The Backstage Academy is a presentation of artworks of all shapes and sizes by graduates of Dutch art academies. The KunstRAI offers these young artists, who are often not yet connected to a gallery and would therefore not normally be able to participate, the opportunity to present their work to a large audience after it has been judged by a jury.
This year’s KunstRAI is dedicated to Amsterdam to celebrate the city’s 750th anniversary. In previous years, the Backstage Academy was made up of graduates from various national art academies, but this year the young artists come from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, a typical Amsterdam institution. Apart from the fact that these artists already have an affinity with the city, they have also been asked to incorporate the theme of Amsterdam 750 into their presentation.