Quarterly Meeting in Rotterdam: Two Days of Collaboration and Storytelling at the Nieuwe Instituut

On 23 and 24 June 2025, the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam hosted the Bauhaus of the Seas Sails quarterly two-day meeting that brought together patricipating artists, oceans ambassadors, pilots and project partners to explore storytelling, design, and coastal futures. The event was organised by TBA21, the Bauhaus of the Seas Sails cultural partner coordinating the curation of pilots across all Bauhaus of the Seas Sails sites.

The first day opened with welcoming remarks by Aric Chen, Director of the Nieuwe Instituut, followed by introductions from Bauhaus of the Seas’ coordination team represented by Mariana Pestana, IST and TBA21’s Eva Gil Lopesino as the main organiser of the two day event. The day’s main focus was on experiential storytelling, starting with a hands-on workshop led by artist Andrea Molina Cuadro, who guided participants through embodied storytelling practices.

After a shared lunch, the Delta Pilot was introduced, outlining its public-facing initiatives and relationship to upcoming workshops. A scenario-planning session explored climate change futures, followed by a second storytelling workshop and a reflective sharing moment.

The day concluded outdoors with a visit to Het Park and an interactive workshop by Studio Makkink & Bey, led by Rianne Makkink engaging participants in “Living with Water” blending design, climate adaptation, and education in an urban context. The attendees were divided in two groups and explored the park and Rotterdam’s relationship with water through various activities.

Makkink&Bey Living with Water workshop in Het Park
Photos: Floor Besuijen

Rianne Makkink of the Makkink&Bey studio
Photos: Floor Besuijen

Photos: Floor Besuijen

The second day focused on coordination and project development with workshops and presentations by project’s work package leaders. A session on the upcoming Bauhaus of the Seas Sails final conference in Venice at Ocean Space took place in the morning, while after lunch partners from Venice University ran an engaging impact assessment game, followed by a coordination meeting and an update on AR app in the Genoa Pilot, presented by Silvia Campaglia.

The event closed with final reflections and a guided Zöop Tour through the Nieuwe Instituut’s garden with Klaas Kuitenbrouwer of the Nieuwe Instituut offering a multispecies perspective on collaboration and sustainability.

This two-day event highlighted the value of storytelling and artistic practice in shaping climate-conscious futures. Through workshops, strategy sessions, and shared experiences, participants strengthened cross-disciplinary ties and laid the groundwork for the project’s final stages. The in-person meeting was also an opportunity to conduct short video interviews with artists, ocean ambassadors and project partners with the Canal180 team from Porto.

Experiential storytelling led by artist Andrea Molina Cuadro
Photos: Floor Besuijen

Walk in the Nieuwe Instituut Garden

Artist and Ocean Ambassador videos with Canal180