OPINION – The new Campus plan pays too little attention to culture. Its primary focus is sports, while culture is a side business, according to fourth-year student and PvdA party member Mika Kraft. ‘Besides a University Sports Centre, we should also build a University Cultural Centre.’

The campus is changing at a rapid pace. Stones are replaced by glass, and old lecture halls will be replaced by spaces for meeting and cooperation. That is what it says in Radboud University’s new Campus Plan, which provides a glimpse of the campus in 2030.

Although I have always found the academic maze of the Thomas van Aquino building charming, I am in favour of the new plans. However, I do feel that a very important theme is missing: culture. Why doesn’t the Executive Board use this opportunity to build a true University Cultural Centre?

De Cycloop

While there is an entire Sports Centre with impressive facilities surrounded by large fields, when it comes to cultural activities and hobbies, students are on their own. The campus does not encourage students to try artistic or cultural hobbies nearly as much as it encourages them to try new sports. It is high time this changes. Culture is just as important as sports, and thus deserves a place of its own.

‘The main difference is in the facilities that are available for sports, but not for culture’

Don’t get me wrong: There are plenty of cultural activities at Radboud University. Cultuur op de Campus has a very broad programme, and there are multiple associations where you can participate with cultural hobbies. For example, there is student photography association De Cycloop, or student drama association Op Hoop van Zegen.

The main difference is in the facilities that are available for sports, but not for culture. Cultural associations have to make their own arrangements for space and materials. Not only that, but there are very few cultural beginner’s courses tough by professionals on offer, when compared to sports. Sports are the focus, while culture has been side-lined.

Functionality

The Campus Plan contains a few ideas that try to accommodate the existing need for arts and culture. Among other things, the ‘necessity of realising practice spaces’ will be looked into, as well as the potential ‘for art to offer a platform to young artists and to connect people to a space.’

It’s a pity that the plans for arts and culture focus on necessity or functionality, while creativity is an important value that should be more strongly linked to the University and campus’s DNA. It would make more sense to encourage students to try out new artistic or cultural hobbies. Just like how many students are invited to discover new sports on campus.

If Radboud University can inspire new students to make art or music, then it can become a haven for new artistic talent. Besides that, art can help all future researchers to present their findings to society in a more engaging way, thereby strengthening the University’s connection to Nijmegen. But equally important is the fact that arts and culture help people to grow.

World-class

After all, culture contributes to self-confidence, physical fitness, social cohesion, empathy and general wellbeing. At the ceremony for his honorary doctorate, writer Adriaan van Dis emphasised the fact that literature can help to emphasize with people in different situations. My fellow party member Frans Timmermans shared this view at the ceremony for the The Treaties of Nijmegen Medal by stating that art can be used to  delve into people who are outside your bubble.

‘Arts and culture should be more strongly linked to the University and campus’s DNA’

According to the new Campus plan, there will be meeting spaces and facilities like the Teaching and Learning Centre in place of the current Collegezalencomplex. Let’s take this opportunity to use this space not just to meet, but also to create together.

It is high time that the University builds a Cultural Centre besides the Sports Centre. We can develop studios and workshops, where students can paint, draw or sculpt. We can create rehearsal spaces, so that musicians can meet on campus – we might even see the rise of a world-class band from Nijmegen. And let’s replace the Culture Café with a space that really does have space for art and jam sessions. Culture can enrich the university, and just like sports it deserves its own true place on campus.

Mika Kraft is a fourth-year student of Cultural Anthropology and Development sociology. Next to that he is also a party member (fractievolger) in the municipal council of Nijmegen on behalf of the PvdA.