Millions of people in the Netherlands care for a partner, parent, child, family member, friend or neighbour. Carers are an essential force in our society, yet they often remain unseen.
How do we give attention to the people who care for others every day?
How do we make visible the small gestures that carry so much meaning?
With TAKE CARE: Gestures of Care, ICAF Rotterdam, theatre maker Brecht Hermans and composer Christine Cornwell bring together the experiences of carers in a unique artistic creation. Through sound, imagery, music and encounters, a new perspective on care, community and connection emerges.
About the project
Caring consists of countless small moments. A routine, a gesture, a sound or an object that gains meaning because it is part of caring for someone close to you.
Through TAKE CARE, carers collect photographs, sounds, stories and experiences from their daily lives. These contributions form the basis of an artistic process in which care is not explained, but experienced.
Throughout 2026 and 2027, ICAF Rotterdam, together with theatre maker Brecht Hermans and composer Christine Cornwell, will organise a series of gatherings for carers in Rotterdam. These gatherings provide space for conversation, music, creativity and exchange. Participants contribute their experiences, images and sounds to the development of the project.
In addition to these gatherings for carers, TAKE CARE brings together care organisations, artists and other stakeholders through international exchange labs and webinars. These activities create opportunities for encounter, inspiration and new connections between different perspectives on care.
All contributions from carers will ultimately come together in a final artistic presentation during ICAF Festival 2027, where sound, image, music and personal stories are woven into a unique live experience that makes the power and significance of care visible. The project will also develop an international digital platform dedicated to care.
Who is it for?
This project is for:
- people who are carers or have been carers in the past;
- people who receive care and wish to share the story of their carer;
- local communities, care networks and organisations working in the field of care;
- artists;
- researchers;
- cultural professionals.
Why TAKE CARE?
Care is more than a personal responsibility. It is a collective practice that connects people and strengthens communities.
With TAKE CARE, we create space for stories, experiences and perspectives that often remain invisible. Through artistic creation, encounter and participation, we highlight the attention, creativity and resilience that lie at the heart of everyday care.
TAKE CARE is a European artistic project in which ICAF Rotterdam and partners in Italy and Portugal collaborate around care, caring and community. In each participating country, local artistic trajectories are developed in which participants, artists and organisations work together to create new artistic projects.
The experiences shared through these trajectories form a growing European network centred on care. The project shows that care does not only take place behind closed doors, but is an essential part of how we live together.
Join us
Would you like to learn more about TAKE CARE: Gestures of Care?
The next opportunity to take part is:
- Gathering for Carers
26 September | Podium Islemunda, Rotterdam
Do you have any questions or would you like to know more about TAKE CARE? Please feel free to contact us.
TAKE CARE is organised by ICAF Rotterdam, theatre maker Brecht Hermans and composer Christine Cornwell. TAKE CARE is funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
