The Netherlands Film Academy operates in a film landscape that is evolving at high speed. New technologies, changing narrative forms and an increasingly competitive industry demand clear strategic choices. At the same time, the Academy is home to a wide range of disciplines, perspectives and convictions. The challenge was to develop a shared future vision that honours the Academy’s craftsmanship and identity, while being genuinely supported by the whole organisation.

We facilitated an intensive co-creative process centred on listening, imagining and connection. Over nine months, we engaged more than 120 participants through short interviews, in depth interviews and co-creation sessions. Working in three iterative phases, Script, Shoot and Edit, we gathered insights, explored directions and refined the narrative. Students, staff, alumni and external experts actively co-authored the vision, supported by a core team from the Academy. This step-by-step process allowed a shared story to emerge.

The outcome is a widely supported future vision that offers both direction and momentum. The Academy positions itself as the leading specialist institute for narrative film in the Netherlands, guided by four core values: Curiosity, Uniqueness, Adaptability en Collaboration. Alongside the vision, a wide range of concrete concepts were developed for future focused education and for an academy that actively expresses its core values in everyday practice. The vision provides a clear framework for decisions in education, organisation and collaboration with the field. Equally important, the process itself created ownership, energy and trust across the Academy.
The foundation is set. The next chapter is about experimentation, learning and bringing the vision to life.