Professional Speeddates

By The New Current

Are you looking to gain valuable insights and expand your professional network in a dynamic, fast-paced setting? Join us for an exciting evening of Professional Speeddates, where you’ll have the opportunity to engage in short, powerful conversations with experienced professionals from various fields.

What to Expect:

- Three Personal Conversations: Every participant will have three 10-minute speed dates with different professionals. It's your chance to ask questions, get feedback, and make meaningful connections. When buying a ticket, you’ll be able to list your preferred professionals.

- Focused and Fast-Paced: The format ensures that every minute counts, creating an energetic environment for learning and networking.

Event Details:

- Date: Saturday, March 28 2026

- Time: 11:00 - 13:30

- Location: Slash Gallery (Boomgaardsstraat 69, Rotterdam)

- Ticket: €10,- available through the button below.

Why Participate?

- Invaluable Insight: Gain direct access to professionals who have the expertise and experience to guide you in your career or personal development.

- Expand Your Network: Build connections with art professionals and other participants who share your drive for growth.

- Grow Your Skills: Each conversation is a chance to refine your ideas, seek advice, and broaden your perspectives.

Whether you’re seeking career advice, looking to explore new ideas, or simply expanding your professional circle, this event is the perfect opportunity to meet and learn. Don’t miss out on this unique experience, get your ticket (€10) with the button below!

Professional Speeddates is supported by Pictoright Fund.

Meet the professionals:

Alexander Ramselaar - business economist

Alexander Ramselaar is a seasoned business economist with over twenty years of experience. Specializing in financing issues within the arts and culture sector, Alexander has been an invaluable advisor to organizations like Brutus, SKAR, Paradiso and Cultuur+Ondernemen. His prior workshop in 2023 demonstrated his profound impact, providing participants with critical insights and actionable strategies in regards to their financial situations.

Annejet Gosselink - cultural entrepreneur

Annejet Gosselink is a cultural entrepreneur and director of the Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend (GRAW), a citywide event that opens hundreds of artist studios to the public. She works at the intersection of art, community building, and urban development, connecting artists with organizations, policymakers, and new audiences. Participants will want to speeddate with Annejet to gain insights into the creative ecosystem of Rotterdam, opportunities for artists in the city, and strategies for building networks and visibility within the cultural field.

NICKY ASSMANN - artist

Nicky Assmann is a Rotterdam-based artist known for her large-scale spatial installations, which explore natural phenomena such as light, movement, and perception. Working with materials such as glass, soap film, reflective foils, and kinetic elements, she creates poetic environments that blur the boundaries between the physical and the sensory. Participants will want to speeddate with Nicky to gain insights into developing experiential artworks, experimenting with materials and technology, and building an artistic practice that balances research, collaboration, and strong visual impact.

Vladimir Radujkov - Curator

Vladimir Radujkov is a Rotterdam-based artist and curator known for creating exhibitions in unexpected and unconventional spaces. As the creative director of NEON Foundation, he curates projects that bring contemporary artists and audiences together through visually engaging experiences. His exhibitions, often hosted at places like De Achtertuin, give both emerging and established artists a platform. Participants will want to speeddate with Vladimir to gain insights into curating independent exhibitions, building artist platforms, and presenting work in (alternative) art spaces.

Katarina Zdjelar - ARTIST

Katarina Zdjelar is a Rotterdam-based artist whose work spans conceptual art, performance, and socially engaged practices. Her interdisciplinary projects often explore language, migration, power structures, and collective memory, creating poetic and critical reflections on the world we live in. Participants will want to speeddate with Katarina to gain insights into developing concept-driven work, navigating socially engaged art practices, and understanding how to position art that addresses complex cultural and societal themes within institutional and public contexts.

Rosa Cherim - curator

Rosa Cherim is a curator and cultural professional at Paradiso, where she leads the program of the Small Museum: one of the smallest museums in the world, located in a display case on the building’s façade. The space presents innovative artworks connected to popular, digital and night culture.
Participants will want to speeddate with Rosa to gain insights into curating unconventional exhibition spaces, connecting art with music and nightlife, and developing creative projects within dynamic cultural institutions.

Sophie de vos - artist and co-founder of the new current

Sophie de Vos is a Rotterdam-based artist and photographer whose work explores perception, reflection, and emotional resilience through carefully constructed visual compositions. Alongside her artistic practice, she is the co-founder and co-curator of The New Current, a platform that showcases emerging artists during Rotterdam Art Week and supports them through exhibitions, talks, and professional development programs.

Participants will want to speeddate with Sophie to gain insights into developing an artistic career, building your own platform, and creating opportunities for emerging artists within the contemporary art scene.

Cindy Stegeman - CBK ROTTERDAM

Cindy Stegeman works as a project coordinator at Centrum Beeldende Kunst Rotterdam, focusing on financial support for artists. As a key team member of Art Office, she has in-depth knowledge of two financial programs: the Praktijkbijdrage and Impuls & Verdieping. Participants will want to speeddate with Cindy to gain valuable insights into securing financial support for their projects, understanding application processes, and navigating funding opportunities in the art world, making her expertise essential for artists seeking financial backing.

Samira Ben Messaoud - Showroom MaMa

Samira Ben Messaoud is the general director of MaMA, a Rotterdam-based platform for visual culture that supports emerging talent through exhibitions, publications, events, and talent development programs. 
With a background in cultural leadership and experience at organizations such as Nest and Sexyland World, she focuses on connecting young makers with audiences and professional opportunities. Participants will want to speeddate with Samira to gain insights into talent development, building cultural projects, and navigating the contemporary art ecosystem.

This program is kindly supported by Pictoright Fonds and Stichting Ondernemersbelangen Rotterdam.