The name refers to the classical Akademia, the place where young an old scientists and artists met to exchange ideas and knowledge. The core educational product offered by the Rijksakademie is an artist’s residency: fifty artists from all over the world can work here in an individual studio for a maximum of two years.
The Rijksakademie is however more than a mere residency – it is al platform for production and an international meeting place for artists. The Rijksakademie offers a unique blend of the features of artists' residencies and research centres at the highest international level. At international level, the Rijksakademie is on a par, in terms of positioning, with artists' residencies such as 'Künstlerhaus Bethaniën' in Berlin and research centres such as (parts of) the MIT in Boston, and postgraduate institutes such as Goldsmith's College (MA) in London.
The Rijksakademie also organises the Prix de Rome, the oldest and most prestigious 'state' award in the Netherlands.
