OPEN CALL for DIT SPACES!

 

W1555 DO IT YOURSELF SOCIAL SPACES (DIT) are freshly renovated spaces on
Wolphaerstraat.
With a monthly rent of €340 + utility costs 150-200, an area of 49m2, ground floor, high,
open spaces with large windows to the street, lend themselves perfectly to a wide range of
public, cultural, educational and social activities, such as exhibitions, performances, film
screenings and workshops.
Artists, activists, educators, or any initiatives, cultural organizations, or collectives interested
in making a social impact in Charlois are invited to apply. Applicants can request a space,
more than one space, or share the space with other organizations/people by a joint
application. We are particularly interested in projects that are Rotterdam or Charlois based
and are actively open to the public. The contracts are for a minimum of one year and a
maximum of two years with the possibility to extend. To apply, please send a project
proposal including the introduction of your initiative and its founders, documentation of past
activities, a project description with the definition of your aim and vision supported with an
action plan showing how you are structuring the space and programmes, and a financial plan
of 1 year in a single pdf format with maximum 10 pages by Januari 15th to
w1555.mog@gmail.com. For more information please see https://www.w1555.org/ or
contact us at w1555.mog@gmail.com.
What is W1555?
W1555 is a housing association, self-run by residents, which manages 46 homes on
Wolphaertstraat from number 15 to 55. Our current community of residents was formed
between 2004-2019 in the form of Stichting NAC. As the agreement between the NAC
Foundation and the owner of the housing association Woonstad came to an end, the
residents as a group of residents embarked on the adventure of managing the houses
themselves and offering them as affordable housing for artists and people who work in the
cultural sector.
With this purpose, we established W1555 and gradually took over the management duties
and responsibilities of NAC Foundation.
Due to the much needed renovation of the houses, in collaboration with owner housing
corporation Woonstad, we will soon be able to offer 2 new spaces to rent out as non-profit
social spaces.
As Vereniging W1555 we aim to contribute to the development of Oud-Charlois as a fresh
and innovative district, where art, culture and education are committed to a sustainable
vision of living and working together, as well as contributing to raising the next generation
and supporting our community.
Who are is W1555?
Vereniging W1555 is a Rotterdam housing association with associated legal capacity. The
resident group consists of approximately 75 people with diverse backgrounds, qualities and
interests, but as a collective we share the same vision on how we want to live together,
based on everyone's social norms and values and existing ideas about affordable housing,
diversity, tolerance, ecological awareness and access to education and culture. As a diversecommunity, we believe that our immediate living environment already has social potential to
transform challenges into a pleasant, safe and productive living/working environment.
Where people live, work and learn together, where they share their experiences with each
other, where children grow up in an inspiring community and where everyone contributes in
their own way to maintaining a friendly and open environment.
As an association, we strive for a sustainable and affordable place for makers who care for
the environment, and for each other and our neighbors. With this call we are aiming to
integrate public creative/artistic workspaces to Wolphaertstraat. The most current residents
have a background in craft, art, culture and education.
Inclusive and diverse
We want to reach the different communities in Charlois and the rest of Rotterdam. We want
our DIT spaces to be accessible to all residents of Charlois, by making them sustainable,
accessible and open to meeting.
With this call, we invite various and diverse parties to participate in this development and
thereby join our community.
What is the culture group?
The culture group consists of a number of residents / members of Vereniging W1555. They
are responsible for artistic and cultural activities linked to the DIT spaces. The culture group
is responsible for recruiting new tenants so that a reliable tenant is found and no vacancy
occurs; vacancy is cost-threatening for the association. At the end of this Call, the culture
group will present the selected DIT tenants to the members. They ensure a good relationship
between DIT tenants and residents and provide feedback to the association where necessary.
They are responsible for the well-being of the place and ensure a lasting good relationship
with the neighbors and the association as a whole.
What is a DIT space?
DIT rooms serve as a place for gathering, presentation, holding workshops or exchanging
ideas. They not only offer residents a platform to come together, but also act as a social
connection for the area. This functions on a small scale, for example with neighbors or local
residents, but can also attract international visitors or interested parties. Organizing
workshops and transferring specific artistic skills creates contacts, strengthens mutual ties
and can provide concrete opportunities to earn an income and bring up the rent.
With an inclusive attitude, we give the different communities in Charlois a platform and
reach and involve the rest of Rotterdam in our activities. The social spaces released after the
renovation play a crucial role in achieving this goal.
These spaces, and their management, will shape our role within the Charlois community. We
want our DIT spaces to be accessible to everyone. We do this by making them sustainable
and available and by opening them up to involvement and own initiative.
We want the two new DIT spaces that will become available to be working together with
other parties. These can be already existing or newly formed collectives, organizations or
initiatives. Our vision and goals for these spaces are focused on art, and culture in all its
diversity, including educational activities. For example, arts education, workshops and skillssharing; or artistic programming, such as exhibitions, performances, film screenings; and
social activities consisting of daily exchanges between local residents, an open kitchen and,
for example, street parties or flea markets.
What are the rules and expectations?
We charge a fixed rent per DIT space that becomes available at Wolphaertstraat from
numbers 49 to 52. The fixed monthly rent for the 49 m2 space is € 340.00 + utility costs
150-200. The tenants must pay the monthly rent and follow the procedures below:
a- A user agreement will be prepared, to be signed by both parties, to ensure the delivery of
the monthly rent, payment of one month deposit and to make sure that the House Rules of
the DIT spaces are followed, and any damages are recoverable.
b- These spaces must be structured for non commercial use and self sustained through their
activities. Within the regulations of the Woonstad Social Housing agreement, only %10 of the
rented DIT space will be allowed for commercial use.
c- Between the association and the DIT tenant are specific agreements made in a lease.
Mutual notice period is at least 3 months.
d- Every year there is at least 1 consultation between the DIT tenant and the DIT group, with
the course of the proceedings and relationship with the association and its residents and
users is discussed.
e- The rental agreements for these spaces will be for a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of
2 years.
Who can apply?
For the four new DIT spaces that will become available after the renovation, we want to
collaborate with new/old initiatives, collectives or organisations. We believe the DIT spaces
can be essential to share our mission of:
- Offering spaces to makers where they can develop their artistic, cultural and
educational activities, and therefore contribute to the city’s cultural field;
- Offering education in terms of arts and culture to different local target
audiences, with a special focus on children and less privileged groups;
- Exerting a very important social role in the neighbourhood in terms of social
cohesion;- Creating bridges with existing cultural institutions within the city and actively
contributing to the city’s cultural scenario;
- Bringing local and non-local audiences to create a more diverse social
atmosphere together.
To achieve this aim in the selection, we will prioritize the collectives, organizations, initiatives
that are:
*Rotterdam or Charlois based,
* Being run by and for a diverse and inclusive group of people and considering a diverse and
inclusive target group including minorities, refugees, immigrants, gay communities.
*non-profit
*autonomous
* Organizing public gatherings and open to the public.
Culture team of W1555 follows a points system that ensures the selection of projects that fit
the above descriptions.
The four DIT spaces can respond to the need of four different parties or a single space can
also be shared by two parties that team up for the open call as long as the agreements are
stated clearly. This way, more small-sized initiatives will be brought to the street and these
spaces can make use of one another’s network.
Alternatively, in need of a bigger space, two or more of these DIT spaces can be combined
together to respond to the need of a single initiative or organization that proposes a
sufficient and solid financial and organizational plan. In such a case, financial resources (such
as a sponsor, gained funding or a bank statement with at least 6 months of the rent budget)
should be provided with official documents to minimize the expectation risks. With this
scenario we are looking for non-profit cultural organizations or institutions that can partner
with the W1555 to program these spaces with maximum openness to the local communities
of Charlois Rotterdam.
How to apply?
Submit your proposal to w1555.mog@gmail.com by Januari 15th, including the following
documents.
• introduction of the initiative
• introduction of the initiators
• what your project proposal is, with the definition of your goal and vision supported by an
action plan,

• supported with an action plan
• Which target groups do you serve and how do you reach them, both at an urban and local
level.
• Tell us clearly about the diversity and inclusiveness of your project.
• documentation of previous activities
• financial annual overview last year
• a financial budget of 1 year.
• if present; proof of a legal form from KVK
in one pdf format with up to 10 pages before Januari 16th 00:00 to w1555.mog@gmail.com. For
more information, visit https://www.w1555.org/ or contact us at w1555.mog@gmail.com.
Selection procedure
The selection will be made in two steps:
• The first round is the submission of the online application which will be processed by the
culture team in collaboration with all residents of W1555.
• In the second round, selected candidates are invited to meet and present their projects,
giving an overview of how they envision the space.