DAE celebrates 2023’S Bachelor Graduates
As a dedication to the achievements of this year’s BA students, the event saw the DAE community come together in a festive mood with a gathering of students, tutors, studio leaders, academy staff and, of course, graduates and their relatives.
The ceremony was kicked off by Joseph Grima, Creative Director of the school, with a welcome to the new BA graduates into the alumni community, referencing the special bond the academy likes to foster with former students.
Grima highlighted the quality of this year’s collection of graduation projects, addressing the challenges students currently face as designers dealing with an increasingly uncertain future: “This generation is a testament to what we are capable of in the face of hardship, an example of living up to the challenges that we are facing as humans”.
He also announced that DAE and the municipality of Eindhoven have signed a letter of intent to move the school to a new home at the Microlab building in Strijp-S by 2027. Even though the move is not yet fully confirmed, both parties are committed to ensuring that the academy can grow in a new, larger space within Eindhoven.
Janneke Schreuder, Head of Bachelor Programme, gave special recognition to the fact that this year’s graduates have been involved in the last stretch of a transitional phase happening within the Bachelor programme: “Compliments to the graduating students who have shown their adaptability to a dynamic context by shifting from a department model to a studio model during their studies”. The recognition was extended with a significant mention for the DAE teams who have worked to make such a change possible.
The audience then cheered for the cum laude honorees as they were announced. Ten Bachelor graduates were awarded the distinction: Alissa Guilloute, Bela Bezold, Jonah Attalla, Lotte Wigman, Lola González, Lucien Nicou, Pierre Salaun, Sakshi Jain, Thibaud Henique and Willem Zwiers.
A similar excitement was sparked as the nominees for the Melkweg Award and the René Smeets Award were being announced.
In line with the tradition to collaborate with the broader DAE network, alum Hattie Parker was commissioned to create the illustrations for this year’s BA graduation event. The work has been featured in the event’s graphics as well as in bespoke sweaters that were gifted to BA graduates.
The ceremony culminated with the signing of diplomas by BA graduates, followed by a heartwarming toast with their loved ones and representatives from across the entire DAE community. This celebratory gesture marked the symbolic end of their student phase and the exciting beginning of their journey as DAE alums.
