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‘The depot makes art accessible to everyone.’

Interview with Said Kasmi, Vice Mayor for Education, Culture and Tourism Rotterdam.

From paperboy to vice mayor. The career of Said Kasmi in a nutshell. Beginning with a paper round and climbing up to the executive of Rotterdam City Council. His first exposure to art and culture was at school. That is something he now wants for others: good teaching and cultural education that connects people. As part of this he sees great opportunities for the new depot.

'The depot connects, because of the diversity of the groups of people that it’ll bring together.’

Vice mayor Said Kasmi.

So this vice mayor is every inch a son of Rotterdam?

That’s right. I was born in Morocco, but Rotterdam is the city where I learnt to walk and talk. I’ve always felt safe and at home here. As a lead councillor I can do something for this wonderful city in return. I particularly wanted education in my portfolio because it means you can create greater equality of opportunity for people. And that’s the most important driver for me.

Why is cultural education so important?

Culture is something that many people don’t learn about at home. I speak from experience. I was a child of migrant workers and never went to a museum. I did later on, but through school. Cultural education broadens the horizon of young people, and in so doing expands their world. They can continue to develop their talent through art as a hobby. And that creativity compensates for other things, such as the second language problems that some children inevitably have.

Photo: Fred Ernst.

Is culture also a connecting factor in society?

Culture in the city contributes to the business climate and employment. And it’s also an important sector for issues in the community. Creativity and thinking outside the box are essential for a city, and that’s also the case for area development and the energy transition. Culture and art play a major role when it comes to creating broad awareness and coming up with original solutions.

How can the depot play a role in making art and culture more accessible for everyone in Rotterdam?

Culture always connects because it brings about encounters. In museums and theatres, for instance, where you meet like-minded people. The effect of the depot is even stronger because of the diversity of the groups of people that it’ll bring together. Some come for the architecture, while others want to see the collection and yet others come for the park or the restaurant. The depot has something for everyone, irrespective of age, education or background.

What’s your personal opinion of the depot?

A real eye-catcher! An inviting and daring building that fits perfectly in Rotterdam. It’s very unusual. I’ve travelled a lot, and visited many countries and cities, but I’ve never seen anything like it. As a vice mayor I’m proud that, after the Euromast, the Cube Houses and the Market Hall, there’s another iconic building in Rotterdam. And, something else I want to mention, the depot is part of a bigger city plan. For instance, we are going to make Museumpark and its environs greener and more attractive.

The depot is sure to be a magnet for the public, but not everyone is keen on mass tourism nowadays…

The problem is that in the past, tourism was approached solely as an economic factor. In Rotterdam we’re doing that differently. How can tourism contribute to the city’s challenges and objectives? The answer to that question is at the heart of my policy. The key point is that you have to begin by analysing what’s good for Rotterdam and its people, you have to develop your policy around that. In Rotterdam we want to target tourism on, among others, culture and architecture lovers. The new depot fits perfectly into that vision.

Students building a Tower of Babel during ‘Boijmans in the Classroom’. Photo: Fred Ernst.
Students building a Tower of Babel during ‘Boijmans in the Classroom’. Photo: Fred Ernst.

Coming back to you, what does vice mayor Kasmi like most?

I have a wide-ranging portfolio, from education and culture to tourism and the hospitality industry. As a vice mayor I can’t and don’t want to state preferences. Speaking personally, I love classical music, film and dance very much. I hope that one day I’ll have time to make music myself. But for now I enjoy all the wonderful things others devise and create. And soon, as vice mayor, I’ll also have the privilege of opening the depot. That’s as good as it gets!

Depot Journal

This article has been published before in Depot Journal #2 which is part of a series of six. If you would like to receive all the printed Depot journals by post, please send an email to info@boijmans.nl with your full name and address, reference ‘receive Depot Journals’.