On 29 March, Podium Bloos and Poppodium Phoenix are the domain of young creators from North Brabant aged between 13 and 19. In 8 categories, they do ‘their creative thing’, in the hope of a @Kunstbende finals place. And yes, it’s worth it: names like Snelle, Martin Garrix, Stefano Keizers, and Abdelkader Benali come from the Kunstbende ‘nursery’. However, great success is not always the goal.

Kunstbende: platform for young talent

What started as a hobby in his teenage years is now a serious sneaker business in the centre of Breda: FAWL Customs. Freek van Gurp from Breda turns every sneaker into a standout piece. “Whether I'm customising a sneaker or cleaning one, I enjoy everything.”

Freek brings new life to your sneakers.

In the Living Lab of Algorithmic Perfumery on Ginnekenstraat, there is an impressive perfume machine that designs a fragrance that suits your personality. The Breda-based Frederik Duerinck designed an intelligent device that creates your unique scent based on an extensive questionnaire. “A scent is so personal and intimate; everyone has different tastes. How wonderful it is that everyone can develop their own perfume?”

Algorithmic Perfumery brings a world of scent

You see it more and more in Breda: people cleaning up litter. Several initiatives are committed to a cleaner Breda, including Opgeruimd Breda. "If you're out for a walk, why not take some litter with you? In the meantime, 685 people are already participating in Opgeruimd Breda." We discuss it with initiator Peter van der List.

Tidied up Breda

In addition to being 'eindbaas' at creative agency Goedzooi, Mitch van Veldhoven is also the chairman of City of Imagineers. An association for and by creative people in Breda, which - according to Mitch - perfectly demonstrates what we excel at here: being open to one another and not being afraid to try something new.

Mitch van Veldhoven on City of Imagineers

Are you interested in words that come together to form the meaningful, creative, amazing expressions known as poetry, spoken word, and literary performances? Then v.v. EIGENBELANG is for you! If you haven't heard of the literary platform in Breda, read on. We spoke with word artists Liek, Jesse, and Joep about this cool collective.

v.v. EIGENBELANG

Something to celebrate? Or do you want to treat yourself but can't be bothered to go out? Bring a chef into your home! No shopping or fuss. Just a delicious dinner, prepared in your own kitchen and served at your own table. These chefs will be happy to provide you with a restaurant experience at home. Sit back & relax!

Private chef at home

In 2011, Elwin Verploege and Tino van der Kraan, classmates at the then NHTV (now Breda University of Applied Sciences), joined forces to establish Sassybot. What began as a graduation project grew into an independent game studio with multiple award-winning games. Elwin Verploege shares the story behind the founding of Sassybot, the challenges of remaining independent in the gaming industry, and his involvement in the thriving game community of Breda.

Elwin Verploege on the Breda-based gaming company Sassybot

Breda brings it together – the city slogan of Breda. Maurice Vermeulen managed to translate this perfectly into the concept of 076@WORK. This building provides space for all kinds of businesses. From video production to finance - different sectors come together here. And that is what 076@WORK is all about: collaborating and strengthening each other. "It's not just a place to work," Maurice explains, "but also a breeding ground for collaborations and new ideas.

Maurice Vermeulen on 076@WORK

Leon van Rooij from Playgrounds has been working in the creative industry for almost 30 years, is the organiser of Breda Game Week, and teaches at St. Joost School of Art & Design. "If you want to put Breda on the map as a gaming city, you need to be visible and collaborate. By engaging in that connection with each other, you can make the community bigger.

Breda gaming city: Leon van Rooij

Matthijs van de Laar started the company Twirlbound together with fellow student Marc Peyré in 2013. More than 10 years later, they have launched the successful game Pine and are currently working hard on a second game. "One thing that Breda game companies have in common: passion.

Breda game city: Matthijs van de Laar speaks

Anna Grunske is a fourth-year student of Illustrated & Animated Storytelling at St. Joost School of Arts & Design. She moved from Germany to the Netherlands at the age of 21 for love. "I was already making art, but that was just a hobby. Now I know I can actually make a career out of it.

Breda's talent: Anna Grunske

Breda is full of beautiful stories; from the creators, the residents, the entrepreneurs, and everyone making an impact in and for Breda - whether in the past or present.

Stories

Green entrepreneurs explain why they consciously think about a more beautiful Breda