The RITCS and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels of the Erasmus University College Brussels launched a crowdfunding campaign on Wednesday to support international art students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
The Future Voices Fund is a response to the sharp increase in tuition fees, which will rise to €17,500 per year starting next academic year.
As a result, studying in Brussels threatens to become unfeasible for many talented students from abroad.
"At the RITCS Master's in Drama, two international candidates from Tunisia and Turkey were recently admitted to the next round of the artistic selection tests. However, due to increased tuition fees, they risk not being able to start their studies," states RITCS.
With the new Future Voices Fund, RITCS aims to change this. The first crowdfunding campaign, which runs until the end of June, aims to raise €50,000.
This will allow the tuition fees for two students to be reduced to €5,000 per year for the duration of their two-year Master's program.
According to Nora Mahammed, Head of Drama and Technical Theatre Design, the impact is significant.
"We see talented students dropping out, not because of their abilities, but for financial reasons. This represents a loss not only for themselves, but also for our institutions and the Brussels arts sector," she said.
The Erasmus University College Brussels also acknowledges the impact of the tuition fee increase and has decided to provide a transitional arrangement for students already enrolled.
They will receive partial financial support so that they can complete their studies.
The campaign will be officially launched during the season presentation of the Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS).
In the longer term, the participating institutions aim to continue providing annual scholarships for international students with artistic potential through crowdfunding and other initiatives.
