UPCOMING COURSES

In this workshop explore the global impact of the Rotterdam port on societies and the environment worldwide. An impact that is not only produced by the port itself, but also by those parties and productions that it’s indirectly responsible for up and down its value chain. To really understand how our local economy is entangled with the world, we will focus on one specific product - the soybean - and see how Rotterdam’s harbour and its affiliated network of businesses are directly tied to the destruction of rainforests, the industrial scale production of cheap meat, and the exploitation of human and natural capital all over the world. We will highlight stories that expose the often-hidden impact of this trade, from the transshipment of goods to their consumption, and the resulting effects on communities and the environment.

In this workshop we will look at public space as a place for protest together with Loom - practice for cultural transformation. We will regard activism as a discipline that involves revealing facts, building narratives and creating real-world impact. Whether it is the fossil fuelled industry or the bankrupt housing system, Rotterdam has plenty of battles to be fought that resonate over the globe. In these weeks we will identify an urgent issue, create a counter position, and design a strategy to challenge it while proposing an alternative solution. Drawing inspiration from past and present generations of activists, we will explore how to use blockades, barricades, banners, legal tactics, and social media memes, squatting operations, and consumer strikes—using whatever tools are necessary to drive change.