On May 1st 2024, Dave Vanderheijden (co-founder) has stepped down as the general director of ALL CAPS. Alongside Daniël Claessens, he founded the festival in 2018, following a series
of successful street art projects under the banner of Hiphop In Je Smoel. The Netherlands
was ready for a street art festival, resulting in rapid development that made the festival an
indispensable part of the Rotterdam festival calendar.
In 2020, ALL CAPS became a separate foundation, but the team structure remained largely unchanged. With further professionalization in mind, it was decided to split the teams in 2024 to avoid overlapping roles, as Dave Vanderheijden also held the position of general director at Hiphop In Je Smoel.
Reflecting on his departure, Dave says, “I look back with appropriate pride on six
challenging yet successful editions. ALL CAPS is a unique festival in the Netherlands, but
also complex to organize due to its many facets. Unfortunately, many people do not realize
how complicated it is, but it is not without reason that there is no other similar festival in the
Netherlands. It was fantastic to pioneer with a small team and see ALL CAPS grow into a
festival that enjoys increasing international recognition. My strength and ambition lie in
pioneering, and that phase is over; the festival is entering a new phase and can thrive
without me.”
Starting May 1st, Katherina Doxiadis will assume the role of managing director,
having been involved since the first edition, albeit in the capacity of head producer and
finance manager. Daniël Claessens will expand his role from curator to artistic director.
Behind the scenes, work is underway for the 2024 edition of ALL CAPS, scheduled to take
place between September 1st and 8th in Beverwaard.
