CityLab: Music communities in a post-industrial city

If you are interested in how music can offer different communities a sense of belonging amid rapid urban change, support collective and individual well-being in contexts of insecurity, offer modes of resistance to exclusion and stigmatization, and create channels through which marginalized groups can negotiate their relationship to mainstream urban institutions and cultures, then join us for a day of lectures and workshops.  

This CityLab – hosted at Culture & Campus Putselaan in Rotterdam South – focuses on one of the most accessible artistic disciplines – music, such as gabber, Cabo Verde and bubbling music communities. By looking at the past and present of the local music communities we can contemplate why music matters. How did past music communities navigate the post-industrial city, and how is their history archived? What challenges are current music communities facing, and what are their needs to flourish?  During the full day CityLab we will explore these questions through talks, interactive activities, panels, and dialogue with the music professionals, community and city representatives, students and scholars.  

We recommend attending the whole event to be able to grasp different perspectives and fully immerse yourself in the topic. We have prepared interesting contributions and activities throughout the whole day. 

Event Details 

📅 Date: 29 October 

⏰ Time: From 9:30 AM until 17:30 PM 

📍 Location: Cultuur & Campus Putselaan; Putselaan 178, Rotterdam
🗣 Language: English
🎟 Audience: Anyone interested in music and society 

Preliminary Day program

09:30 – 12:30     PAST

09:00 – 09:30     Coffee

09:30 – 09:45     Welcome and introduction (Pauwke Berkers & Janna Michael)

09:45 – 10:15     Short talk: Gabber as a Rotterdam music community (TBC), Donagh Horgan (InHolland University of Applied Sciences

10:15 – 10:45     Activity: Archiving gabber: challenges and opportunities, Ingmar Vroomen (Stadsarchief Rotterdam)

10:45 – 11:15     Coffee

11:15 – 12:00     Short talk: Cabo Verde music heritage in Rotterdam, Jane Ortet

12:00 – 12:30     Panel: How to archive community music?

Miles Niemeijer (Podiumkunst.net), Ingmar Vroomen (Stadsarchief Rotterdam), Maarten Van Dijck (EUR), Natalie Sahusilawani (Music Matters)

12:30 – 13:30     Lunch (with student posters)

13:30 – 17:00     PRESENT

13:30 – 14:00     Short talk: Isabella Hall Allen (AMPFEMININE) AMPFEMININE ACADEMY: Teaching DJing as a community practice

14:00 – 14:30     Short talk Griff Rollefson and Jelena Beocanin

Building the Pluriversity: Community Engaged Hip Hop Research from "Ubuntu" to "The Spark"

14:30 – 15:00     Activity (tbc)

15:00 – 15:15     Refresher

15:15 – 15:45     Panel: The power of music communities (and what they need to flourish)

15:45 – 16:30     The “Political” Outside of Formal Politics in Francophone Belgian Rap Music: Challenging Racism and the Dominant Postcolonial Narrative in Belgium, Axel Gossiaux (University of Liège)

16:30 – 16:45     Wrap up

16:45 – 17:30     Drinks  

On the evening of 29 October, Rotterdam-based foundation Music Matters will host a special hip hop-focused Origin Session at MONO, complementing the themes explored during the CityLab.

19:00 - 21:00 - MONO, Vijverhofstraat 15, 3032 SB Rotterdam

What of you is hiphop?
The Origin Sessions is a workshop for young people in Rotterdam’s music scene, diving into
the cultural references behind what we listen to and create. Together with hiphop
researchers Kim Dankoor and J. Griffith Rollefson, we trace our roots, memories,
communities and biggest inspirations, and look at how they show up in the music we make,
curate and celebrate today. What do these personal references tell us about the cultures and
communities that shape Rotterdam?

We bring those findings into conversation with one of Rotterdam’s hiphop icons, Hef.
What shaped his sound and craft? And what happens when his music takes on meanings
beyond his own? Join the conversation.

Moderated by Tanisha Rumi. 

Limited spots available!

The Origin Sessions

The Origin Sessions is a workshop where young people in Rotterdam explore the cultural

influences that shape them through music, what they mean for their identity and where they

see themselves in the city’s music scene. Each edition explores a different music culture or

theme, building a wider picture of what shapes and connects Rotterdam’s music cultures.

About Music Matters

Music Matters is a Rotterdam-based foundation dedicated to creating a music scene where everyone has the opportunity to discover, create and connect with music. Through various programmes and collaborations, Music Matters brings together people, musical cultures, professionals and stories as a tool for self-expression, talent development and connection.