Cultura Collective – Connect. Create. Inspire.
A non-profit platform for cultural diversity, creative networks, and social impact.
Mission
Cultura Collective connects musicians, cultural professionals, and creative spaces from all areas of arts and culture to co-create projects and strengthen cultural participation. Through events, workshops, and digital tools, we build sustainable structures for a vibrant and diverse cultural landscape.
Vision
We believe in culture as a unifying force. Our vision is a society where art, music, and creativity are accessible to everyone—regardless of origin, education, or budget.
What We Do
- Organize cultural events and community formats
- Support and promote artists
- Develop a digital platform for networking
- Provide educational and workshop offerings in a cultural context
Our Values
Community. Diversity. Creativity. Participation. Impact.
Looking Back: Where We Come From – Cultural Engagement with Lasting Impact
Cultura Collective gGmbH is not a spontaneous idea, but the result of years of deeply rooted cultural commitment.
Rainer Maassen is a co-founder of Cultura Collective gGmbH and brings strong entrepreneurial experience paired with deep cultural roots:
As a shareholder and managing director of Convento GmbH, he proudly celebrated the company’s 30th anniversary in 2025. His entrepreneurial know-how forms a solid foundation for strategic development and building networks.
He is also a passionate jazz musician and an active member of the local jazz scene—especially in Düsseldorf and beyond. For many years, he has volunteered on the board of the association “Jazz in Düsseldorf e.V.”, which operates the renowned jazz club Jazz-Schmiede, where he plays a major role in programming and club management.
In addition, Convento GmbH has long been a cultural sponsor of jazz formats in the region—such as the Hildener Jazztage, the festival Jazz City Bilk, the Young Talent Awards, and especially as the main supporter of the jazz series Blue in Green at the Neuss cultural venue Alte Post.
One notable example of his cultural support: In 2011, he co-initiated the Convento Jazz Prize NRW with the State Music Council of North Rhine-Westphalia, which honored young ensembles such as the Offshore Quartet from Cologne. The award, directed by him, was presented at Jazz-Schmiede Düsseldorf and drew significant attention.
The second founder, Marcel Clemens, significantly shaped the local cultural scene far beyond Düsseldorf-Bilk through the Pure Note project—as the operator of a zero-waste store and restaurant with a strong cultural program.
Pure Note became the city’s cultural living room: Over a span of three years, up to 80 events took place annually—ranging from concerts and readings to stand-up comedy and interdisciplinary collaboration projects. Concert series like L’appel du printemps (focused on French culture, in cooperation with Düsseldorf’s art house cinemas), Female Fall (highlighting female artists), or Latin Sunsets (featuring renowned artists from Spain and Latin America) were widely appreciated by both audiences and the press.
“A zero-waste shop as a cultural venue? What might sound unusual has long since become a creative institution in Bilk.”
— Westdeutsche Zeitung
“Pure Note proves that sustainability and culture are not mutually exclusive—in fact: diversity is lived here.”
— RP Online
Innovative formats such as The RRX Fusion Experiment blended jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music across regional boundaries—from Cologne to the Ruhr area. Collaborations like Kino à la Carte (three-course dinner plus a cinema visit at Metropol Kino) or the interactive reading series Wart mal kurz, where the audience actively participated, showcased the program’s experimental spirit. The stand-up comedy series Musen Kollektiv regularly filled the house, and the monthly jazz jam sessions quickly gained cult status.
But Pure Note was more than just a venue—it became the starting point of a neighborhood-shaping movement. From this cultural commitment, the Pulse of Bilk initiative was born, advocating for the cultural and social revitalization of Brunnenstraße—with visible success.
“Pulse of Bilk brings fresh energy to Brunnenstraße—and culture back into public space.”
— Düsseldorf Blog
The strength of the initiative was particularly evident during the pandemic: A fully volunteer-organized online festival brought together concerts, DJ sets, interviews with shop owners, and short films—streamed from the street’s shops, produced with minimal resources but maximum impact. The videos garnered over 10,000 views on the Pulse of Bilk YouTube channel and provided a sense of connection in a time of isolation.
“Our goal is to demonstrate the solidarity among local business owners and artists and to raise the profile of Brunnenstraße as a shopping destination,” said Marcel Clemens in the Rheinische Post, 21.02.2021.
Additionally, two street festivals were initiated under the Pulse of Bilk name, which impressed with a diverse program, strong cooperation, and high participation. Continuous media presence in local newspapers, cultural platforms, and social media reflected the societal relevance of these activities—not only for Düsseldorf, but for the surrounding region as well.
