About Stichting Pandora Studio
MOTIVATION AND VALUES:
Stichting Pandora Studio was conceived as an open and inclusive space where everyone is welcome regardless of their background, age, or prior experience. A space where participation, creativity and connection through art are fostered. In practice, this means allowing people to connect, contribute and feel that their presence matters. We do this by not requiring previous knowledge, by working in English, and by supporting the stories and ideas of the people taking part to become part of the process.
We place a special focus on the international community living in The Hague. Many people arrive in the city without an existing network and with the feeling that they are only here temporarily, which is something we have often witnessed within our own community. Being new to a city, culture, or artistic practice often comes with vulnerability and uncertainty. At Pandora Studio, many of our artists and mentors recognise this experience personally, which helps create an environment where people feel safe to explore, express themselves, and build meaningful connections through creativity.
At the same time, The Hague is a highly transient city, even for people who have lived here for many years. There is therefore a constant need to meet new people and rebuild social networks. Constantly having to form new connections can require a great deal of energy and can become emotionally exhausting over time. However, within Pandora Studio, these encounters happen organically through shared artistic practice, allowing relationships and a sense of belonging to develop in a more natural and sustainable way.
At Pandora Studio people can be themselves, without feeling that they have to fit into a certain idea of who they should be. We see people’s differences as something valuable and as a source of creativity. This is especially important for people who are new to a city or to a craft, and who may otherwise hold back or censor themselves in order to fit in.
We also move away from a very rigid teacher-student structure. In doing so, we create more space for exchange, support and shared creation. We see this exchange as valuable in itself, because both mentors and participants bring something meaningful into the room. The stories, ideas and experiences of the people involved are an important part of what happens at Pandora Studio.
We believe that having a creative space is especially important for people whose everyday lives are centred around work. They need a place where they can relax, play, and experiment, somewhere they can make mistakes and engage parts of their minds and bodies that may not be activated through work or other daily activities.
We provide this through regular group activities that encourage people to take creative risks, feel listened to, and experience that what they bring is personal, valued, and meaningful. These experiences can have a real impact on wellbeing and on the way people relate to themselves and to others.
Our ambition is to remain a cultural project that is warm, welcoming and sustainable, while increasing both its depth and its impact. We want to do this carefully, without losing the closeness and attention that are central to the project, as these are also the conditions that make meaningful artistic exchange possible.
The values behind our work are accessibility, inclusion, listening, creativity, and care. These values shape the way we work and the way we hold our spaces. We are not interested in perfection, but in creating spaces where people feel safe enough to try, make mistakes, learn and express themselves freely. We believe diversity is something that enriches the creative process because it brings different perspectives, references, and ways of seeing into the room, and that collective work creates experiences that are more alive, honest, and representative of the city we live in.
ORGANISATION DETAILS:
Stichting Pandora Studio
de constant Rebecquestraat 3
2518RB Den Haag
CoC-number: 84649658
BOARD MEMBERS:
Chairperson:
Henricus Franciscus Maria Gerritse
Vice-chair person:
Camille Melisse Haag
Secretary:
Riad Salameh
Treasurer:
Isabelle Jacqueline van Winden - Guibal
DOCUMENTS: