Rachid Atia

At ErfgoedLab Antwerp, Rachid Atia works to strengthen heritage awareness and literacy among the people of Antwerp. He develops innovative projects within the city’s education sector, collaborating closely with teachers, schools, and educational organisations to create new ways of engaging with heritage and memory.

Alongside this, he actively connects with groups and communities whose stories are often underrepresented. He curated Everything of Value, an exhibition at MAS that highlights the diversity of heritage and its communities. He also contributed to Martial Arts, an exhibition exploring the meaning and history of combat sports in Antwerp.

Rachid Atia will be speaking at the Museums & Public Programs Summit 2026 :

Martial Arts. A solid collaboration between the MAS museum, ErfgoedLab and Antwerp sports clubs

There is often a (wide) gulf between culture lovers and sports enthousiasts. In the hyperdiverse city of Antwerp, martial arts in all its forms are widly practised. And many of these citizens are not acquainted with visiting museums, and vice versa.

We collaborated intensively with the city’s sports department, communities and clubs. In this way we enhanced the takeover of the Martial Arts exhibition from Wereldmuseum Amsterdam with images and stories that reveal the hidden world and heritage of Antwerp’s martial arts scene.

We also strengthen community connections by actively teaming up for a broad and varied public programme.