Every September, Rotterdam becomes the place to be for art lovers. During the Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend (GRAW), hundreds of artists across the city throw open the doors of their studios. It’s your chance to discover art up close, meet the makers behind the work, and be surprised by spaces that are normally closed to the public.
Anyone can look inside the working spaces of artists, makers, and creatives during the Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend.
From Crooswijk to Coolhaven, from Hillevliet to Hillegersberg: throughout Rotterdam, in the third weekend of September, artists open their doors to the public. From art lovers to local residents, anyone can look inside the working spaces of artists, makers, and creatives during the Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend.
A city full of studio complexes
Around 650 artists take part each year across some 90 locations throughout the city. These are often studio complexes that, as creative breeding grounds, play a vital role in renewing neighbourhoods and connecting artists with the local community. The event also shines a light on the challenges artists face, such as the disappearance of affordable studio spaces due to urban redevelopment.
Affordable spaces
That’s why GRAW advocates for affordable, future-proof spaces, so that creatives can keep contributing to lively neighbourhoods and to Rotterdam’s identity as an energetic, inspiring city.
Through the Coalitie Creatieve Ruimte Rotterdam, GRAW aims to work together with the municipality, property partners, and makers. Knowledge and experience are also shared with other cities and national organisations, learning from one another and translating those insights into Rotterdam policy.
The goal: making creative workspace as natural a part of the city as schools or parks, a basic provision that keeps Rotterdam vibrant, inclusive, and recognisable.
Creatives help keep neighbourhoods vibrant and strengthen Rotterdam as an energetic, inspiring city.
Plan your own route
On the GRAW website, you’ll find an interactive map with all participating studios. Plan your own route or sign up for the newsletter for exclusive tips, including routes and background stories. For the latest updates, follow the event on Instagram.
Experience Rotterdam’s creativity
GRAW is more than an event: it’s a celebration of the diversity, creativity, and energy that make Rotterdam so unique. Whether you’re drawn to painting, photography, or hands-on makers, GRAW has something for everyone. Come along and be surprised by the talent and the stories behind Rotterdam’s art scene.
Rotterdam Art Embassy
For anyone curious about Rotterdam artists’ work throughout the year, there is the Rotterdam Art Embassy. In this virtual studio building, you can open the doors of 180 studios yourself and get to know the artists and their work in depth.
Using the artists’ contact details, you can also make an appointment and head out to visit a studio in person. That way, the connection between artists and the public stays alive, and everyone can keep enjoying the creativity that makes this city so special.
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