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17-25 October 2026

Sanctuary of Sound and Whispers

A time-out from busy DDW, this is a place to engage in communal creation and where the act of listening becomes a shared ritual.

Hosted by Foundation We Are

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Event type

At night

Accessibility

Tactile
Dogs are allowed
Free wifi available
Toilets available
Fully wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair friendly toilet available

Event time

17:30
-
00:00
Set during Dutch Design Week, the event houses a listening bar reimagined as a chapel of sound which blends the communal energy of a bar with the intimate, hushed atmosphere of a listening experience.

Step into the listening bar!

During DDW, Foundation We Are becomes a "Sanctuary of Sound and Whispers", a listening bar dressed as a chapel. Curtains drape the perimeter, smoke crawls the floor, candles flicker, and scents of milk, wood, frankincense, and myrrh hang in the air. A fountain pours. A confessional waits. This is an event slowed to a ritual. Step in lightly.

"Sanctuary of Sound and Whispers" presents curated vinyl sets that weave through the night, soft enough to speak over, warm enough to move to. Because connection doesn't always begin with words. Sometimes it begins with two people quietly noticing the same song.

At the heart of the sanctuary stands a Eurorack modular system, our digital altar. All evening, guests and artists are invited to lay their hands on it: shape a texture, bend a tone, add a whisper to the evening's shared sound. No expertise required. Only curiosity. What you touch becomes part of what everyone hears, a fleeting sonic ritual that will exist exactly once, then dissolve. Will you leave your voice in the machine?

With Adriaan de Man, Martin Hooke, Felix Bell, Lioba Benold, Olympe, and Samael Ceccotti.

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About Foundation We Are

Foundation We Are was established in Eindhoven in 2018 with the aim of enabling and facilitating unexpected collaborations by bringing together the creative sector and experts in societal transitions. Its mission is to promote and practice interdisciplinary design while supporting and empowering designers through community- and society-focused projects. Through this work, Foundation We Are develops cross-practice incubators, exhibitions, events, and educational programmes.