This community story is from The Hague Online editor, Renée Tentori.
I am not a morning person.
When CreativeMornings launched in The Hague last year, I was very happy to promote its events through The Hague Online. A free breakfast, an interesting speaker and the chance to meet creative people from across the city all sounded wonderful.
There was just one problem as far as I was concerned: the morning part.
The events begin at 8.30am. That is hardly dawn, but it was early enough for me to appreciate CreativeMornings from a safe distance. I could share the announcements, support the initiative and tell any “morning people” who may be interested, without actually setting my own alarm to fit this in before my workday started.
Eventually, however, curiosity won…and I’m now a CreativeMornings morning person. Are you?
My first CreativeMornings, at THUAS (12 June 2026)
My first CreativeMornings event featured Bente Bak speaking on the theme of “Curate”.
It was held at THUAS (The Hague University of Applied Sciences), where I work. I found out after I registered that it was actually taking place within my own Faculty of IT & Design, though connected via another programme (I’m in ACS, this was via UxD). A nice coincidence.
Bente’s talk explored curation as an active creative process. It is not simply about collecting things, but about choosing, shaping and bringing ideas together in a way that creates meaning. She complemented this with her own creative artwork and personal stories.
Much of what she said resonated with me, particularly in a world where we are surrounded by more information, tools and content than we could ever fully absorb.
I like how these personal talks also help us self-reflect. I have contributed to this overload myself as well, via a lot of content creation over the years! However, I am glad I had already started seeing myself as a “curator”, rather than always being a “creator”. I believe it’s about discernment: deciding what deserves our attention, how different elements connect and what we want to share with others. More than a decade ago, I wrote an article that I’ve been thinking more about lately: Frenzy, Fatigue, Focus.
It was really great to hear Bente’s take on this topic. She gave us some great tips and I bought her book to take home. A good read! I was particularly inspired by her courage to find her own path – and share that with others.
The CreativeMornings event locations change each month, and this location also added something unexpected to the morning. I met colleagues from my own faculty whom I recognised but did not yet know well. We work within the same organisation, but it took an external community event in our own building to give us the opportunity to (re)connect.
That is one of the valuable things about community events. They not only introduce us to entirely new people. They can also help us connect more meaningfully with people who were already nearby.
And, importantly, I discovered that 8.30am was not quite as frightening as I had imagined. Especially when it came with a great breakfast spread, a fantastically diverse group of people and a lot of inspiration.
Returning to The Social Hub (10 July 2026)
My second CreativeMornings event featured the amazing animator and visual artist Vera van Wolferen, speaking on the theme of “Competition”. Vera used her own creative work and experiences to explore competition, comparison and ambition. The theme opened up questions not only about competing with other people, but also about creative identity, expectations and the pressure we place on ourselves. You can watch her talk and see her impressive work here:
The event took place at one of my favourite venues in The Hague – The Social Hub regularly brings together internationals, local residents, entrepreneurs, students, creatives and organisations through talks, workshops, networking events and cultural activities. As always, it was good to catch up with community connector Pawl.
The Social Hub is also where the first CreativeMornings The Hague gathering had been held a year earlier. I had heard about the initiative there when the local chapter first launched, but had not persuaded myself to attend that original morning event, sadly. But at least I didn’t wait any longer!
One year of CreativeMornings The Hague
At the July event, CreativeMornings The Hague celebrated its first anniversary. Ana Moreno reflected on the journey and gave credit to the team of volunteers and community members who have helped grow this community. Then we shared cake! I mean of all the things I was missing out on by not getting up earlier, I didn’t realise cake could be one of them.
During its first year, the chapter has organised free monthly events at different locations around the city, with speakers interpreting a shared global theme through their own work, experiences and perspectives.
The changing venues are part of the appeal. Each event provides an opportunity not only to hear from a new speaker, but also to discover various organisations, workplaces and creative spaces in The Hague. The August event will be held at the Make In Space on 14 August 2026.
The local chapter is organised by volunteers and is part of a much larger international network. CreativeMornings began in New York in 2008, when designer Tina Roth Eisenberg created a simple format for the city’s creative community: a free breakfast and a short talk, held on a Friday morning.
The idea has since developed into a global movement, with chapters in cities around the world. Each month, participating chapters explore the same theme while selecting local speakers who can bring their own interpretation to it. Community members also have an opportunity to book a short slot to share their initiatives as well.
Although the word “creative” is in the name, the events are not only for artists or designers. Creativity can be found in education, technology, business, community building, communication and many other fields.
The CreativeMornings manifesto begins with the belief that everyone is creative and everyone is welcome. That open approach is reflected in the variety of people, professions and perspectives brought together at the events.
More than a monthly breakfast
The live events are only one part of CreativeMornings.
Presentations are recorded and made available online afterwards, which means people can watch talks from The Hague as well as thousands of talks from chapters around the world.
That also means missing an event does not necessarily mean missing the speaker, although watching afterwards cannot fully reproduce the conversations and connections that happen in the room.
CreativeMornings also organises online FieldTrips. These are interactive virtual sessions that can include workshops, practical activities, conversations and opportunities to learn from people based in different parts of the world.
The combination of local gatherings and international online resources makes CreativeMornings more than a monthly event series. It is also a large and accessible archive of ideas, stories and creative practices.
Worth setting the alarm for
After attending two events, I still would not describe myself as a natural morning person. But I may now be a CreativeMornings morning person.
The start time is not actually as early as I had convinced myself it was. It is a little easier in the summer than the winter…but most importantly, the events offer something that is increasingly difficult to reproduce online: a reason to enter a room, meet people outside your usual circle and begin the day with a new idea.
At THUAS, that meant getting to know colleagues better at a fun and friendly event before our work day “really” began – thanks Wendy and Thijs!
At The Social Hub, it meant returning to the place where I had first heard about CreativeMornings The Hague and again experiencing the community I had been promoting for the past year.
Apparently, all it takes to get me out of bed earlier in the morning – and actually enjoy it – is coffee, creativity and community. And sometimes cake. See you there?
AI Use disclosure: ChatGPT Plus assisted with some editing and research for this article. The final article was written and reviewed by a human editor (Renée Tentori)
Join us at Make-In-Space for a very special crafting session! We invite everyone to bring a small craft or project so we can create together.
Make-In-Space is a studio in The Hague run by multi-disciplinary artists Nathaniël, Nathaly and Lillian. Built as a hub for a variety of materials, tools, knowledge and techniques related to: textile, drawing & painting, digital art & design, collage, fashion, writing, ceramics, printing techniques and woodwork.
The studio believes that nourishing creativity and imagination on a daily basis is just as important for health and overall well-being as physical exercise, healthy nutrition, and a positive mindset.
Next to using the space as a private studio to imagine, design, and make whatever inspires them, the artists create and host a variety of workshops and community events at Make-In-Space. The studio is also open for collaborations or space rentals for other events that complement its vision and mission.
Craft with us and feel free to bring your project or start one from scratch! Forgot your project or not sure what to bring? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Make-In-Space will have plenty of easy-to-dive-into materials on hand: from watercolor and collaging magazines to drawing supplies and textiles.
From the outside, the name gives nothing away. Café Marlo has no direct meaning, but it carries a sound close to the Japanese word maroyaka – meaning soft, warm, or mild. Walking in, I can confirm: the name fits perfectly.
This is The Hague’s newest Japanese café, and it is not what you might expect. There is no sushi here, no elaborate omakase, no long tasting menus. What Café Marlo offers instead is something far more personal: the food that Japanese people actually eat every day. The kind of food a mother makes. Nourishing, light, honest food that is good for your body.
Start with the matcha. Café Marlo uses two types – ceremonial grade for hot drinks and Shizuoka which pairs better with milk for everyday drinks. If you know your matcha, you will taste the difference immediately. If you don’t, this is a very good place to start learning.
The must-order, is the fruit sando. A Japanese fruit sandwich sounds like something that should not work – and then you take one bite and understand immediately why it has become a cult item across Japan and, slowly, across the world. Soft milk bread, lightly sweetened cream, seasonal fruit. It is simple in the best possible way.
For something more substantial, the onigiri is your answer. Café Marlo focuses on fresh, handmade onigiri served warm – which is how it should be eaten. If you have been reaching for sushi as your go-to Japanese option, consider this your gentle nudge to try something closer to what actually fills Japanese tables at lunchtime. Rice, filling, nori. Healthy, satisfying, completely unpretentious.
Café Marlo sits on Hooikade, and the location alone is reason enough to visit. The canal-side setting, the cobalt blue door, the sense that you have stepped somewhere slightly removed from the rest of the city – it makes the whole experience feel like a small escape. The kind of place you find yourself wanting to return to on a slow Tuesday when you need something that feels good.
The owners are genuinely lovely. You feel that from the moment you walk in – there is a care here that goes beyond the food, a sense that this café was opened because these two people truly love what they do and want to share it.
Café Marlo is located at Hooikade 1, The Hague. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Find them on Instagram
Go for the matcha. Stay for the fruit sando. Leave feeling, as the name promises, warm.
Images: Sherika Rooplal-Clappers
Do you have a story about your own café, restaurant or bar in the city? Reach out to sherika@thehagueonline.com to possibly be featured.
Sherika Rooplal-Clappers is a contributing writer for The Hague Online, covering culture, lifestyle, and local events. With a passion for storytelling and international perspectives, she highlights the people, places, and experiences that make The Hague a dynamic city.
The Alliance Française of The Hague and the Entente des Associations Francophones are delighted to invite you to a festive seaside celebration at De Waterreus on Scheveningen Beach, bringing together the spirit of France’s National Day in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
📅 Saturday, 11 July 2026 🕓 From 4:00 PM 📍 De Waterreus, Scheveningen
Whether you are French, French-speaking, a Francophile, or simply looking to enjoy a convivial evening in a unique setting, this event is for you!
Programme highlights :
🎤 Live concert by Isa Bornau, winner of the 2026 Francophone Song Contest in the Netherlands
🍽️ Grand Surf & Turf Barbecue
🪩 Dance party with a live DJ
🎟️ Raffle featuring a wide range of prizes generously offered by our French and international partners – tickets available via this link : Événement – Alliance Française
The celebration will be attended by institutional representatives, including Consul General Catherine Feuillet, underscoring the symbolic importance of this event for the French community in the Netherlands.
Practical information :
• Free admission for children under 3 • Children’s menu to be paid directly on site (€15.50) • Vegetarian option available upon request
• Easily accessible by public transport, just a short walk from tram line 11, with parking available 200 metres away and bicycle parking directly opposite the venue.
Reserve your tickets today and join The Hague’s French-speaking and Francophile community for a memorable celebration of France’s National Day by the sea !
In ACCESS Stories this month, Nataliya Volosovych shares how she moved from Florida to Rotterdam in 2010 with her husband, hoping to build a life closer to Ukraine. Over time, she rebuilt her photography career, found community, raised her children in the Netherlands, and grew a business that now has a studio in The Hague. Her sense of belonging became clear when the idea of moving again made her realise that the Netherlands had become home.
ACCESS is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation that has supported the international community in the Netherlands since 1986. English-speaking volunteers provide free, independent information and guidance on living, working and settling in the Netherlands, via a helpdesk, email support and partnerships across the country.
No summer is complete without good ice cream, or better yet, gelato. But the latest spot to open in our city is no ordinary place. Don’t expect the usual flavours like plain vanilla or strawberry. Instead, tap into how you’re feeling and let that guide you. Perhaps you’re new to the city and need a fresh start, or you’re going through a challenging period in life right now and need a reminder that there is still light to be discovered even in the darkest moments. Well, Soul Be It has a flavour and a space for you.
This spot – and the woman behind it – has a special story. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Karen SL Huang moved to The Hague about nine years ago, after spending her whole career in the high-pressure world of advertising and later, marketing. She always had a dream to open her own gelateria since she was a child, and this feeling persisted until, around two years ago, she made the decision to really go after it. Now, Soul Be It is open for everyone to enjoy – a meeting place for friends to catch up, with a record player playing softly in the background and books on mindfulness scattered about.
I was really touched by the passion Karen has. She’s not trying to churn customers in and out of her store quickly; instead, she wants to bring three things to the city that work together: emotions + flavours + connection. The sleek interior feels like an extension of Karen’s own home – and an extension of yours, too. When she saw her customers sitting down, enjoying the gelato and reading some books, this was when she knew her dream had been realised.
It was hard to pick a favourite from the flavours, so instead, I’ll share the story behind a few of them. Fresh Start – to signify that every day is a chance to start over: a sorbet made up of pear and mint. The burst of freshness was undeniable, with an almost savoury feel, and the flavour could even work as part of a palate cleanser between courses.
A Light Unto the Darkness – a reminder that even during the hardest moments in life, there is often a silver lining if we remember to look for it. The taste of dark chocolate comes together in a gorgeous richness without being too bitter, with a hint of orange zest that cuts through.
Rosemary, Greek yoghurt, pink peppercorn — Gezellig is built on a taste you never knew you needed. The flavour takes its name from the Dutch expression for cosiness and warmth, and kumquat compote pieces round it out with a surprising sweetness.
Beyond the storytelling, there’s substance too – most of the ingredients are organic, and Karen is looking to increase that even more. Everything is freshly made every day. You’ll want to come back often, not only to try the new flavour of the week, but also to chat with Karen and have a moment to yourself, with a friend or family member.
Soul Be It is located on Heulstraat 25, walking distance from the Binnenhof
Images: Sherika Rooplal-Clappers
Do you have a story about your own café, restaurant or bar in the city? Reach out to sherika@thehagueonline.com to possibly be featured.
Sherika Rooplal-Clappers is a contributing writer for The Hague Online, covering culture, lifestyle, and local events. With a passion for storytelling and international perspectives, she highlights the people, places, and experiences that make The Hague a dynamic city.
