‘The VSB Fund Scholarship allowed me to chase my dream in Barcelona’

Sharon Vreeburg knew exactly what she wanted to do after her BEAR Fine Art bachelor: become a professional stop-motion artist. There is no training programme for this in the Netherlands, so she left with a VSBfonds Scholarship abroad. In the heart of Barcelona, she is rapidly learning one animation technique after another. ‘This master's programme is exactly what I needed,’ she says.

ArtEZ alumnus Sharon Vreeburg has always had a penchant for art with a creepy, dark edge. "Stop-motion animation is a really good medium for that. When you bring non-living objects to life, it quickly has something dark." During her undergraduate BEAR Fine Art at the Academy of Art & Design Arnhem, Sharon immersed herself in the medium, a film technique based on photos of objects that you move around a bit at a time, and discovered how versatile it is. ‘You yourself make the world you bring to life and therefore you have a lot of possibilities.’

Own studio

In her own studio at ArtEZ, built by her father, Sharon worked on her graduation project. She was determined to continue in the medium after graduation in 2024. The only obstacle? Stop-motion animation is a niche and training courses are few and far between. BAU Barcelona offers the only fully English-language master's. "When I read about this programme, I fell in love instantly, but I also thought: how am I going to pay for it? Then I started searching the internet like a madman and came across the VSB Fund."

Exciting

‘I found the application process very exciting,’ says Sharon. ‘If I didn't get the scholarship, I couldn't do the programme, so there was a lot of pressure behind it.’ Moreover, she did not want to risk the master's being full. She decided to take the gamble and enrol even before she knew whether she would get the scholarship. "That was a big decision. I had to pay a third of the application fee already and I wouldn't get that back if I couldn't do the study anyway."

Good combination

In the end, it was all worth it. ‘This scholarship allowed me to chase my dream,’ says Sharon. Whereas her bachelor was focused on conceptual work and doing research, in Barcelona she dives fully into the technique of animation. ‘First we covered the basics of animation and now we are learning all kinds of different techniques: animating with sand, paper, puppets.’ Those specific skills were not the main focus at ArtEZ, says Sharon. "But at the same time, I'm glad I learned how to come up with a concept and do research. First ArtEZ and now this master's, that's a good combination."

Twin sister

Initially, Sharon thought it was a big step to leave abroad and start a new education. It was extra exciting because of her twin sister. ‘We had never been apart for more than two weeks before this, and now suddenly it's two or three months.’ But once she arrived in Barcelona, she immediately felt at home. "It's really nice to suddenly meet all the people who also have a passion for stop-motion. We all went through the same struggle: not knowing anyone else doing stop-motion, not having the right tools to make films. And now we are learning all that here. This training is exactly what I needed." And her twin sister? She has already visited twice.

Trying anyway

Sharon regularly encounters students who do not know there are scholarships for studying abroad. A pity, she thinks. "You can even apply for a VSBfonds Scholarship if you only go abroad for a short time, for example for a six-week course. So I would say to everyone: you should try it anyway." Whether she has any tips for the application? "I really tried my best to write a good cover letter. My whole family checked if it sounded nice. And when we had to pitch our plans, I made an elaborate PowerPoint about my work. That way I could show exactly what I do."

Study abroad with a scholarship

Are you graduating soon or have you just graduated and do you have Dutch nationality or a demonstrable link with the Netherlands? And do you want to continue your studies, either within or outside the EU?

The application process for a VSBfonds Scholarship is low-threshold and definitely worthwhile. One in three applications is awarded a scholarship. Do you still have questions, doubts or need help with your application? At ArtEZ, Barbara Heutink is the contact person for the VSBfonds Scholarship. She is at your service. Mail to b.heutink@artez.nl.