Sites of Memory
Sites of Memory is a Dutch non-profit foundation founded in 2016 that creates site-specific theatrical performances, installations, and educational programs exploring Dutch colonial and slavery history, serving cultural audiences and educational institutions across the Netherlands with growing international co-productions in South Africa and Sri Lanka.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Sites of Memory does
Sites of Memory Stichting is a Dutch non-profit cultural foundation founded in 2016 by cultural historian Jennifer Tosch and theatremaker Katy Streek, headquartered in Amsterdam. The organization develops site-specific theatrical performances, walking tours, installations, and educational programs that surface hidden and under-represented stories from the Netherlands' colonial and slavery history, working in collaboration with museums, theaters, festivals, and an international network of artists. Core products include international co-productions such as Space of Becoming (a dance-theater work premiering in four Dutch cities in 2026 before touring to Sri Lanka and South Africa), the four-year mobile monument "A Conversation with the Past for the Future," permanent installations such as Epigea Repens at Het Scheepvaartmuseum, and city walks including Memory Walk Rotterdam. Technology, in the operational sense, consists of interdisciplinary artistic methods combining dance, spoken word, music, and visual arts, with historical research support from partners such as the Mapping Slavery Project.
The foundation operates through an event-driven go-to-market model. Performances are staged at host venues whose box offices handle ticketing (ticket prices for Space of Becoming range roughly €12–20 depending on venue), while reach is amplified through programming slots at established festivals (Afrovibes Festival, Nederlandse Dansdagen) and Keti Koti commemorations. Revenue is a hybrid of earned income (ticket sales, fees for custom educational programs), public cultural subsidies (Fonds Podiumkunsten, Mondriaan Fonds, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, VSBfonds, Cultuurfonds, VriendenLoterij, plus provincial and municipal funds), and tax-deductible donations collected under the foundation's Cultural ANBI status. Educational programs — covering secondary schools, MBO/HBO/WO institutions, and community co-creation trajectories — are sold directly through a dedicated email channel. Distribution is exclusively through partnered cultural institutions, with no centralized ticketing or direct-to-consumer channel.
Governance follows the Dutch Governance Code Cultuur, Fair Practice Code, and Code Diversiteit en Inclusie; the foundation operates under the CAO Toneel & Dans with a small core staff supplemented by a pool of freelancers, part-time workers, and volunteers. Active markets include the Netherlands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Curaçao; international reach is structured through formal co-production agreements rather than owned infrastructure.
Sites of Memory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sites of Memory
- Legal name
- Sites of Memory Stichting
- Website
- https://sitesofmemory.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sites of Memory is a Dutch non-profit foundation founded in 2016 that creates site-specific theatrical performances, installations, and educational programs exploring Dutch colonial and slavery history, serving cultural audiences and educational institutions across the Netherlands with growing international co-productions in South Africa and Sri Lanka.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Sites of Memory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sites of Memory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales and Performance Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales for theatrical performances, installations, and walking tours presented at various venues across the Netherlands and internationally.
- Subsidies and Grants: Funding from government cultural funds including Fonds Podiumkunsten, Mondriaan Fonds, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, VSBfonds, Cultuurfonds, and various provincial and municipal funds.
- Donations and Gifts: As a Cultural ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling), the foundation receives tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Both one-time and periodic donation options are available.
- Custom Programs and Educational Services: Fees for customized educational programs, lectures, and performances developed for specific clients including schools, conferences, and cultural institutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Performance tickets sold through individual venue box offices |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sites of Memory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sites of Memory is a Dutch non-profit foundation that develops and presents site-specific theatrical performances, installations, and walking tours at museums, theaters, and public spaces across the Netherlands and internationally. Its productions combine dance, spoken word, music, and visual arts to surface hidden and underrepresented stories from Dutch colonial and slavery history. The foundation also develops custom educational programs and co-creation trajectories for secondary schools, vocational institutions, and universities.
Product overview
Sites of Memory is a Dutch foundation that develops artistic projects around shared cultural heritage and hidden, under-represented stories of Dutch colonial history and slavery. The organization offers location-specific performances and installations including: Space of Becoming (international dance theater collaboration), A Conversation with the Past for the Future (mobile monument installation), Forget to Remember (women-focused performance), Free to be Free (location performance on slavery commemoration), Returning the Gaze (theatrical city walk), Memory Walk (Rotterdam city walk), and various boat trips and video installations. Additionally, the organization provides educational programs, workshops, and participation trajectories for schools and institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Space of Becoming International dance theater production exploring the shared colonial and slavery histories of the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and South Africa through dance, music, spoken word, and visual arts. Premieres in Utrecht, Amsterdam, Maastricht, and Rotterdam.
- A Conversation with the Past for the Future Mobile monument installation with portraits printed on flags and audio fragments drawn from prior Sites of Memory performances, designed to expand over four years across multiple venues.
- Forget to Remember Performance that brings under-represented stories from colonial and slavery history to life through music, dance, spoken word, and performance, told from the perspective of women of color.
- Memory Walk Theatrical city walk through Rotterdam along places with a colonial history, co-produced with Theater Rotterdam, bringing history to life through dance, spoken word, and music.
- Free to be Free Location performance taking audiences along stories and places connected to colonial history, developed for the commemoration of the abolition of slavery in 1863/1873.
- Returning the Gaze Location performance involving a theatrical city walk through Haarlem, Amsterdam, and Middelburg where audiences experience local under-represented stories from colonial history through dance, poetry, and live music.
- If These Walls Could Speak Video installation featuring poetry, music, and dance that amplifies hidden and under-represented voices, displayed in historical VOC spaces.
- Decoding the Atlantic World Maritime art installation created for Het Scheepvaartmuseum's Atlantic World exhibition, centering symbols and stories of resistance and healing through deconstructed maritime history imagery.
- Epigea Repens Art installation featuring four flags displayed on the replica VOC ship at Het Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam, with flowers symbolizing death, hope, and remembrance.
- Education Programs Custom educational programs for secondary schools, vocational institutions (MBO), and universities, including lesson materials, workshops, post-show discussions, and co-creation trajectories on colonial history themes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10 years of operation with a global community of partners, researchers, artists, and participants
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sites of Memory
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sites of Memory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sites of Memory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- DOX (Utrecht)coreDOX is the leading talent development and production platform for urban performing arts in Utrecht. They serve as the Dutch co-production partner for Space of Becoming and have collaborated on the Beyond the Space of Becoming club trajectory, where young performers worked with international choreographers and theater makers.
- nATANDA Dance Theatre (Sri Lanka)corenATANDA Dance Theatre from Sri Lanka, founded in 2005 by Kapila Palihawadana, specializes in contemporary dance combining elements of Kandyan dance, classical ballet, and modern movement. They are a key international coproduction partner for Space of Becoming.
- Camissa Create (South Africa)coreCamissa Create (formerly Jazzart Dance Theatre) is a performance company focused on heritage, historical stories, and location-specific work. They use performance art to stimulate social change in South Africa with emphasis on youth and skills development for the next generation in the arts sector.
- Het ScheepvaartmuseumcoreThe Dutch Maritime Museum in Amsterdam hosts permanent installations including Epigea Repens and Decoding the Atlantic World. The museum's replica VOC ship now displays artist installations instead of the historical VOC flag following intervention by Sites of Memory.
- Theater RotterdammajorMajor Rotterdam theater that co-produced Memory Walk 2025, a theatrical city walk exploring Rotterdam's colonial history.
- Mapping Slavery ProjectmajorResearch initiative documenting Dutch slavery history that serves as a historical advisor and research partner for multiple Sites of Memory productions.
- Poetry Circle NowheremajorPoetry collective that collaborates on performances and spoken word elements in various productions.
- Shishani & SisterhoodmajorMusical collective led by Shishani that collaborates as concept creators and performers in productions like Forget to Remember.
- Judith WesterveldmajorVisual artist and poet who designs portraits and creates installations for A Conversation with the Past for the Future and other projects.
- Raul Balai and Jarrett ErasmusmajorArtist duo who created the Epigea Repens installation at Het Scheepvaartmuseum and collaborated on Decoding the Atlantic World.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sites of Memory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mapping Slavery Project: Dutch research initiative documenting the history of slavery in the Netherlands. Research partner and historical advisor for multiple Sites of Memory productions; closely aligned in mission to make Dutch slavery history visible to the public.
- DOX: Utrecht-based talent development and production platform for urban performing arts. Coproduction partner on Space of Becoming; comparable in scale, mission, and audience (urban, multicultural) and serves as a direct peer in site-responsive Dutch performing arts.
- nATANDA Dance Theatre: Sri Lankan contemporary dance company founded in 2005, combining Kandyan, classical, and modern movement. Coproduction partner on Space of Becoming; directly comparable in its fusion of traditional and contemporary forms to explore cultural and historical identity.
- Black Heritage Tours: Amsterdam-based tour company founded by Sites of Memory co-founder Jennifer Tosch. It operates guided tours exploring Black and colonial heritage in Amsterdam and is the most direct conceptual peer, sharing both leadership and subject-matter focus on Dutch slavery history.
- Camissa Create (formerly Jazzart Dance Theatre): South African performance company focused on heritage, historical stories, and location-specific work for social change. Coproduction partner on Space of Becoming; directly comparable in its use of dance and site-based work to address colonial and slavery histories.
Broad incumbents
- Punchdrunk: UK-founded immersive and site-specific theater company known for large-scale productions in non-traditional spaces. Comparable in its pioneering approach to immersive, location-based performance and its model of partnering with cultural venues to deliver experiences.
Others
- FENIX Museum Rotterdam: Rotterdam museum on migration and departure housed in a former warehouse tied to the Holland-America Line. Premiere venue for Space of Becoming as part of Afrovibes Festival; adjacent ecosystem participant engaging colonial and migration history through exhibitions.
- Het Scheepvaartmuseum: The Dutch National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam and a venue partner for multiple Sites of Memory productions and permanent installations (Epigea Repens, Decoding the Atlantic World). It is a host venue and ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor, but operates adjacent to the same colonial-history narrative space.
- Stichting Nationaal Monument Slavernijverleden: Dutch foundation responsible for the National Monument of the Slavery Past in Amsterdam and Keti Koti commemorations. Comparable as a Dutch heritage institution focused on the same subject matter; Sites of Memory's programming is often integrated into its commemorative calendar.
Emerging players
- Theater na de Dam: Nationwide Dutch initiative that presents commemorative theater performances on May 4th. Comparable in its use of site-specific and commemorative performance to engage audiences with Dutch historical memory, though focused on WWII rather than colonial history.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sites of Memory social profiles
Digital presenceSites of Memory compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Sites of Memory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sites of Memory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Sites of Memory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sites of Memory M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sites of Memory
What does Sites of Memory do?
Sites of Memory is a Dutch non-profit foundation that develops and presents site-specific theatrical performances, installations, and walking tours at museums, theaters, and public spaces across the Netherlands and internationally. Its productions combine dance, spoken word, music, and visual arts to surface hidden and underrepresented stories from Dutch colonial and slavery history. The foundation also develops custom educational programs and co-creation trajectories for secondary schools, vocational institutions, and universities.
Is Sites of Memory a public or private company?
Sites of Memory is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sites of Memory founded?
Sites of Memory was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sites of Memory based?
Sites of Memory is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Sites of Memory make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales and Performance Revenue is the primary driver. The others are subsidies and Grants, donations and Gifts and custom Programs and Educational Services.
Who are Sites of Memory's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mapping Slavery Project, DOX, nATANDA Dance Theatre, Black Heritage Tours and Camissa Create (formerly Jazzart Dance Theatre). Punchdrunk is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are FENIX Museum Rotterdam, Het Scheepvaartmuseum and Stichting Nationaal Monument Slavernijverleden. Theater na de Dam is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sites of Memory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sites of Memory.