On Saturday, September 26, the largest BurenDag ever will be celebrated. During the 21st edition, with over 10,400 registered neighbourhood activities, the 10,000 activity mark will be broken for the first time and a new record set. With over 600,000 expected participants, BurenDag, an initiative of Douwe Egberts and the Oranje Fonds, has grown into one of the largest social events in the Netherlands.
On BurenDag (National Neighbours’ Day), neighbours come together to get to know each other better and do something positive for their street, neighbourhood, or village. Throughout the Netherlands, residents organise a wide variety of activities, such as neighbourhood barbecues, coffee mornings, game afternoons, street play days, cleanup campaigns, greening projects, neighbourhood bingo, communal meals, and gatherings for young and old.
Since the first edition in 2006, BurenDag has brought people together to make their neighbourhood more pleasant, social, and stronger. The initiative by Douwe Egberts and the Oranje Fonds continues to grow every year and shows how much value people place on good contact with their neighbours.
The record number of activities underscores how important neighborhood connection is. In a time when many contacts increasingly take place digitally, Neighbors’ Day offers people the chance to meet each other in person. Strong neighborhood networks contribute to greater trust, livability, and mutual support in the neighborhood. From neighborhood barbecues and greening projects to street play days and gatherings for young and old: residents throughout the Netherlands are rolling up their sleeves.
Connection close to home “The fact that at least one activity is taking place in virtually every Dutch municipality this year is fantastic,” says Sandra Jetten, Director of the Oranje Fonds. “It shows how deep-seated the desire to look out for one another is. Change starts with small, local initiatives on the street. It is precisely these encounters between neighbors that create a greater sense of connection and contribute to a society where people feel seen and involved. As the Oranje Fonds, we are incredibly proud that we can give neighbors across the country that helping hand to make their neighborhood a nice place.”
“At Douwe Egberts, we have believed in the power of a good conversation for generations. It is special to see how a cup of coffee can grow into new contacts, friendships, and neighborhood initiatives. The fact that a record number of neighborhoods are now participating proves that people still have a need for real-life encounters. We are incredibly proud of that,” says Kathelijne Malcontent, who works at Douwe Egberts.
Registration is still possible Although the record has already been broken, the organisation calls on neighborhoods to keep getting involved. Initiators can register their neighbourhood activity up until the day itself via the Burendag website.
In ACCESS Stories this month, Beata van Velzen reflects on a relocation journey that began when she left Poland for London at the age of 24 and eventually led her to the Netherlands. Although she appeared well integrated, it was the care and compassion she experienced during her premature daughter’s hospital stay that made the Netherlands truly feel like home. She also explores the unexpected challenges of returning to your country of origin, and how moving abroad can reshape your identity, sense of belonging and understanding of what home means.
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.
Join us at The Social Hub to hear a regenerative talk by our speaker Akash Kumar, who is a regenerative designer, researcher and an educator working with textiles, craft, folklore and storytelling.
Growing up in a farming family in Jharkhand, India, he developed a deep connection with land, natural materials and the knowledge hidden in the things we create and pass on through generations. In his hands-on projects and workshops, he links traditional knowledge to contemporary life, exploring how making can become a tool for collective learning, ecological care and regeneration.
This talk could not be more timely, as Akash and his work offers a perspective on current global concerns surrounding our environment and the planet we cohabit. He invites us to consider how the ways we make and create can contribute to ecological regeneration. We hope to see you there!
In ACCESS Stories this month, Maryam Mollaei reflects on her first months in the Netherlands after moving from Iran, and the unexpected emotional and practical challenges of becoming a newcomer again. From navigating unfamiliar systems to rebuilding her professional and social identity, she discovered that finding a sense of home was less about paperwork or place, and more about the people around her. Through friendships, shared meals, conversations and new connections, the Netherlands gradually began to feel less like a destination and more like a community.
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.
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.
