Toko BTC is followup of the earlier Beyond The Cool graduation project of 2022 at Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten. This graduation project is part of Felipa’s Master’s in art education at Fontys Academy of the Arts (FAA). This is the new name since January 2024 of Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (FHK). 

In this graduation project Felipa follows the advice of her former students to investigate the art academy (especially the Teacher’s Training in Visual Art). What happens within the walls of this institution that seems to do not prepare art educators (enough) for a super diverse cultural classroom? What is needed to value the stories of all pupils and students in secondary (vocational) education?

During the graduation year the research shifted more to what Felipa herself was evoking by being presented in different art academies & the work field, to ask questions and in her own way touch people how are also in the quest for a more global perspective and polyphonic art education in the higher education as well secondary (vocational) education.

For mapping the research Felipa uses Research Catalogue: a non-commercial, collaboration and publishing platform for artistic research provided by the Society for Artistic Research. She combined her experience as designer & illustrator to create an engaging digital experience into the so called Toko BTC. Toko is the Malaysian word for store. In the Netherlands it is the name for stores and shops that sells products and groceries from Asia (including West Asia such as Turkey etc.), Africa, South America and the Caribbean.