Level Up

Level Up is a year-long program that supports emerging artists, designers and creatives in developing their professional practice. Through talks, workshops, and speeddates, participants explore key aspects of entrepreneurship in the arts and gain practical tools for their careers. One ticket is all you need to participate in the full series.

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For whom

Fresh out of art school or a design academy and ready to take your practice to the next level? Or are you a self-taught artist, designer or creative eager with great aspirations? This event is for you: graduating artists, designers and creatives, those artists, designers and creatives who have recently graduated (less than 3 years ago), or professional self-taught artists, designers and creatives (with a practice younger than 5 year).

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Join Level Up for €50 a year here.

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22/11/2025 | Level Up @Nieuwe Instituut

Join us at Nieuwe Instituut on November 22nd for a packed programme with talks, speeddates, workshops and network opportunities! This event is part of Level Up, a year-long programme for emerging artists, designers and creatives, to boost your professional skills. The day ends with an informal networking drink. The event is English.

 

You can find the full programme here.

​Join Level Up @Nieuwe Instituut for €19 here.

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Spring 2026 | Prospects @Art Rotterdam

During Art Rotterdam, the Mondriaan Fund annually presents the exhibition Prospects, which aims to increase the visibility of emerging artists. The 2024 participants of Prospects have each received financial support from the fund through the Artist Start grant, intended for artists who have been working professionally for one to four years. This stipend supports the development of new work and artistic practice, including research, materials, equipment, and projects both in the Netherlands and abroad.

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Online Speeddates

In January and June, we organize online speeddates for emerging artists, designers and creatives, offering one-on-one conversations with experienced art professionals. These 15-minute sessions provide an opportunity to ask focused questions on topics such as marketing, grant applications, and building a professional network. Based on the registrations, we curate a diverse group of professionals from the art  and creative field who are ready to engage with and advise the participants.​​

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NAP+ Meet the gallerists

In September 2026, meet the gallerists of art fair NAP+ kicks during our Breakfast Speeddates. Over coffee and croissants, you’ll join 20-minute rotations with participating gallerists: an informal yet focused way to ask everything you want to know about collaboration, representation, pricing, visibility, and navigating the art market. This is your chance to connect directly with professionals and sharpen your understanding of the dynamics of artist–gallery relationships. When the sessions wrap up, participants get free access to the NAP+ art fair, where you can discover new work at your own pace.

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About Level Up

Level Up is a project by Kunstmest Consulting en Stichting Art Projects in partnership with Nieuwe Instituut. Level Up is generously supported by VandenEnde Foundation, Pictoright, Stichting Ondernemersbelang Rotterdam and Droom en Daad.

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