Artists and designers are rising to challenge the systemic injustices in our contradictory world. Faced with ecological crises, inequality, polarisation and discrimination, many creative professionals respond to these urgent challenges, while cultural institutes and funding bodies increasingly look to them as catalysts for change. But what can engaged artists really do when the problems they address are systemic? How can artists work beyond the artistic bubble, in which most people already agree on what change should look like? 

engage brings together socially engaged artists, companies and social organisations from across Rotterdam. Through collaborative efforts, we aim to create pockets of resistance while dreaming and building alternatives. By inviting more exchange between artists and society, we search for answers to the urgent questions of our current moment.

Could artists find ways to change systems from within? Could they explore alternative funding models and collaborate with socially engaged companies? How do they avoid greenwashing, pinkwashing, and cultural appropriation? Where could they find allies outside the arts sector, and ensure their practice resonates with local communities?

Discover how we can create better futures together through approaches that are sometimes rebellious, sometimes pragmatic, and always striving for meaningful progress.