On Friday 13 December 2024, the Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam will announce that Dr Janine Stubbe has been appointed endowed professor at Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). Stubbe (movement scientist and lecturer Arts & Well-being at Codarts Rotterdam) holds her endowed chair 'Arts and Wellbeing with a focus on Arts for Wellbeing, and Healthy Artists' at the Department of Arts and Culture.
How did you get into the field of movement science?
My career started with a big disappointment: a shoulder injury forced me to give up my professional tennis dream. But that actually became my motivation to study Movement Sciences and focus on preventing health problems in athletes. At TNO and later as a lecturer in Sport Care at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, I did research on injury prevention and overtraining in athletes. My interest broadened when I became lecturer in Performing Arts Medicine at Codarts in Rotterdam. Here I discovered how complex and fascinating the physical and mental health of performing artists is. This work inspired me to further explore the link between art, health and well-being.
What is your research currently focusing on?
As lector of Arts & Well-being at Codarts and professor of Arts & Well-being at Erasmus University, I combine fundamental and practice-based research. My work focuses on two lines of research. One is Arts for Well-being: here I look at how the performing arts, such as dance, music, circus and dance and music therapy, can contribute to the well-being of different target groups. For example, people with personality disorders or neurodegenerative diseases such as Korsakov and Parkinson's. Within the Healthy Artist line, I research how to improve the health and sustainable employability of performing artists. Think of injury prevention, mental resilience and dealing with stage fright.
Good to see that your research has impact in multiple areas. What other societal significance does it demonstrate?
Art can play a powerful role in improving public health. It can evoke emotions, create connection and support disease processes. Rotterdam is a perfect testing ground for this: its diversity, challenges and creativity within the city offer endless possibilities. With this new endowed chair, I want to show how art, science and the health domain reinforce each other, and how this combination can make a difference for both individuals and communities. In doing so, I want to underline how essential art is for a healthy and connected society.
How did you end up at ESHCC?
Codarts and Erasmus University Rotterdam (and specifically ESHCC) have been working together for some time. For example, within the Rotterdam Arts and Sciences Lab (RASL) and projects such as Bauhaus on the Putselaan and Cultuur & Campus. My appointment as professor therefore feels like a logical next step to increase our joint impact.
The Codarts - Erasmus University Rotterdam partnership is not your only one. How important are partnerships in your work?
Strong collaborations with national and international partners are the foundation for all the research projects I conduct with my team. From Feyenoord to European dance companies and universities such as Zürich University of the Arts. Within my line of research at Codarts, we developed a health monitor for performing artists. This tool is now used by more than 3,000 performing artists and 30 organisations worldwide.
On an international level, my team now has the largest health database for performing artists. For this, we have received several awards, including a RAAK award, the Dutch Higher Education Premium and the Delta Premium. By working across domains, I and my team have managed to acquire more than EUR 5 million in research grants.
At the moment we are building and perpetuating long-term collaborations with GGZ institutions, nursing homes, community centres and hospitals for the Codarts Master's programmes in Dance Therapy and Music Therapy. Codarts students can do regular internships here, but I also immediately see great opportunities for EUR students to do research internships here.
You eventually chose research within the arts. Where did that passion come from?
As a movement scientist, I have always been fascinated by the control that dancers and circus performers have over their bodies. What they can do is breathtaking. And music touches me deeply because of the way it evokes emotions directly. What drives me is to support these exceptional talents in the best possible way, so that they can pursue their passion sustainably and we as audiences can continue to enjoy their work. At the same time, I hope to show how art not only inspires, but also contributes to the health and well-being of our society. Art has the power to touch people, which inspires me every day!
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