Poet, composer and researcher Micha Hamel is the new president of the Academy of Arts from 1 October. He succeeds visual artist Liesbeth Bik, whose term has ended after four years. The appointment of a president is for a two-year term, with the possibility of a two-year extension.
Hamel has been a member of the Academy of Arts since 2015 and brings extensive experience to the position. From 2023 to 2025, he was vice-president of the Akademie van Kunsten board and in recent years he has been committed to activities that connect art and science. For example, he led the Arts & Science track, collaborated on the multiyear Art x Science x Society project and the Writinglab.nl project on creative writing education grew out of activity at the Academy of Arts.
About Micha Hamel
Micha Hamel (born 1970) is a composer, poet and researcher. His concert music has been performed by almost all major Dutch orchestras and ensembles. He has composed for theatre and two operas, also creating work for virtual reality. His most recent production is Earth Workers Requiem/Jubilate (2025), a collaboration with artist Jonas Staal. Hamel published six collections of poetry, of which Bewegend doel (2015) won the Jan Campert Prize, and made his debut in 2025 with the novel Het zwarte raam. As a lecturer at Codarts, he researched future scenarios for the classical music sector from 2011 to 2021. From 2014 to 2023, he was conductor-coach in television programme Maestro.
Looking to the future
Micha Hamel: "I find it important and beautiful that I get to represent the voice of the arts with my board and the members. In the field, the Academy of Arts has a unique position: we are the official point of contact for makers themselves, across the board. We are about what it means to be an artist today, about the profession, staffing, our position and voice."
Hamel on the filling of the position: "I want to build on what we have, thanks in part to Liesbeth Bik: we are the permanent discussion partner of Kunsten '92, the Taskforce, OCW and the Council for Culture. That is where the mass is, which in my opinion may grow even more, where we draw weight, are taken seriously, are heard, are consulted. I am going to continue and increase that."
About the Academy of Arts
Founded in 2014, the Academy of Arts ensures a strong position of the arts in society. The Academy promotes interaction between the arts themselves, between art and society and between science and art. Members of the Academy of Arts are artists from across the arts: architecture, visual arts, literature, music, performing arts and design. They have proven themselves in their field; membership is for life. By 2025, the Academy will have 90 members.
