Written by Mirka Karaskova, Creative Estuary’s Project Officer
In April 2026, we were invited to Rotterdam for a knowledge exchange visit by cultuurregisseurs (cultural connectors) Liam Noordzij and Najel Monteiro of Culture Concreet. Our connection began when they presented at our 2025 Creative Place Shaping Together international symposium.
There are many parallels between the work of Cultuur Concreet and Creative Estuary. Both organisations are rooted in place and committed to supporting creativity at a neighbourhood level. This visit provided a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences, not only for our team, but also for the 12 delegates who joined us from across the Thames Estuary.
Over two days, we visited a range of inspiring projects across Rotterdam supported by Cultuur Concreet, meeting creatives, organisers, and changemakers who are deeply committed to their communities and the places where they live and work.
We visited remarkable places such as reclaimed land that was still sea just 50 years ago, a Cold War bunker transformed into a welcoming community space, and a former station unit that now thrives as a cultural hub.
At Noir Noir, located at Alexander Station, we saw how a grassroots visual arts space can evolve into both a vibrant cultural hub and an important community gathering place. In a densely populated part of the city where cultural initiatives have historically been limited, Noir Noir is creating new opportunities for connection, creativity, and local expression.
Our final day in Rotterdam brought together cultural practitioners and city officials to reflect on the experiences, insights, and conversations that had emerged throughout the visit. We shared table discussions with our Rotterdam counterparts exploring how we experience many of the same challenges, changes and also the same mindset. To quote Liam: “It’s not that we don’t have any differences, but we are like-minded people having good conversations.”
Beyond the site visits and discussions, another kind of connection emerged: a human one between us, our delegates and our hosts, inspiring innovation, collaboration, and empowerment through empathy and identification of shared goals. It grew through conversations over brunch, shared reflections during Metro journeys, and moments of laughter together on the roof of the Cultuur Concreet office line dancing as the April sun set over Rotterdam.
Reflections from our delegates highlighted the lasting impact of the visit, including new partnerships, discussions around joint funding bids, plans to introduce neighbourhood-based cultural connector roles, and renewed commitments to strengthening local cultural infrastructure.
I was really inspired by the hyper-local approach of the Cultuur Concreet staff. As their motto #cultuurdichtbij (culture close by) suggests, they are fully immersed in their neighbourhoods, approaching people personally, empowering them with trust, open mind, and targeted support.
The projects we visited and people we heard from taught me about the power of determination – their journeys aren’t always easy, but they are so worth it. It makes me think of the exciting initiatives and organisations we have here in the Estuary and how we should return the favour to our friends from the other side of the Channel by inviting them to have a look!
After all, this visit proves the old Dutch saying – “One eyewitness is better than ten people speaking from hearsay”.
The visit was a powerful reminder that some of the most valuable learning happens through direct experience, conversation, and shared reflection. We returned to the Estuary with new ideas, stronger relationships, and a renewed sense of purpose in supporting creative communities close to home.
“The visit […] gave us the opportunity to connect as human beings on a personal level. Across our two regions and countries, we’re experiencing many of the same changes, challenges, and mindsets. While our differences remain, we are like-minded people having meaningful conversations.”
“Starting Noir Noir was the best decision I have ever made. I feel really supported by the local municipalities, and I really think we are doing something here.”
