Stille Wateren Festival x Adeziv – Rest is Work

Stille Wateren is a festival in Amsterdam Nieuw-West that transforms the Sloterplas into a space for rest, connection, and creativity. Organized by the Municipality of Amsterdam in collaboration with West Beach Festival, it invites people to slow down and engage with their surroundings through free workshops, communal dining, and immersive experiences.

For this edition, Adeziv was commissioned to design a neuro-inclusive space and workshops based on the theory Rest is Work. Our approach reframes rest as an active, creative, and communal practice—not just a pause but a form of participation in itself.

The space evolved throughout the festival, shaped by its visitors. It provided multiple ways to engage: some chose to simply exist within the space, others created stimming objects as a form of active rest, and many joined discussions about value, exhaustion, and alternative ways of working. Using the Inclusive Club Collective Kit, we ensured the space remained safe, sensory-friendly, and adaptable to different needs and energy levels.

By designing a space that invites, rather than demands, participation, we created an environment where rest was not a luxury, but a right. Stille Wateren x Adeziv was a celebration of slowing down, making together, and redefining what it means to work.