Joan Biekman (NL)

Joan Biekman, born in the inner city of The Hague of The Netherlands. She currently works as a grant consult at The Performing Arts Fund NL on the urban program. For over fifteen years she has been a contributor behind the scenes in the Dutch hip-hop, R&B and urban creatives scene, especially in The Hague. She has organized several hiphop and urban network meet ups and even won the Popradar pop prize in 2020 for 'Best Hague Initiative' for Meet The Urban Pro’s in collaboration with PAARD. Joan is also the founder of the platform and streetwear brand Urban Chicks With Brains and organizer of the networking, meeting and inspiration events. In 2020 she launched her consultancy agency Urban Creatives With Brains to expand her knowledge in the field of diversity, hip-hop and urban culture and youth participation beyond The Hague. She has served as a board member for several organizations, including HipHop In Je Smoel and Epitome Entertainment, and is currently a member of the Colonial and Slavery History Commission at the local government in The Hague. She is also part of the working group that contributed to local activism and the realization of the first transatlantic slavery monument in The Hague, located at the Lange Voorhout in the city’s colonial center. In 2021, she co-founded The Black Hague Experience, an initiative to collaborate with and promote entrepreneurs of African and Caribbean descent. The initiative celebrated its 5th anniversary on July 1st 2025 (Keti Koti, Emancipation Day). On the 8th of March 2024 she won the Kartiniprize 2024 for her contribution in women emancipation for especially black girls/women and girls/women of color in The Hague.