From ArtEZ to Seoul: Moving Image student explores her identity abroad
- Fine Art
- Design
What should you do if you want to study abroad? Apply for the Holland Scholarship! That’s what Elisabeth Schäffter, third-year Moving Image student student at ArtEZ AKI in Enschede, did a while ago. Her application got approved and currently she is in Seoul, South Korea. The half-German, half-Korean film student is having an eye-opening experience connecting with a new culture, and this process helps her with understanding herself better.
From Germany to AKI
Elisabeth, also known by her artist name Sora, first heard about ArtEZ through an Instagram ad, and she liked what she saw. “It was a very natural decision to come to ArtEZ. I didn’t want to stay in Germany and I wanted to meet more international students.” And she hasn’t looked back since. A violinist and singer as well, Elisabeth says she has been inspired by the boradness of the course Moving Image. “Engaging with so many genres as an artist opens you up to many other approaches, both visually and thematically. I really appreciate how the course doesn’t force me into just a film-related direction but lets me explore the projects I feel I want to create.”
A personal and educational trip
The spirit of curiosity has brought Elisabeth halfway across the world to South Korea, where she is doing a semester exchange at one of ArtEZ’s partner schools, K-Arts in Seoul. Though she is half-Korean, Elisabeth says she didn’t grow up bilingual. Even though she studied some Korean in the past, the experience is very different for her now. Elisabeth: “Now that I can comfortably carry on conversations, I’ve been able to get to know my extended family much better and learn more about film technique at the same time. I’ve noticed things about the culture that I missed before, in conversations that I catch on the street, and I feel like I better understand my mom and my own half-Korean identity.”
Holland Scholarship
Elisabeth has been able to take this semester abroad thanks to funds she received from the Holland Scholarship*. She used the Holland Scholarship to cover the practical expenses of studying abroad, such as dormitory fees. The process, she says, was very simple. “I was quite impressed with how smooth the overall process was. I just sent in the application form and my motivation letter, and a few weeks later I received my acceptance letter. I’m so thankful for this scholarship; I wish more students knew about this!”
*It's important to note that there are 2 Holland Scholarships: one for €5.000 for first-year non-EU students who would like to attend ArtEZ, found here, and one for €1.250 for current ArtEZ students, in any year of study, to use for studying abroad outside of the EEA area. Elisabeth applied for the €1.250 scholarship, for which the application can be found here.
Playgrounds for the elderly
So far, she is loving her experience in Korea. It has even inspired her for her next project: a comedic music video. Elisabeth: “one of my favourite parts of Korean society is that there are outdoor gyms everywhere, primarily used by elderly people. I go past one every day on my way to the city, and I see these ‘grandpas’ there, swinging around on the equipment, almost like children at a playground. I was inspired to make a music video connecting the older and younger generations in both a comedic and observational way from my quasi-outsider perspective. Even though comedy is not something I have worked with much before, I thought ‘just go for it!’ I have everything I need at K-Arts and the equipment is state-of-the-art.
