| This event will take place at Lab Grounds (‘s-Gravendijkwal 58B). Lab Grounds is located on the second floor and there is no lift in the building, sorry for the inconvenience.

Rotterdam will be hosting a special festival this autumn. On Saturday 29 November 2025, Lab Grounds will be transformed into a vibrant meeting place filled with music, film, workshops, parades and stories. During the Treasures Festival, the cultural treasures of four communities with roots in Cabo Verde, Suriname, Curaçao and Brazil will be visible, audible and tangible. Admission is free.

Four cultures, one stage
Lab Grounds brings together the stories of the four communities in a multifaceted programme featuring podcasts, films, workshops, concerts and parades. The focus is on four traditions that are being highlighted especially for this festival: Batuku (Cape Verde), Angisa (Suriname), Seú (Curaçao) and Capoeira (Brazil). Visitors can also stroll past stands, taste delicious snacks from around the world and chat with people from Rotterdam who share their culture and heritage.

Treasures that remain
The stories of these communities are part of Rotterdam. They form the soul of the city. With Treasures, we want to not only celebrate these stories, but also pass them on to future generations. The festival is about discovery and treasuring: celebrating what connects us and preserving what gives meaning.

“Encouraging people to be curious contributes to greater understanding and equality within society,” says Lena Évora, artistic director of Productiehuis SchoneKunsten and creative producer of Treasures.

Stories for the future
The festival is organised by Productiehuis Schone Kunsten, commissioned by and in collaboration with the European Research Council-funded research project ARTIVES at Leiden University. The Stadsarchief Rotterdam is also a partner: during the festival, audio and video material will be officially transferred to the archives, ensuring that these stories remain part of the city’s memory. After the festival, the four podcasts about the historical context of the communities and the four films with personal stories of people from Rotterdam who have embraced the city’s traditions will be publicly available in the Stadsarchief.