Living with Water drop at the After Summer School in Rotterdam

The After Summer School co-organised by Nieuwe Instituut took place from 30 September to 4 October 2024. The school is initiated by The New Academy, a collaboration between the Nieuwe Instituut and philosopher Rosi Braidotti. The school is a Rotterdam-based programme where a wide variety of knowledge producers teach their methods and share knowledge through a series of public classes. One of the contributors to the programme of the After Summer School 2024 was Studio Makkink & Bey, whose involvement was made possible within the framework of Bauhaus of the Seas Sails. The studio’s WaterSchool project hosted a Water Park Walk walk in and around Rotterdam’s Het Park, imagining future possibilities for living with water in the Rotterdam Delta.

The participants explored Het Park through the eyes of four unique characters: the Water Guardian, the Wellness Specialist, the Flow Architect and the Transhuman Ambassador. WaterSchool, a project by Studio Makkink & Bey, took the participants  on a journey through the past and present, and during the walk, the participants could collect, create, and share their observations, to serve as a catalyst for future change.

Water Park Walk during the After Summer School

Water Park Walk in the evening at the After Summer School

Water Park Walk in the evening at the After Summer School

The After Summer School week was also a great opportunity to reflect on the new drop Living with Water and film the final episode of the Bauhaus of the Seas Sails video series Drop, Ripple, Wave. In this last episode, Francien van Westrenen from the Nieuwe Instituut and Rosi Braidotti, philosopher responsible for the New Academy, discuss how the drop addresses the connection of water to a city’s identity and how sharing water knowledge can shape the city’s resilient future.

Filming of the ”Living with Water” episode with Rosi Braidotti and Francien van Westrenen

Filming of the ”Living with Water” episode with Rosi Braidotti and Francien van Westrenen