Maaike Nugteren | ArtEZ finals

I myself have faced many difficult experiences by seeking silence, going into nature, and above all, spending a lot of time alone. Through this, I learned that happiness and freedom arise from the difficult and the heavy. By surrendering to it, allowing yourself to suffer, but at the same time stubbornly working your way through it, no matter how slowly. For however cliché it may be: after the rain comes sunshine, even if it is just a small ray of sunshine. And by learning to accept difficult big things, you also learn to enjoy beautiful small things. Ireland provides a remarkable example in this regard with its heartbreaking history, the sense of community, and the pride in its rugged landscape and the strength it draws from it. Additionally, their cheerful and sometimes melancholic music, played, sung, or danced by young and old alike, has inspired me to delve deeper into this and make it part of my final project.

My training is in classical flute, but my interests are broad; consequently, I also had singing lessons for a number of years, I am a fan of improvisation, and I started playing the Irish flute this year. Creativity, pushing boundaries, and discovering new things are important to me as an “artist”.