.

THIRD can provide fellows with a formal, signed letter from the Academy, confirming their participation in THIRD.