The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Ghent (KASK) and the Netherlands Film Academy (NFA) work together with partners Ensa in Bourges, France and the Edinburgh College of Art within the one-year English-taught postgraduate program EPAS (European Postgraduate in Arts in Sound). The admission deadline for the 2022-2023 edition is June 1, 2022 The study program runs from September 2022 to July 2023.

About EPAS
EPAS is organized every second year and its main aim is to stimulate sound as an artistic expression. The program aims to contribute to knowledge about the importance of sound and offers space to experiment with new forms of sound expression, with an emphasis on the combination of a theoretical and artistic approach to sound practice.

Ben Zijlstra, Sound Design study leader (until 2021) at the Netherlands Film Academy, was involved in the development of the training and explains: 'Most film literature only talks about the image content. Unbelievable, because the interpretation of the image has everything to do with the sound that can be heard. If you look at the same image without sound, the cinematic illusion falls apart. If you change the sound, the story also changes immediately.'

Who is the training intended for?
Ben Zijlstra: 'Someone who wants to follow the training will have to present a research question. I assume that they are people who want to develop their practice further, after having worked for some time in the field. This often leads to questions or the feeling that you are leaving your full potential untapped.'

The training is certainly not only for sound designers, but also for makers from other disciplines. The program is also not exclusively aimed at former students of the cooperating institutions. The ambition is to attract interested parties from all corners of Europe or even the world. 'The intention is that the composition of the group is so diverse that students reinforce each other,' says Ben.

Practical
Each year, a maximum of 12 students (with at least a bachelor's degree) are admitted after presenting a relevant research question. During the training, students and lecturers travel back and forth between the various European institutes. On www.epasound.org you will find all information about the admission and the program.