Mission

Our mission is to touch, inspire and connect people through the universal expressiveness of performing arts, music and stories that draw on traditions and cultural roots from around the world.

Art based on and inspired by cultural heritage ("roots") has enormous eloquence. It touches on universal human values, gives access to cultures we are less familiar with and shows us how recognisable and enriching the new and unknown is.

Amsterdam Roots Festival is about roots and cultural identity. Especially at a time when society is polarising, we need nuances and a broad range of opinions and ideas. We want to bring stories that bridge the gap between the strange and the known, between traditions and innovations, between the individual and the group, the universal and the personal. Because in the personal story we recognise each other and feel connected.

That is why we organise a refreshing and innovative multidisciplinary festival and cultural activities at various locations in Amsterdam. We work together with a wide range of partners and institutions in the city and we give space to exceptional makers and diverse opinions. We create an environment where everyone is welcome and feels free and safe to be themselves. In this way, we aim to contribute to an inclusive society, where people are inspired and connected through art that stems from tradition and innovation.