Practical details

This translation is a brief summary of the text in Dutch. The full version is available in Dutch.

Start and end of the school year

A DKO school year starts on 1 September and ends on 30 June. 

When do the lessons take place?

You can take lessons either during the week (morning or afternoon), in the evening, or at the weekend. The lesson times are usually determined in fixed timetables that depend on the level and age, the option that you choose and the academy. Children and adolescents often take lessons on Wednesday afternoons or on Saturdays.

Consult the academy website or contact the secretariat for information about the lessons and timetables in each academy.

Language

The lessons are given in Dutch.

Cost

The cost per year can vary from one academy to the other. The average prices are given below.

  • Children and adolescents (aged 6-17): recommended price of EUR 80 per year, reduced rate of EUR 57.
  • Adults (aged 18-24): recommended price of EUR 150 per year.
  • Adults (aged 25 and over): recommended price of EUR 350 per year, reduced rate of EUR 140.

Ask the academy where you would like to register about the actual cost. Also ask what proof you need for the reduced rate. If the registration fee is an obstacle, you can always discuss this with the secretariat of the academy.

Registering with the Brussels DKO

You have to register by 30 September at the latest and you have to re-register every year. You can do so as of 1 March, online or at the academy secretariat. How and when you can register differs from one academy to the other.

There is no central enrolment or registration system for the Brussels academies. Registration is always via the website or the secretariat of the academy where you want to enrol.

Use the School Seeker to find the Brussels academies quickly. You can search by commune, discipline, study programme, etc.

Registration terms and conditions

In principle, anyone can register for the four DKO art disciplines at any age (from the age of 6).

Of course, registration conditions relating to the age and standard of the student apply. Within the disciplines, the courses are divided into grades. Grades consist of several study years (not necessarily two). When you complete a grade, you receive a certificate. To be able to register for a particular grade, you must be a certain age and/or have a certificate from the previous grade.

The conditions applicable for adults sometimes differ from those for children. For example, adults can obtain the certificate for a particular grade within a shorter period of time (fewer study years) than children.

If children start at a later age (the compulsory part usually begins from the age of 8) in the disciplines Music, Word or Dance, the academy determines which class or group they join. For example: a child wants to start music lessons at the age of 12 and has not taken classes anywhere before. Some academies will put this student with the 8-year-old children, others will suggest putting this child with the adults (= aged 15 and over). In Visual Arts, the groups are always classified according to age.

The conditions for admission, rules on exemptions, etc. can therefore differ from one academy to another. Contact the academy where you want to enrol for more information, either via the secretariat or via the website.

Any questions about DKO in Brussels?

If you are looking for information about a particular Dutch-language academy in Brussels, contact the secretariat or consult the academy’s website.

For more general questions about the Dutch-language academies in Brussels, consult the Samenwerkingsplatform Deeltijds Kunstonderwijs (SDKO - part-time art education cooperation platform). This is a non-profit association that serves as an umbrella body for the Dutch-language academies in Brussels and provides an overview of all these institutions.

You can reach the SDKO by contacting director Rudy Croon by e-mail (directeur@muziekenwoord.be) or by telephone on 0476 73 98 81.

The Flemish website for the DKO provides more detailed information about DKO in Flanders and Brussels.