Collecting Beats brings people together to create a collaborative impact on society through arts

I'm Maite van der Marel, musician, artistic leader and strategist working at the intersection of arts, community and societal change.

My work starts from a simple belief: that music and arts have the power to move people in ways nothing else can. Not as decoration, but as a genuine space where something shifts. Where people connect across difference, discover new perspectives, and realise what they are capable of. Where both musical beats and human heartbeats flourish.

Over the past fifteen years, this belief has guided my work across neighbourhoods, conservatories, mental health contexts and international communities in the Netherlands, the Middle East and Latin America. Each context is different, but the core question remains the same: how can artistic practice create the conditions for meaningful dialogue, belonging and transformation?

From this question, I developed Collecting Beats, a practice built around three pillars: community activation, learning and development, and artistic cross-sector interventions.

I bring together people, organisations and communities through co-creation, creating environments where people can discover their voice, strengthen their sense of belonging and experience themselves as active contributors to the world around them.

My leadership style is exploratory, empathetic and strategic. I see connections others miss, ask questions that open things up, and create the space for people to show up fully and authentically. I believe that when people create together, something shifts — not only in individuals, but in the relationships between people and the communities they are part of.

If that resonates, I'd love to connect.