door On 22 September 2025, PostNL will release New Dutch Design – dancing, the fourth stamp sheet in this new series. The New Dutch Design series showcases the work of the next generation of Dutch graphic designers. The stamps were designed during the 2023-2024 academic year by second-year Graphic Design students at ArtEZ in Zwolle, in collaboration with Nicole Uniquole. The stamps bear the denomination “1” for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands.
The New Dutch Design series, a successor to the Typically Dutch series, is dedicated to the theme of “celebration,” expressed through colour and form. After a brainstorm on the theme, the students decided to explore it by focusing on different rituals. The 22 September issue, a sheet of 6 stamps in 2 designs, focuses on the ritual of dancing. Earlier this year, the first 3 sheets in the series were released: one on coffee and tea rituals (17 February), one on greeting rituals (22 April) and one on making music (21 August). The price for a sheet of 6 stamps is €7.26.
SUBJECT
According to various studies, around 9% of all adults regularly dance at a dance school or sports club in their free time. That figure rises to 50% when including all dancing at parties and nightlife venues. The younger we are, the more we dance: 22% of all 6–11-year-olds dance regularly. Among amateur dancers, women are in the majority, with only a quarter being men. While ballroom dancing used to dominate dance schools, today lessons are offered in a wide range of styles – from acrobatic rock ’n’ roll, classical ballet, breakdance, dancehall, fandango, flamenco and jazz ballet to line dance, quadrille, riverdance, salsa, tap dance and tango. There are around 400 dance schools in the Netherlands, and the sector has seen notable growth. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of dance schools and instructors increased by an average of 35 percent. The largest national dance organisation is the Dutch General Dance Sport Federation (NADB), affiliated with NOC*NSF. Other key organisations include the Dutch Dance Sport Organisation (NDO), the Eastern Netherlands Dance Teachers Foundation (SOND), and the trade association Dance Entrepreneurs Netherlands.
Sources: dansdocent.nu, nederlanddanst.nl, Raad voor Cultuur, Trouw
DESIGN
The stamp sheet New Dutch Design –dancing features six special stamps in landscape format across two different designs. Each stamp shows illustrations of people dancing together. The bodies are composed of flowing, solid colour shapes for arms, legs and torsos, with a separate solid circle for the head. Each design includes five dancing pairs – three holding hands and two dancing apart. The dancers are grouped within a rectangular frame, with the largest pair dancing out of the frame at the only spot where the typography allows space. Colours used for the dancers and background come from the palette for the entire New Dutch Design series. The country name ‘Nederland’ and the year ‘2025’ appear alternately on the left and right of the stamps. Denomination 1 is shown bottom left or right, and the sorting hook appears top left or right. The sheet border features three additional dancers, who unlike those on the stamps, are dancing against and behind each other. This illustration extends into the perforation of the top-right stamp.
TYPOGRAPHY
Two typefaces were used for the text. The first is Vier, designed by Maureen Ketting in 2024 specifically for the New Dutch Design series, in collaboration with fellow Graphic Design students at ArtEZ. The second is LTR Limited Grotesque, created in 2024 by Dutch type designer Erik van Blokland for LettError in The Hague.
DESIGN – SERIES
Curator Nicole Uniquole is well-known for organising major art and design exhibitions at historical locations. On behalf of PostNL, she guided the ArtEZ instructors and students throughout the design process for the New Dutch Design stamp series. “We began the project with an inspirational visit for all the students to the National Archives, where the design processes of nearly all Dutch stamps are documented. We even ventured into the archives’ basements, where original working drawings by renowned figures such as Piet Mondrian, Hendrik Werkman, and Anton Beeke were brought out. You could see how amazed the students were when they realised their work might one day be preserved there as well. In our approach to this series, the primary goal was to ensure the stamp sheets would form a cohesive collection, while giving the students full freedom to express their creativity. This creates a healthy tension. The idea was to work with a clear and strong visual language so the message comes across immediately. As Anton Beeke once said about poster design: the design should hit you—bam—like a punch in the face. That grabs your full attention. The result is a series of ritual-themed stamps with a positive and optimistic appearance, characterised by clear forms, earthy colours, and a unifying typeface. This positive spirit aligns perfectly with the purpose of sending mail: thinking of one another and showing care for others.”
The design of the New Dutch Design stamp series is the result of an educational project within the Graphic Design programme at ArtEZ in Zwolle. PostNL had previously collaborated with Nicole Uniquole and ArtEZ on two stamp designs: The Compliment (2023) and 250 Years of King William I (2022). Anje Jager, Graphic Design teacher at ArtEZ, was closely involved in the creation of the New Dutch Design series. “Twenty second-year students worked on the stamp designs in rotating teams. That mixing brought fresh energy to each group. After brainstorming, the students linked the theme of ‘celebration’ to rituals as a common thread. I was pleasantly surprised by the level and openness with which they developed and refined their ideas. From the school’s perspective, it was important to keep everyone engaged and allow each student to play their own role. They were given full freedom to explore and experiment. In effect, they operated like a large design studio where all disciplines collaborate intensively to achieve the best result.”
DESIGN – DANCING
The stamp sheet New Dutch Design – dancing was designed by students Amie Schipper, Anna Lettinga, Daphne de Vries and Sam Gritter. Their fellow students Chantal Idzerda, Jolijn Bos and Maureen Ketting were responsible for the grid (typography etc.). Like all other stamp designs in the New Dutch Design series, the dancing stamps were created as part of an ArtEZ educational project in collaboration with curator Nicole Uniquole. The students developed the design during the 2023–2024 academic year, in their second year of Graphic Design studies at ArtEZ in Zwolle. All second-year students were involved in the series. At ArtEZ, they were guided by Marijke Meester and Anje Jager, respectively Head and Teacher of Graphic Design.
Freer design
Amie Schipper completed the final design of New Dutch Design – dancing on behalf of her team. The dance theme emerged after she and her fellow students explored and sketched ideas around earlier topics such as ‘seasons’ and ‘life stages’. “Those didn’t really work out – they became too complex,” she explains. “After discussing it with each other and with our teachers, we chose ‘dancing’ as the theme because it allowed us to design much more freely.” PostNL selected two designs with the dance motif for further development: the stamps about making music (issue 21 August 2025) and the stamps about dancing (issue 22 September 2025).
Exciting phase
The first sketches by Amie Schipper already clearly show the contours of the dancers as they appear on the final stamps. “It was an exciting phase for all of us, with new ideas constantly emerging. At first, we didn’t let ourselves be limited by the rectangular frame of the stamp – only by the creative possibilities. Later, of course, we started designing within the frame. I used a more abstract style than I usually work in. That semester, I wanted to try something different. This design project really helped me with that. It’s a simple style, alternating between head and a detached body. I tried to reduce the human form to its essence, almost to a silhouette. All the shapes on the stamps are arranged in such a way that they naturally connect, with equal spacing to create a calm image.”
Moving without thinking
In developing the final design, Amie Schipper placed her illustrations within the rectangular shape of the stamps. “The shapes were adapted to fit that format,” she says. “I first created the individual dancers, then those connected to each other. Everything was hand-drawn, then scanned and digitally edited. In total, I created 15 dancing pairs, of which 10 ended up on the stamps. They all dance with flowing movements. The idea behind it is that they are connected by invisibly holding hands, so that one movement creates the next. Think of it as tight and fluid lines. I have a strong typographic mindset. You can see that in the stamps too – the illustration is essentially a sum of typographic elements.”
Dancing and flowing
For her sketches, Amie Schipper drew a lot of inspiration from Pinterest. She created a mood board featuring abstract shapes in vibrant colours. “What they all had in common were dancing and flowing movements. The visit to the National Archives with all the other students was also inspiring. We were allowed to view original stamp designs from the past. I was especially impressed by Dirk van Gelder’s Summer stamps from 1953, with clear drawings of flowers in beautiful colours.”
Real little figures
Each individual illustration on the stamps is based on the same dance concept, but each time executed in a different form. Amie Schipper: “My goal was to depict a wide variety of movements. The dancers are real little figures, on a dance floor full of people moving without thinking. Very free, in the sense of: I express myself how I want, dancing without caring what others think. No figure dances alone, because that doesn’t happen on a crowded dance floor.”
Can it be different or better
The design sketches for the dance stamps were approved early on. Amie Schipper: “That meant I didn’t have to do much conceptually. In the final version, I adapted the illustration to the grid created by other students, so we all used the same basic layout and typography. That took some effort, and I probably learned the most from that part. You’re forced to ask yourself: I think I’ve made something good, but can it be different or better? That phase also sparked a group discussion among all the students about what works and what doesn’t in a design. Together, we intensively searched for the solutions that would work best for the entire stamp series.”
Colours
With the arrangement of the dancing pairs on the stamps, Amie Schipper aimed to create the right contrasts in shape and colour. Especially in terms of colour, a lot changed before the final version. “The little figures had every colour you can imagine. Even when we started working with a fixed colour palette for all the issues in this series. In my very first version, I had a purple background and two other bright colours. As we shuffled the colours across all four issues, ‘my’ purple disappeared – but luckily it came back in the end. It’s a difficult colour to combine with others, but very striking. Some colours don’t work well with it – green, for example. Yellow works very well, which is why that colour is the most prominent.”
DESIGN – THE GRID
In stamp series design, the different releases usually share certain features, such as typography or a common layout framework. For the New Dutch Design stamp series, a separate team of students was responsible for creating this ‘grid,’ as Maureen Ketting explains. She, along with Jolijn Bos and Chantal Idzerda, was part of the grid team. “Our task was to ensure uniformity across the various stamps, such as the positioning of visual elements on the stamps and the sheet borders. Using books from the library, we first studied various examples and then started sketching—each of us individually—while the other teams were busy designing their stamps.”
Custom typeface
To give the series a distinctive character, the grid team designed a custom typeface. “We each worked on our own design,” says Jolijn Bos. “After consulting with the class—and with approval from the instructors and PostNL—Maureen’s typeface was chosen. Her typeface best fit the assignment.
She had created a 4 x 4 grid to literally reflect the theme of ‘celebration’ in the dimensions. The typeface features flowing shapes that seem to come together, just like people do when they gather to celebrate. That’s why the typeface was named Vier (‘Four’ in Dutch).
The second typeface, LTR Limited Grotesque by Dutch type designer Erik van Blokland, provides a playful counterbalance to the blocky forms of Maureen’s design.”
Sheet border guidelines
The stamps feature the text “Nederland” and “2025” displayed vertically, alternating between the left and right sides. Maureen Ketting explains: “This gave the teams as much space as possible for their designs, ensuring that the illustrations and typography wouldn’t clash. Throughout the process, we shared our proposals to gather feedback and ensure that our approach aligned with the design ideas of the other teams. If necessary, either they adjusted their ideas, or we adjusted ours.
We also addressed the requirements for the sheet border, such as the placement of the title, logo, and mandatory information. Each team was responsible for the remaining details of their sheet borders.
At the end, we considered adding a background pattern to the sheet border, but it ended up looking too busy, so we decided against it.”
Short Stories
The 4 New Dutch Design releases this year each have their own unique character but are clearly connected, thanks to the grid team’s work and the shared colour palette. “There are also common elements in the designs,” says Jolijn Bos. “For example, each stamp sheet features a circle as a character’s head. The illustrations can be seen as small stories that are connected. For instance, a student at ArtEZ wakes up in the morning, drinks coffee or tea, goes out, greets friends and acquaintances, makes music with others in the afternoon, and dances in the evening.”
About the Students
Amie Schipper (Amsterdam, 1998), Anna Lettinga (Zwolle, 2005), Chantal Idzerda (Putten, 2003), Daphne de Vries (Amersfoort, 2002), Jolijn Bos (Oss, 2002), Maureen Ketting (Almere, 2002) and Sam Gritter (Ommen, 2004) worked on the stamp designs for New Dutch Design during the 2023–2024 academic year, in the second year of their Graphic Design studies at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Zwolle.
About Anje Jager
Anje Jager (Zuidlaren, 1977) studied teacher training in drawing at Windesheim in Zwolle, followed by communication and graphic design at Academie Minerva in Groningen. After graduating, she moved to Berlin, where she worked at various design studios. Since 2007, she has been active as an independent illustrator, graphic designer and art director, with clients including Monocle Magazine, Marc O’Polo, Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, NRC, Harper’s Bazaar and the Dutch National Ballet. Anje Jager has taught at institutions such as the Merz Akademie in Stuttgart, the Universität der Künste Berlin and Edinburgh College of Art. Since early 2023, she has been a Graphic Arts Teacher at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Zwolle.
About Marijke Meester
Marijke Meester (born in Purmerend, 1964) has been Head of Graphic Design at ArtEZ, University of the Arts in Zwolle, since 2017. In 1992, she founded Meester Ontwerpers, a design agency in Amsterdam with extensive experience in strategy, communication, and complex challenges. The core team consists of Marijke Meester and Soejon Pet, complemented by a flexible network of professional communication and design specialists. Meester studied at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (art and crafts education) and earned her degree in Graphic Design at the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU), graduating cum laude.
About Nicole Uniquole
Nicole Uniquole (born in Amersfoort, 1968) is known for creating acclaimed exhibitions at historical locations, where she combines contemporary design with 17th-century art. Some of her notable exhibitions include Design & Dynasty, 250 Years of Court Life of the Oranien-Nassau Family in Fulda (2022), Royal Showpieces at Het Loo Palace (2014/2015), Dutch Design – House of Orange at Oranienbaum Palace (2012). She is also the founder of Masterly – The Dutch Pavilion, an annual feature at the Salone del Mobile design fair in Milan. In 2021, she won Harper’s Bazaar’s Woman of the Year public award for her tireless dedication to contemporary art. Currently, Uniquole serves as Creative Director of Soestdijk Palace. Her role there has already resulted in exhibitions such as Women of Soestdijk (2023) and Brilliance at Soestdijk (November 2024 – March 2025).
SALES/VALIDITY
The New Dutch Design – dancing stamps are available while stocks last at post offices in Bruna stores and via www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels. They can also be ordered by phone through the Collect Club customer service line at 088 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.
VALUE
The stamps bear a denomination of 1 intended for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands. The price per sheet of 6 stamps is €7.26.
TECHNICAL DATA
Stamp size: 40 x 30 mm
Sheet size: 122 x 170 mm
Paper: Normal with phosphor print
Gumming: Gummed
Printing technique: Offset
Printing colours: Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
Print run: 75,000 sheets
Format: Sheet of 6 stamps in 2 different designs
Denomination: 1 for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands
Design: Nicole Uniquole in collaboration with Amie Schipper, Anna Lettinga, Chantal Idzerda, Daphne de Vries, Jolijn Bos, Maureen Ketting and Sam Gritter (students Graphic Design aan ArtEZ, University of the Arts, Zwolle)
Printer: Cartor Security Printers, Meaucé La Loupe, France
Item number: 450961
SUMMARY
Issue: New Dutch Design – dancing
Release Date: 22 September 2025
Format: Sheet of 6 special stamps in 2 different designs, each with denomination 1 for mail up to 20 grams destined for addresses within the Netherlands
Item Number: 450961
Design: Nicole Uniquole in collaboration with Amie Schipper, Anna Lettinga, Chantal Idzerda, Daphne de Vries, Jolijn Bos, Maureen Ketting and Sam Gritter (Graphic Design students at ArtEZ, University of the Arts, Zwolle)
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