More than half of the AHK alumni start as self-employed entrepreneurs immediately after their study, and many students already work as a self-employed person during their study. In addition, many alumni work with short employment contracts. An entrepreneurial attitude and knowledge of entrepreneurship are essential for a successful career, within and outside one's own discipline, as a self-employed person and / or in a hybrid professional practice.

Successful entrepreneurship implies continuous meaningful and profitable interpretation of the profession within a changing labor and art market. Fair practice forms the basis: our alumni know how to organize their own professional practice in a sustainable way: as an employee, self-employed person or entrepreneur with a small or larger company.

Building a career in arts and culture
Students get to know the professional field through guest lessons, visits to institutions and events at school. They gain practical experience through internships and projects. In addition, attention is given to study career counseling, students learn how to organize their own work and they receive lessons on starting an (independent) professional practice.

AHK Starterscafé: (Free) workshops on entrepreneurship
At the AHK Starterscafé, you’ll learn how to manage your professional affairs effectively. Every Monday evening, students, alumni, and other interested individuals can attend extracurricular workshops focused on the business side of artistic practice. The workshops take place at the AHK Culture Club on the Marineterrein and are free for AHK students and recent graduates. Other participants pay a small fee.
Check out the full list of workshops here.

BeroepKunstenaar
Part of the budget that is made available by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science as a result of the abolition of the basic grant is used for additional offerings in the field of entrepreneurship. Building on this and in addition to the courses on entrepreneurship in the curricula. For example, the AHK supports, in collaboration with partners, students and alumni, the preparation and development of the students to work at the (global) labor market. They can also use the online knowledge base BeroepKunstenaar and they can participate in additional courses and training when they need it.

Community of Practice (CoP)
Many art schools are working hard to further integrate (creative) entrepreneurship into their curricula. To share best practices and make it easier to connect with one another, the AHK, in collaboration with HKU and ArtEZ, has established the Community of Practice on Entrepreneurship in Higher Arts Education — commonly known as the KUO CoP. Members of this network connect via LinkedIn, and several national gatherings are organized each year.