A Tale of A Tub is a non-profit institution for contemporary art and culture located in the former washhouse and bathhouse of the Justus van Effencomplex in Spangen, Rotterdam. The complex was designed in 1922 by Dutch architect Michiel Brinkman as a social housing project for the city’s dock workers, and is named after the eighteenth-century journalist, italic writer and translator Justus van Effen (who, importantly, translated the political satire A Tale of A Tub to Dutch for the first time).

Throughout the complex—which now has heritage status and continues to function as an apartment block—modernist ideals of rationalism and functionalism are reflected in the self-sufficiency of the building and the sense of community emphasised through architectural planning. In this way, and when in operation, the bathhouse and washhouse formed the centrepiece of the complex, and was a place where residents met to bathe and launder together.

As the only contemporary art space in Spangen and inspired by the historical, communal and residential functions of our location, A Tale of A Tub works with artists, curators, writers and practitioners from various fields of research to develop projects that are intersectional in nature and often based on dialogue with the neighbourhood. As such, our program draws on the social impulse of the site, developing exhibitions, events, education initiatives and publishing projects to bring a range of people, places and (urgent) ideas into conversation through art.
 
A Tale of A Tub was founded in 2014 by Nathanja van Dijk and Suzanne Wallinga and was directed in partnership with Fleur van Muiswinkel and Carolyn Drake Kandiyoti. Between 2019–2021, the institution was jointly directed by Julia Geerlings and Niekolaas Johannes Lekkerkerk and from 2022–23 Julia Geerlings was the sole director and curator. As of 2024, A Tale of A Tub is run by artistic director Isabelle Sully and business director Sofie Post.
 
A Tale of A Tub is structurally supported by the Mondriaan Fonds and Rotterdamse Cultuurplan (Gemeente Rotterdam). We additionally receive project-specific support from a range of funding bodies including Cultuurfonds, VriendenLoterij Fonds/Stichting Doen, Stichting Stokroos, CBK Rotterdam and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.

Our annual reports for 2022 and 2023 are available here and here. A Tale of A Tub is a member of De Zaak Nu and holds ANBI status.

Team

Artistic Director
Isabelle Sully
isabelle@a-tub.org
 
Business Director
Sofie Post
sofie@a-tub.org
 
Education Curator
Lisanne Janssen
lisanne@a-tub.org
 
Project Coordinator
Erika Roux
erika@a-tub.org
 
Volunteer Coordinator
Alina Sing-Cih Wang
alina@a-tub.org
 
Graphic Design
Sabo Day

Translation
Mirjam Linschooten

Website Programmer
Ronja Andersen
 
Installation Technicians
Tomi Hilsee
and Ramón Jiménez Cárdenas
 
Hosts

Raissa Bonfanti
Ligia Cristea
Miriam Del Seppia
Marin de Heij
Antonina Iakovleva
Madara Sīmane
Can Toksoy
Vanda Vlasicova

Supervisory Board

Noëlle van den Dungen, Junior Member
Susan Gibb, Treasurer
Jessy Koeiman, General Member

Arnold Lubbers, General Member

Vacancies

There are currently no vacancies at A Tale of A Tub, however we always welcome enquiries about joining our volunteer team.