Call for Proposals | Temporary Department 2027–2029 Sandberg

Sandberg Instituut invites artists, designers, researchers, makers and educators to propose a Temporary Department, for which they would take on the role of Head of Department for the period September 2027 – July 2029.  

The Archive 

For this edition, we are looking for proposals that engage with the archive as a contemporary artistic, social, political and pedagogical framework. Traditionally understood as a repository of records, the archive is increasingly recognised as a site of power, selection, memory, erasure and imagination. Archives shape how histories are told, whose knowledge is preserved, and what futures become possible. At the same time, archives are no longer understood as static collections, but as living, contested and generative processes that can be activated, reinterpreted and transformed through contemporary practice.  

Today, questions around archives and archiving are everywhere. Cultural institutions are critically reassessing their collections and histories, particularly in relation to colonialism, restitution and representation. Digital infrastructures and data storage increasingly shape everyday life, raising questions about access, ownership, bias, labour and environmental impact. In this context, the archive is no longer simply a place where knowledge is stored, but a site where knowledge is produced, negotiated and contested.  

For artists, designers and researchers, the archive can function not only as a subject of critique, but also as a material and methodological field: something to work with, against and through. It offers possibilities for embodied and performative forms of memory, collective and community-based knowledge practices, digital and algorithmic archives, counter-archives that resist categorisation, and speculative approaches that reimagine histories and futures. The archive thus emerges not as a fixed theme, but as a framework that connects body and system, memory and projection, past and future.  

We are interested in proposals that approach the archive as a dynamic, contested and generative form through which to connect past and future, body and system, memory and knowledge, exploring the archive as a living practice.  

Possible starting points include:  

• Archives as sites of resistance, repair and restitution.  
• Embodied, oral and performative archives.  
• Collective and community-based archives.  
• Digital, algorithmic and AI-driven processes.  
• Counter-archives and practices of refusal.  
• Speculative archives and future-oriented forms of memory.  
• Creative practices that activate, reinterpret or transform existing archives.  
• The politics of preservation, access and knowledge production.  

We are looking for proposals that articulate a compelling approach to the archive, as well as a clear and connected pedagogical vision. How might collective research unfold over two years? How can a programme support both shared inquiry and individual trajectories? What forms of learning, experimentation and exchange does the topic invite?  

In addition, we also encourage proposals that include partnerships with external organisations (museums, social archives, artist-led initiatives, community organisations and research institutions) where questions of preservation, access, restitution and reinterpretation are actively being negotiated. 

About the Temporary Department format  

Temporary Departments offer a full-time two-year master's study that bring together a cohort of students and tutors around a specific field of inquiry. They are research-driven, experimental and collaborative learning environments that emerge from the established body of artistic, design, curatorial, theoretical or social practice that the Head of Department brings to the context of the Sandberg Instituut. For students, successful completion of the Temporary Department curriculum leads to a Master in Fine Arts and Design accredited by the Dutch and Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO). 

We ask applicants to familiarise themselves with previous Temporary Departments here. This will provide insight into the scope and possibilities of the Temporary Department format.  

Position and Resources  

If your proposal is selected, you would take on the position of Head of the Temporary Department. This position is on a freelance basis and is equivalent to approximately two days per week over two academic years (September 2027 – July 2029) + allocated hours for the development of the curriculum (October 2026 – July 2027). The approximate daily rate for this position is € 553,60.  

 The Temporary Department will be supported through:

• A budget for core tutors and guest contributors.
• A dedicated department coordinator + administrative support.
• Institutional infrastructure and guidance during the development and implementation of the curriculum.

Who Can Apply  

Applicants should:  

• Have experience in teaching and education.  
• Be able to develop and coordinate a clear educational framework and learning trajectory for a two-year MA curriculum.  
• Be interested in developing and delivering a curriculum rooted in their own research and practice.  
• Have excellent communication and leadership skills necessary for the role of Head of Department.  
• Have experience working collaboratively and across disciplines.  
• Be committed to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.  
• Recognise and respond to diverse access needs, perspectives and modes of learning.  
• Be based in the Netherlands or willing to relocate for the duration of the programme.  
• Have an established independent professional practice and be registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK).  
• If applying from outside the EU, hold a valid Dutch residence and work permit for the duration of the appointment. 

Selection Process 

To keep the process accessible and to minimise the workload for both applicants and the institution, the selection will take place over two rounds.  

For the first round, please submit the following to td@sandberg.nl 

Deadline: 17:00 on Sunday, 5 July 2026

1. Temporary Department Proposal (max. 500 words)  
Describe the proposed Temporary Department, its central questions and how it connects to your ongoing research or practice. Outline how this research could be developed collectively within a two-year master's curriculum.  

2. Networks and Collaborations (max. 200 words)  
Describe existing and potential collaborators, organisations and networks that could support and strengthen the Temporary Department.  

3. Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)  
Outline relevant experience in teaching, research, creative practice, curriculum development and/or organisational work.  

Following the first-round selection, shortlisted applicants will be invited to further develop their proposal and present this during an interview. A modest fee will be provided for this second stage. Applicants will also receive support in developing a detailed understanding of the budget, workload, organisational structure and practical requirements.  

Timeline  

5 July 2026 Deadline for first round applications  
15 July 2026 Notification of first-round selection  
Shortlisted candidates develop their proposals further for the second round 
16 September 2026 Interviews with shortlisted candidates  

For questions or additional information, please contact: td@sandberg.nl