David Cornelissen
David Cornelissen
Creative Director, Brand & Culture · /
By uniting multidisciplinary creative teams across audio, art and visual curation, communications, brand partnerships, and large-scale events and specifically tailored activations, I orchestrate a shared vision that translates artistic integrity into strategic impact — with an authentic, independent spirit.
Get in touch Available from May 2026
Based in Amsterdam, working internationally
Experience
Creative Director
Creative lead at one of the world’s most recognised electronic music and cultural platforms. Together with a close team, responsible for the overall creative vision and strategic direction across festival, events, merchandise, partnerships, label, and brand — from the first idea through to what people experience on the ground. Over the past decade, helped grow Dekmantel from a young festival organisation into an internationally recognised cultural institution: a flagship festival (60,000+ capacity), a year-round event programme with multiple festivals across the globe, a global club tour, a record label, and a merchandise operation.
Music Curation
Led the artistic programming across all Dekmantel events and international editions, working closely with a dedicated artist production team. Together, we curated lineups, built long-lasting relationships with artists and agencies, and helped shape careers along the way — always with a focus on balancing underground credibility with global reach, protecting the core of Dekmantel’s curatorial expectancy up to further evolving the brand identity visually and sonically.
Brand Partnerships & Commercial Strategy
Identified, developed, closed, and delivered strategic brand collaborations together with internal and external stakeholders — aligning commercial partners with Dekmantel’s cultural positioning while protecting artistic integrity. The best partnerships came from genuine alignment: shared values, mutual respect, and a willingness to build a shared vision with long-term execution. Managed the full lifecycle from pitch and concept through to on-site activation and evaluation.
Experience Design & Production
Oversaw the conceptualisation and realisation of large-scale cultural experiences — site design, spatial programming, sound system architecture, and the integration of visual arts, film, and performance into the event framework. Worked alongside architects, designers, sound engineers and artists to create environments that set the standard for the European festival landscape.
Cross-functional Leadership & Budget Management
Led the entire creative side of Dekmantel as part of the management team — overseeing the talent booking team, communications, merchandising, label operations, and new business development. Managed multi-million euro budgets across multiple streams including programming, production, partnerships, and merchandise. Brought together cross-functional teams across creative, commercial, and operational disciplines to deliver on a shared strategic vision.
Selection of Curated Work
Dekmantel Ten — Festival 2024
Ten years of Dekmantel Festival over 10 days
RADAR Stage Dekmantel
Concept development & art direction in collaboration with Joeri Woudstra
Dekmantel Podcast Series
500+ contributing artists to date
Senior Brand Manager Benelux
Worked with cross-functional teams to successfully launch Lynk & Co as a new automotive brand in the Benelux market. Developed cultural partnerships with tastemakers and creatives to position the brand at the intersection of mobility, lifestyle, and community. The flagship partnership was with the Dutch National Short Track Speed Skating Team — connecting elite sport with a new kind of car brand built around sharing, not owning.
Concept Development & Strategy
Part of the founding team of Het HEM, a 12,000m² art and cultural institution in Zaandam. Worked alongside architects, artists and a small core team to shape both the physical space and its conceptual framework — from programming and identity to how the building itself would function as a platform for culture.
Additional projects and references available upon request.
Recognition
Education
Executive Leadership Programme
Director-level leadership development covering strategic decision-making, leadership styles, organisational alignment, and complex multi-year budget management.
Erasmus University Rotterdam
English Literature (British and Commonwealth)
Hogeschool Rotterdam
Skills
Creative Direction Event Production Music Curation Brand Partnerships Budget & P&L Management Strategic Planning Team Management
Mixes
LinkedIn Instagram SoundCloud © David Cornelissen