4 Bells For Freedom is a participatory interdisciplinary community art project celebrating freedom — marking 80 years of liberation and the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam.
In a time when freedom is under great pressure, this project offers a resonant reminder of its fragile nature. At its heart lies the inscription on the Freedom Bell in the Zuiderkerk Amsterdam ‘«Guard freedom, above all, o Amsterdam, that it may protect you» and Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms, inspiring a citywide dialogue on what freedom means to today.
Created in collaboration with the community artcollective Moving Arts Project, youth choir Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam, and artist Rob van den Broek, spoken word artist Lisette Ma Neza, a.o. the project unfolded through discussions evenings, workshops, interactions on the street, and a large-scale closing concert featuring the new composition Cantica Libertatis by Marion von Tilzer.
Children, local residents, seniors, tourists and professional musicians all contributed their voices, weaving together art, philosophy, and community.
Over the course of 6 weeks, the Nieuwmarkt at the heart of the old city became a temporary meeting place with open tables for conversation, a replica of the Liberty Bell, and the Goddess of Liberty. Here, personal reflections on freedom were shared and later transformed into spoken word, musical composition, and a pop-up exhibition during the final concert.
Reached people
1,223 people
Interactive activities
44
The sold-out closing concert in the Zuiderkerk united 145 children from Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam, an international ensemble, Spoken word artist Lisette Ma Neza and the audience in a full-length program featuring texts by Anne Frank, Spinoza, Roosevelt, Gabriela Mistral, spoken word artist, and the children’s own writings.
Voices from the choir, Amsterdam residents, and even the names of freed slaves intertwined into a musical dialogue about the meaning of freedom — past and present.
Altogether, 4 Bells For Freedom reached 1,223 people through 44 interactive activities, making space for diverse voices and demonstrating art’s power to transform and connect.