Organisation

The reorganisation of the organisatiestructuur van de Kunsthal in 2014, attuned to the renewed business model, has worked well and this structure has remained unchanged. In 2015 the organisation was faced with three changes of key positions due to the attainment of retirement age, the natural cycle, and pregnancy leave. This has led to an even higher pressure of work on the relatively small Kunsthal team. Fortunately all these posts had been filled by 1 March 2016.

A new head of exhibition production began on 1 January 2015: Waldemar Galama. He was able to work for three months together with Jan Moerer who, as a member of the Kunsthal staff from the first, after an enormous span of 22 years in service, had reached retirement age. After four years, education officer Marieke van Oudheusden has welcomed a new challenge with the Lansingerland local authority, so that Johan Gielen with deep roots in education was able to take over her post in September as the new Education and Public Service officer. After nine years, exhibition curator Jannet de Goede has taken a step further as conservator in the Kröller Müller Museum. The procedure for a new exhibition curator began in the autumn and has continued for a long time, so that Hester Schölvinck was taken on as freelance curator to prepare the exhibitions for the spring of 2016. After the summer, the Marketing and Communication department received part-time extra support from project officer Natalya Boender, whose activities included collaborating on the implementation of the new website and covering the pregnancy leave of one of the curators.

As the members of the supervisory board sit for a limited period, in 2015 we took our leave of three highly appreciated members: Ms Nebahat Albayrak, Mr Ben Vree, and Mr Richard Zijderveld. We are very grateful to them for their enormous dedication over the years; it is partly thanks to them that the Kunsthal Rotterdam is what it is: a very dynamic, always surprising, cultural icon of our city. In 2015 candidates for two of the three supervisory positions were proposed to the city council: Ms Bianca Tetteroo (member of the board of management of Achmea) and Mr Steven Lubbers (CEO Hollandia). They were both made members in 2015 and we are delighted with their arrival. At the beginning of 2016 a decision will be taken by the supervisory board on whether and when the third vacancy will be filled. The other members of the board are: Mr Arjan Schakenbos (chair), Mr Peter Drion, and Mr Vincent Mentzel. They perform their task without payment.

Public officers

The Kunsthal is supported by a team of volunteers led by a coordinator. These volunteers are not used to replace paid staff, but to provide an extra service to visitors to the Kunsthal. The public officers offer a warm welcome, inform the public about the exhibitions and activities, answer all queries and assist visitors with special needs. They also distribute educational material to families and receive school classes. Would you also like to work for the Kunsthal as a volunteer? Go to: http://www.kunsthal.nl/nl/over-de-kunsthal/organisatie/werken-bij-de kunsthal/publieksmedewerkers/ and contact us

Auxiliary staff

At the end of 2015 it was decided to transform the contracts with the security team on 1 February 2016 into contracts for an unlimited period. This makes these employees, who were recruited by the Kunsthal in 2013 with the support of the local authority and the UWV employers’ institute, permanent members of staff. We have broadened the permanent training and other courses for this group to include our neighbours, the colleagues from Het Natuurhistorisch and the staff of the Kunsthal café. This means that we jointly have at our disposal a large team of qualified first aid and security officers who can be deployed if necessary on a variety of locations.

Kunsthal as a place for hands-on trainees to gain experience

The fund-raising, education and communication departments receive assistance from trainees from various (university) training courses. In 2015 the following trainees enthusiastically gave of their best for the Kunsthal: Stevie Nolten (Art Policy and Management, University of Utrecht), Amal El Ouagmiri (International Business and Management Studies, Hogeschool Rotterdam), Merith Smals (Theatre Tutor course, Artez Arnhem), Esmee Visser (Associate Degree Business Economics, InHolland), Luca Gutlich (Cultural and Social Education, Haagse Hogeschool), Sharinda Wolffers (Art Tutor course), Larissa Wezenberg (Cultural History, Erasmus University), Savitri Kleer (Leisure Management, Hogeschool Rotterdam) and Caroline Labee (Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Tilburg). The security department also cooperated with the ROC Albeda College: thirteen students did their hands-on training for Security Officer 2 at the Kunsthal.

Subsidiary staff activities

Besides the regular contributions to exhibition catalogues, guided tours and receptions directly related to the exhibitions, a number of members of staff of the Kunsthal have also engaged in different subsidiary activities. The director/manager Emily Ansenk is active in various commissions and boards, including the acquisition advisory committee of the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam; the jury of the Sacha Tanja Medal; the Economic Council Rotterdam; the Rotterdam Art Advisory Council; the RTV Rijnmond Programme Council; Stichting Museumpark Rotterdam; Rotterdam Directors Consultation; Hoboken Managerial Board; consultant to the Erasmus MC Art Committee; Board Job Dura Fund; and jury chair of the Henri Winkelman Award, a prize for enterprising artists and designers from Rotterdam. Other of her subsidiary activities in 2015 included her membership of Club Rotterdam, the Rotary Club Rotterdam, Art Table, and the Cultural Patron Network Steering Committee.

She is active as guest presenter of the art feature Opium TV and in writing articles for exhibition catalogues, giving many presentations, and attending various (international) meetings such as the Round Table Dinner, the debate ‘The Netherlands in Europe’ of the European Cultural Foundation, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science Leadership Conference, and the Diner Corps Diplomatique in the presence of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty Queen Maxima. She also received several delegations in 2015, including the Royal Academy of Arts London, and made several trips for exhibitions to Tokyo, Cologne, Munich, Paris and elsewhere.

Senior curator Charlotte van Lingen is expert ‘Photo Folio Reviews’ in the photography festival Les Rencontres de la Photographie in Arles. She is a member of Muscon (an exchange platform for design and architecture in Basel), was guest curator of the exhibition ‘The Court of the Netherlands’ in the Dordrechts Museum, and guest tutor in the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in The Hague. Registrar Klaas Witsen-Elias is a member of the board of the Netherlands Registrar Group (part of the Museum Association) and security consultant on air freight for the Kunsthal. In 2015 he organised various study days for the branch. Head of communication Mariëtte Maaskant is a member of the Rotterdam Festivals Advisory Board and a board member of 24 uur cultuur. Receptions officer Eveline Bos is a member of the PML (Platform Museum Locations).