The Beach - The Beach

We cooperate with people and organizations who realize that in a rapidly transforming society, many issues are not easy to solve. We offer our networks, knowledge and experience in cultural programming and creative processes to companies, governmental and public organizations who are seeking for new perspectives and practices. Besides that we develop our own projects on topics we consider important.

Our philosophy

A 'different perspective' on things, a shift of perspective makes innovation possible. `To our concern hierarchical organization models and related tasks make 'creative innovation' impossible. That is why The Beach operates as a network of people and organizations that emrace openness, involvement and interaction. We are convinced that shaping the future requires different way of thinking, looking and interacting. Seeking and finding new shared meanings are central to our approach.

What we do?

The Beach creates new visions and situations, organizes active participation in projects in the area of creative innovation. New insights are translated into organizational concepts and new ways of working together. Cooperation with the best creative talent in design, art, science and business often yields unexpected but valuable perspectives.
We worked for and with Randstad / Yacht, Ahrend, Rijkswaterstaat, Arts and Culture Noord-Holland, Ymere, Koers Nieuw West, Innovation Network, Pal Weat, Casa 400, Platform for Labour Market and Education (PAO), Oude Huygens / Far West, Holland Casino, ABN AMRO, Trimbos Institute, BPF Bouwinvest, Amvest, HKU, Goods, Kasteel Groeneveld / Ministry of Agriculture, and the Chamber of Commerce Netherlands.
By clicking on the pictures you can see examples of our projects.

How?

By:
- Exploring, naming and imagining new possibilities, other ways of looking.
- Design of future situations, environments.
- Making new crossovers and connections between organizations, sectors, disciplines.
- Directing of active participation and programming collaborations (of coalitions).
- Organizing conditions of organizational culture, leadership and
change.

We-Think Ethic and The Beach

Our vision appears to fit in well with the ideas of Charles Leadbeater, who used in his book We-think: the power off mass creativity (2008) the metaphor of 'the beach'. As he puts it in his essay (Un) Common Ground (2007): "Beaches are ordered without being controlled. No one is in charge. Beaches are model civic spaces: tolerant, playful, self-regulating, democratic in spirit, mildly esque carnival. Underlying it is a simple idea: the beach is a commons where clause People Can self-organize into play (.....) There are no zoning regulations, fences nor white lines to Tell You Where To Go ...". The beach reflects a way of thinking and doing, and it shows in our perspective on the organization of creative processes of innovation.

Who?

Diana Krabbendam, Jan van Tiel en Bas Ruyssenaars are at the core of The Beach and have a broad experience in the field of culture and innovation processes. For the various projects they cooperate with creative thinkers and practioners from various backgrounds. Besides our core team Michael Schwarz (co-founder, The Beach) and Bert Mulder are key partners in our exploration in the landscape of creative innovation.

Why?

Please click to the film by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod.