Want to creative ideas that could help improve our city? Join us for our pitch events!
Each event is focused on one of the four discourses of engage biennial: equality, inclusivity, technology and ecology. During the pitch-event, eight artists and social entrepreneurs are invited to share their ideas for new ways of working together (with the exception of equality, which will feature ten instead of eight pitches). The jury will then provide feedback and select one project to be further developed for the biennial.
And here’s where we need you! By a public vote, the audience is invited to award the Wild Card to one extra project, which will also be developed for engage biennial 2025. So come join us and support the pitch candidates!
engage biennial will take place in Rotterdam on 9, 10, 11 and 12 October 2025.
equality
8 May 2025, 19:00 - 22:00
BRUTUS, Keileweg 10-18, 3029 BS Rotterdam
As the most diverse city in the Netherlands, Rotterdam is also the poorest - how do we break this pattern? At BRUTUS, located in one of the old warehouses on Keileweg, we explore new ways to make Rotterdam a fairer city. And... We'll be kicking off with ten (instead of eight) pitches for this discourse!
With jury members Saya (TRAIDE) & Jessy Koeiman (Kunstinstituut Melly), chaired by Sedat Bugdaci. Secretary: Gijs de Boer.
inclusivity
22 May 2025, 19:00 - 22:00
Hart voor Alexander, location: SKAR Ateliers, Aluminiumstraat 6, 3067 GS Rotterdam
Rotterdam is raw, messy and rich in subcultures. How do we protect this identity from gentrification? And how do we make room for the unexpected?
With jury members Rakesh Kanhai (Prestige Worldwide) & Jessy Koeiman (Kunstinstituut Melly), chaired by Sedat Bugdaci. Secretary: Gijs de Boer
technology
5 June 2025, 19:00 - 22:00
De Koepels, Persoonshaven 906-910, 3071 CL Rotterdam
Rotterdam is a city of doers and makers. But how do you translate that hands-on mentality to the digital age? And how do you make technology into something driven by the community, rather than by Big Tech?
With jury members Rakesh Kanhai (Prestige Worldwide) & Barbara Vos (creative strategist), chaired by Sedat Bugdaci. Secretary: Gijs de Boer.
ecology
19 June 2025, 19:00 - 22:00
moezeum, Vijverhofstraat 29, 3032 SB Rotterdam
In a city 80% below sea level, the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat. How can we creatively deal with the tension between economic interests and ecological necessity?
Jury members: Saya (TRAIDE) & Barbara Vos (creative strategist), chaired by Sedat Bugdaci. Secretary: Gijs de Boer.