#easterndocklands — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #easterndocklands, aggregated by home.social.
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Alles moet beter
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Tuesday, June 23 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Een film over activisme en het falen van een vastgeroest systeem.Op 23 juni vertonen we de film ‘Alles moet beter’; een indringende blik op opgroeien in een wereld vol systeemcrises. De film volgt jongeren die op verschillende manieren geraakt worden door dit falen, en hun zoektocht naar hoe het beter kan, of moet.
Zo staat Sam (27) terecht voor Extinction Rebellion-acties, nadat de gemeente haar vorig jaar als ambtenaar op non-actief zette vanwege haar activisme. Ruben (24) wacht al een jaar als verlamd op het einde van zijn rechtszaak nadat hij als PvdA-commissielid in Dordrecht informatie lekte over een mogelijke deal met gif-uitstotend bedrijf Chemours. Rohan (23) is verwikkeld in een eindeloze strijd voor gepaste hulp. Zijn gemeente, Den Haag, helpt hem, als ‘Toeslagenkind’, nauwelijks, terwijl hij wel recht heeft op steun. Alle drie zetten ze zich in voor hun idealen, en alle drie raken ze verstrikt in de bestaande systemen. Kan de jongere generatie een verschil maken in een wereld die vóór hen is ingericht?
Na afloop gaan we hierover in gesprek met regisseur Dikla Zeidler. We praten over hoe het is om jong te zijn in tijden van meerdere systeemcrises, over de zoektocht naar hoe het beter kan, of moet, en ook over de beeldtaal van de documentaire. Meld je aan en praat 23 juni mee!
Met in dit programma Dikla Zeidler Freelance documentary filmmakerMeer over de film
Alles moet beter volgt drie jongeren die op verschillende manieren geraakt worden door opstapelende systeemcrises en toont hun zoektocht naar hoe het beter moet. Zo staat Sam (27) terecht voor burgerlijke ongehoorzaamheid bij klimaatacties, nadat de gemeente haar een jaar eerder als ambtenaar op non-actief zette vanwege haar activisme. Rohan (23) is verwikkeld in een eindeloze strijd voor gepaste hulp voor hem als ‘Toeslagenkind’, maar wordt daarbij van het kastje naar de muur gestuurd. Ruben (25) wacht al een jaar op het einde van zijn rechtszaak nadat hij als PvdA-commissielid in Dordrecht informatie lekte over een mogelijke deal met gif-uitstotend bedrijf Chemours. Alle drie raken ze verstrikt in de bestaande systemen.
Begeleid door protestmuziek van o.a. Hang Youth, Ploegendienst, Sef en Sophie Straat komen hun individuele acties, van protest tot politiek, samen in één schreeuw van urgentie: Alles moet beter!
Over de sprekers
Dikla Zeidler (41) is documentairemaker en journalist. Ze maakte eerder onder andere de documentaires De Kinderen van Mokum, en ik en SAMAR – vliegen we of vallen we? Haar werk draait veelal om coming-of-age en idealisme. Daarnaast is ze altijd in het bijzonder geïnteresseerd geweest in verdiepende verhalen achter het nieuws. Alles moet beter is haar vijfde film.
Lees meer ‘Ik wil laten zien dat sommige problemen te groot zijn om als individu aan te pakken’De documentaire ‘Alles moet beter’ (NTR) volgt drie jongeren die op verschillende manieren geraakt worden door falende systemen. Het moet beter, maar kan dat? Dikla Zeidler volgde de jongeren een aantal jaar in hun zoektocht. NPO Doc sprak met de regisseur over het maakproces
Straatinterviews over de thema's uit de filmOnderaan de pagina staan de straatinterviews van Jahkini Bisselink in Heerlen, Winschoten en Amsterdam Bijlmer.
Alles moet beter! Maar waar moeten we beginnen? In het kader van de documentaire reist Jahkini Bisselink het hele land door op zoek naar antwoorden.
Documentaire ‘Alles moet beter’ legt worstelingen van jongvolwassenen bloot: ‘Ik heb het idee dat Gen Z heel slecht wordt begrepen’Regisseur Dikla Zeidler schetst de frustraties van een volgens haar onbegrepen generatie. Drie twintigers vertegenwoordigen falende en vastgeroeste systemen in de documentaire. ‘Ik wilde hun frustraties voelbaar maken.’
BeroepsactivistDikla Zeidler laat angst, moed, wanhoop, hoop afwisselen en toont de warmte die gelijkgestemdheid oplevert.
De last op de schouders van jongeren die de wereld willen veranderen. ‘Ik kan niet het niet doen’Het vergt heel wat om te vechten voor een betere wereld. Documentairemaker Dikla Zeidler brengt de twijfels, woede en vermoeidheid in beeld van jongeren die voor hun gevoel niet gehoord worden.
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Off the Page
Mezrab, Tuesday, November 10 at 08:00 PM GMT+1
Have you ever been to a public reading by a renowned author, and watched them hide behind their own words, avoiding the eyes of their fans? Then they sign their books, often without even glancing inside. For all they know, they could be autographing copies of ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’. We storytellers are different. We immerse ourselves in our audience, aiming our stories to each and every one of them. We don’t just share stories; we embody them, using our very presence as a signature. Yet, while our craft is every bit as vital as novelists and poets, they’re the ones basking in accolades, media spotlights, honorary degrees, and HBO deals.
To level the playing field, storytellers have united to shake up literature. Imagine Proust’s magnum opus summarized in mere minutes, Don Quixote sent on a wild adventure aboard the Pequod, or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with a happy ending.
Those ‘writer-writers’ might fight back, but our voices will be louder than their cease-and-desist letters. Join our rebellion!
Doors open at 19.00, event starts at 20.00.
Dad is making soup.
Entrance: Donations.
Language: English -
Papa Terrible
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Monday, June 15 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Een uitgebluste filmmaker volgt zijn rock-’n-roll vriend wanneer die vader wordt, om zo te proberen uit zijn eigen babyblues te komen.Muzikant Thijs belichaamt alles wat filmmaker Jeroen, inmiddels een uitgebluste vader, lijkt te zijn verloren: vrijheid, lef en onvoorwaardelijke liefde. Wanneer Thijs aankondigt dat hij vader wordt, besluit Jeroen hem te volgen tijdens zijn voorbereiding op het vaderschap. Terwijl hij Thijs observeert, begint hij ook zijn eigen leven opnieuw te bekijken en grip te krijgen op wat vaderschap inhoudt. Een ironische coming-of-age documentaire voor mannen die allang volwassen hadden moeten zijn. Een film over falen en de stille paniek van mannen die niet weten wat ze moeten zijn. Over vaders die aan de zijlijn staan, en de schaamte van tekortschieten. Maar ook: over onverwachte schoonheid, liefde zonder handleiding en de mogelijkheid dat het toch goed komt – al is het maar een beetje.
Met in dit programma Jeroen Bronckers Regisseur Thijs Heij Muzikant, tekstschrijver, producerOver de sprekers
Jeroen Bronckers is een Utrechtse cineast, fotograaf en kunstenaar. Hij studeerde film aan de Kunstacademie St. Joost in Breda, waar hij in 2015 afstudeerde met de documentaire The Creator Has a Masterplan. Sindsdien werkte hij als regisseur, cinematograaf en editor aan uiteenlopende fictie-en documentaire producties, en exposeerde hij zijn eigen werk op verschillende festivals en locaties. Voor Jeroen is de camera een verlengstuk van zichzelf: een manier om te schrijven, te ademen en grip te krijgen op de wereld. Toen hij vader werd en de camera noodgedwongen een stap terug deed, belandde hij op een existentieel kruispunt. Dat besef vormde de voedingsbodem voor Papa Terrible. Zijn beeldtaal ontwikkelde Jeroen in de Utrechtse muziekscene, waar hij als fotograaf intensief samenwerkte met muzikanten. De camera werd zijn paspoort; wat hij aan muzikaal talent miste, vond hij in beeld. Zo ontmoette hij Thijs Heij, die uitgroeide tot zijn fotografisch schetsboek en artistieke tegenhanger. Tien jaar van gedeelde tochten vol drank, drugs en rock-’n-roll leidden uiteindelijk tot de intiemste documentatie van allemaal: de film waarin Thijs vader wordt.
Thijs Heij is een Utrechtse muzikant, tekstschrijver en producer. Hij is zanger van de band TAXIKAT, componist van filmmuziek en speelt in verscheidene tribute bands, waaronder de in binnen- en buitenland populaire Joy Division Undercover. Onder zijn eigen naam brengt hij sinds 2009 zijn eigen Nederlandstalige muziek uit, waaronder de van TV bekende ‘Als iets in de knoop zit, maak er dan niet nog een knoop in’ en de underground hit ‘Zand in je kutje’. Geliefd door sommigen, gehaat door een aantal. Thijs groeide op in een gezin met twee vaders en twee moeders. Zijn vaders zijn er niet meer; dus Thijs kan bij hen geen advies meer vragen. Maar zonder of met de bagage van zijn verleden: Thijs voelt de noodzaak zijn leven zelf vorm te geven, eigenwijs, zonder vangnet, op zijn eigen manier.
‘Ik heb geen geld, geen goede baan, geen succesvolle carrière en geen auto van de zaak. Ik heb geen spaarrekening, geen groot huis, geen grote schouders. Ik mis twee kiezen. Rook en drink veel. Ik kan eigenlijk niets van wat je in het plaatje van een standaard man kan vinden.’
– Thijs HeijMeer over There Will Be Film
There Will Be Film is een in Rotterdams/Amsterdams productiehuis, gerund door Chris de Krijger, Sven Peetoom en Juliette Dominicus. De organisatie richt zich op het maken van betekenisvolle, auteursgedreven films en het ondersteunen van vernieuwende vormen van cinema en filmkunst. De stichting vergroot de toegang tot filmkunst voor nieuwe en ondervertegenwoordigde publieksgroepen. Recente producties van TWBF zijn onder andere de korte film Little Problems, de middellange documentaires Papa Terrible en Mama’ku, en de expanded cinema-installatie To Caress a Cloud – allen in première gegaan op het Nederlands Film Festival 2025. Eerdere projecten zijn onder meer de documentaire Indisch Zwijgen (2022), de hybride korte film En Passant (2025), de webserie MAUS (2022) en de internationale coproductie The Indonesian Dialogues (2024).
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Welcome to the Playground
Mezrab, Tuesday, September 29 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Expect stories to be told in a myriad of ways: words, movement, music, comedy. We will curate a variety of expressions and just want you to be part of the experience!
Doors open: 19:00
Show starts: 20:00
Soup: Yes.
Entrance donation based -
Welcome to the Playground
Mezrab, Tuesday, June 30 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Expect stories to be told in a myriad of ways: words, movement, music, comedy. We will curate a variety of expressions and just want you to be part of the experience!
Doors open: 19:00
Show starts: 20:00
Soup: Yes.
Entrance donation based -
Vintage Voudou Dance Night ♫ Listening session in the Dark & Tropical Dance Party
Mezrab, Saturday, May 30 at 09:30 PM GMT+2
Vintage Voudou Dance Night ♫ Listening session in the Dark
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& Tropical Dance Party
El Javier B & Edo Bouman
Saturday 30.05.2026 @ MezrabBewitching, raw & rootsy vintage dance music from around the globe, 100% vinyl!
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Vintage Voudou celebrates dance music from every corner of the globe, showcasing tunes deeply rooted in local traditions — music that nourishes the soul, captivates the ears and is irresistible to dance to. With selections ranging from Ghanaian Highlife to Tamil film music, Colombian cumbia, Greek tsifteteli, and Surinamese kaseko and beyond, Edo Bouman tirelessly seeks out the most infectious dance tracks from the golden age of vinyl, spanning the 1950s to the 1980s, creating a vivid tapestry of global music history, rediscovering rhythms that shaped dance floors and cultural traditions across the world.For over 15 years, Vintage Voudou has been Amsterdam’s leading specialist in vintage tropical music, organizing parties, spinning records, and selling rare vinyl. The bimonthly Vintage Voudou party kicks off with a listening session before setting the dance floor on fire with the warm-blooded, analog sounds of vintage music with human-made rhythms. Each edition we invite top DJs/ Collectors in the field to share their music and to give us an introduction into the music they love in the listening session.
All music played from original, often exceedingly rare, vinyl and sometimes shellack!
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This edition’s listening session is dedicated to vintage Puerto Rican music, home of the infectious styles Plena and Bomba and the rootsy Jibaro, selected by El Javier_B
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GUEST: El Javier_B
Born and raised in Maracaibo, Venezuela—a region geographically and culturally close to Colombia—El Javier_B grew up surrounded by Afro-Colombian rhythms, salsa, and Caribbean sounds. His signature sound creates a sonic bridge between deep-rooted heritage and vintage experimentation, mixing Vintage Tropical & Cumbia: Classic Afro-Latin grooves, and traditional percussion, Latin Funk & Psychedelia: Venezuelan folklore through a psychedelic lens, and Vintage afro grooves, a deep-digging selection of world wide Afro (inspired) grooves.★
Door Open: 21:00
LISTENING SESSION IN THE DARK: 21:30-22:30
Dancing: 22:30Tickets online: 10 EUR
Online students tickets (limited) 7,50 euro★
@ElJavier_B@vintagevoudou
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@mezrab_
https://www.mixcloud.com/Javier-B/
https://linktr.ee/eljavier_b
https://www.facebook.com/vintagevoudourecords https://www.facebook.com/culturalcafemezrab -
Tell, then show! – our storytelling jam
Mezrab, Sunday, October 4 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Tell, then Show! is an open storytelling evening where we share the stories behind our favourite songs, films, and books. What’s the story you see when you hear that one track? Why does that scene or sentence stick with you?
Everyone is welcome to join in—but no pressure if you’d rather just listen.
You only have to bring three things: a song, a short video and a book – and above all: tell us why you brought it.
Afterwards, we’ll briefly tune into the song or enjoy the clip together.No need for it to be your ultimate favorite song. It could be one you’re not fond of at all, the one you hate most, maybe even the most boring book you’ve flipped through, or your mom’s treasured tune, or the funniest thing you’ve ever seen, or the song that made you fall in love ... the song that made you fall out of love, a funny memory, ... just something you want to show to us!
... as long as it comes with a story.
Got the idea?We also have two special guests sharing their own unforgettable picks.
Come tell, or just come see. Tell, then Show.
Doors open at 19.00, event starts at 20.00.
Dad is making soup.
Entrance: Donations.
Language: English.https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/tell-then-show-our-storytelling-jam-8
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Off the Page
Mezrab, Tuesday, October 13 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Have you ever been to a public reading by a renowned author, and watched them hide behind their own words, avoiding the eyes of their fans? Then they sign their books, often without even glancing inside. For all they know, they could be autographing copies of ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’. We storytellers are different. We immerse ourselves in our audience, aiming our stories to each and every one of them. We don’t just share stories; we embody them, using our very presence as a signature. Yet, while our craft is every bit as vital as novelists and poets, they’re the ones basking in accolades, media spotlights, honorary degrees, and HBO deals.
To level the playing field, storytellers have united to shake up literature. Imagine Proust’s magnum opus summarized in mere minutes, Don Quixote sent on a wild adventure aboard the Pequod, or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with a happy ending.
Those ‘writer-writers’ might fight back, but our voices will be louder than their cease-and-desist letters. Join our rebellion!
Doors open at 19.00, event starts at 20.00.
Dad is making soup.
Entrance: Donations.
Language: English -
Off the Page
Mezrab, Tuesday, September 8 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Have you ever been to a public reading by a renowned author, and watched them hide behind their own words, avoiding the eyes of their fans? Then they sign their books, often without even glancing inside. For all they know, they could be autographing copies of ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’. We storytellers are different. We immerse ourselves in our audience, aiming our stories to each and every one of them. We don’t just share stories; we embody them, using our very presence as a signature. Yet, while our craft is every bit as vital as novelists and poets, they’re the ones basking in accolades, media spotlights, honorary degrees, and HBO deals.
To level the playing field, storytellers have united to shake up literature. Imagine Proust’s magnum opus summarized in mere minutes, Don Quixote sent on a wild adventure aboard the Pequod, or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with a happy ending.
Those ‘writer-writers’ might fight back, but our voices will be louder than their cease-and-desist letters. Join our rebellion!
Doors open at 19.00, event starts at 20.00.
Dad is making soup.
Entrance: Donations.
Language: English -
Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, July 3 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
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These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-86
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, July 10 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-85
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, July 17 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-84
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, July 31 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-82
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, July 24 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-83
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, August 21 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-79
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, August 28 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-78
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, August 14 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-80
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, August 7 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-81
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, September 11 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-76
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, September 18 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-75
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, September 4 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-77
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, September 25 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-74
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, November 6 at 08:00 PM GMT+1
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-88
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-73
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, October 30 at 08:00 PM GMT+1
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-87
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, June 26 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-69
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, October 9 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-70
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, October 16 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
—————
These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-72
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Mezrab Friday Night Storytelling
Mezrab, Friday, October 2 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Every Friday we pick the world’s finest storytellers to tell true, mythical, fabulous and comedic stories. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not 🙂
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These are our most popular nights and it can get very crowded. If you want to avoid big crowds, please choose one of our other storytelling nights every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Doors open at 19.00
Event starts at 20.00
Soup? YES!
Entrance: Donation based
Language: Englishhttps://offbeat.amsterdam/event/mezrab-friday-night-storytelling-71
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Bohemian Balkan Night ★ Nadara Gyspsy Wedding Band ♫
Mezrab, Saturday, June 27 at 09:00 PM GMT+2
Bohemian Balkan Night ★ Nadara Gyspsy Wedding Band
Saturday 27.06.2026 @ Mezrab
★Nadara Gypsy Wedding Band
Nadara stands today among Eastern Europe’s most electrifying contemporary Romani ensembles. Much like the legendary Taraf de Haïdouks, the band first gained international attention through filmmaker Tony Gatlif, who featured them in his Cannes-selected film Transylvania and entrusted them with its unforgettable soundtrack. He later called on them again for the score of Liberté, where Nadara’s leader, the violinist Tocila, performed as the film’s first violin.
Born from the artistic union between Alexandra—a French-born nomadic singer—and Tocila, a Roma violinist from Szaszcsávás, Nadara delivers a high-voltage stage experience that blends Transylvanian Romani heritage with the musical soul of the wider Carpathian region. Their virtuoso ensemble reimagines traditional Hungarian and Romanian repertoires that once inspired great composers such as Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók, as well as jazz legends like Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli.
What Nadara brings to the stage goes far beyond a concert. Musicians and dancers fuse East-West influences into a vibrant, bohemian, immersive ritual—a musical trance that sweeps audiences onto the misty, magnetic roads of the land often associated with Dracula.
Nadara isn’t just a band. It’s a cultural journey. A celebration. A pulse you feel long after the last note fades.
★
Doors open: 20.15
Concert: 21:00
Tickets: 14,50 EUR
Limited student online tickets: 10 EUR
Door tickets: 17,50 EUR -
Pearls on a String
Mezrab, Tuesday, June 23 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Hey there!
Are you ready for the awesome storytelling event called “Pearls on a String”?
It’s going to be a super fun mix of stories, music, and improv. Get ready to see how these things come together for a great time! 🎤🎶😄Doors open at 19.00, event starts at 20.00.
Dad is making soup.
Entrance: Donations.
Language: English. -
When the Almond Trees Bloom
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Thursday, May 21 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
In conversation with Samina Vabo Ansari, the author of When the Almond Trees Bloom.Something is shifting in the world. What once felt stable is beginning to crack. Old stories no longer hold. For too long, many worlds have reached us filtered through conflict, reduced to a dateline, a threat assessment, a refugee statistic. When the Almond Trees Bloom: Alchemising War, Crisis, and Chaos is a powerful and haunting book that cuts to the heart of what it means to endure extreme upheaval, what the author calls “the permanent system of war”, and to be transformed by it. Moving between poetry and testimony, the personal and the political, Samina Vabo Ansari writes from the epicentre of Afghanistan’s wars, weaving together memory, geopolitical insight and mysticism into a narrative that is as intimate as it is universal. Far more than a story of exile or conflict, the book explores what happens when entire systems, nations, institutions, identities, collapse under the weight of truth, and how the insight forged in extreme circumstances can be carried forward into responsible action and mature leadership. The almond tree blooms in the cold, before anyone is ready, because that is its nature. This book is written in that same defiance.
In conversation with Samina Vabo Ansari Lawyer, peacebuilder, storyteller & community weaverAbout the Author
Samina Vabo Ansari is an Afghan-Norwegian lawyer, peacebuilder, storyteller, founder and community weaver whose journey stretches from the war-marked streets of Kabul to the stillness of the Norwegian fjords. Trained in law and guided by a lifelong devotion to culture and justice, she has worked at the crossroads of diplomacy, entrepreneurship and innovation alongside global institutions such at the United Nations and the European Union. She has safeguarded Afghan heritage along the ancient Silk Road, advised governments and social enterprises, and brought the voices of artists, storytellers, and systems thinkers to international forums. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, France 24, Der Spiegel, and Vogue. When the Almond Trees Bloom is her debut book and her most intimate act of remembrance yet.
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Tina Farifteh
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Wednesday, June 10 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
In gesprek met Tina Farifteh over ontworteling, empathie en over hoe we naar elkaar kijken.In deze bijzondere editie van Fotokroniek duiken we in het werk van transmediaal kunstenaar Tina Farifteh. Samen met Tina bespreken we de ins en outs van haar maakproces en verdiepen we ons in de thema’s die een rode draad vormen in haar werk. Dat doen we aan de hand van haar drie meest spraakmakende projecten. In de documentaire ‘Kitten of Vluchteling?’ (2023) onderzoekt Tina hoe de media en sensatiegedreven algoritmes ons brein en ons empathisch vermogen beïnvloeden. Deze film dwingt de kijker zich af te vragen: waarom zijn we zo meelevend naar de één en zo meedogenloos naar de ander? Dat brengt ons bij het project ‘Asiel’ (2025). In deze expositie, gemaakt in opdracht van het Rijksmuseum, legt Tina de wreedheid van het Nederlandse asielsysteem vast, vanuit het perspectief van asielzoeker B. Waar ‘Asiel’ de keiharde realiteit toont van iemand die nét hier is, laat Tina in haar nieuwste docuserie ‘Tina in Sexbierum’ (2025) zien hoe het is om na bijna dertig jaar in Nederland nog steeds te strugglen met het concept ‘thuis’. Is het thuisgevoel van de één onlosmakelijk verbonden met het uitsluiten van de ander? En hoe zit het met Tina’s eigen inlevingsvermogen tegenover haar nieuwe Friese dorpsgenoten?
Vanavond gaan we in gesprek over wat het betekent om te ontwortelen en om je thuis te voelen. Wat het vraagt om empathisch te zijn, hoe we kijken naar ‘de ander’ en hoe die ander kijkt naar ons.
Met in dit programma Tina Farifteh Beeldend kunstenaar, fotograaf, filmmakerOver de spreker
Tina Farifteh (1982) is fotograaf, filmmaker en beeldend kunstenaar. In haar werk onderzoekt ze de impact van machtsstructuren op het dagelijks leven. Ze is geboren in Iran, kwam op haar dertiende naar Nederland en studeerde in 2021 af aan de KABK in Den Haag. Haar spraakmakende documentaire Kitten of Vluchteling? (VPRO, 2023) werd bekroond met de Zilveren Camera Prijs voor Storytelling. Diezelfde prijs won ze met haar daaropvolgende project Asiel, gemaakt voor Document Nederland 2025 (Rijksmuseum) en genomineerd voor de NN Art Award 2026. Samen met Boris Acket maakte ze voor BredaPhoto de installatie Toen ik de zon en de maan tegelijk zag (2024). Dit werk is aangekocht door het Fries Museum en vormt de basis voor haar huidige, transmediale project: Tina in Sexbierum. In deze driedelige documentaireserie (Prospektor/VPRO/Omrop Fryslân) gaat Tina het gesprek aan met haar Friese dorpsgenoten. Het resultaat is een reeks eerlijke, grappige en soms confronterende ontmoetingen tussen twee schijnbaar verschillende werelden.
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The Unseen
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Monday, May 18 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
The Unseen schijnt licht op het leven in de immigrantengetto’s van Zuid-Italië. Hoe kan het dat deze onzichtbare plekken blijven bestaan, ook hier in Europa?The Unseen volgt drie Afrikaanse migranten die wonen in Borgo Mezzanone, één van de grootste immigrantengetto’s van Zuid-Italië. Deze documentaire werpt licht op de arbeidsuitbuiting die zij ondergaan in de landbouwsector. We volgen drie personages: Maya, Babucarr en Lamin. Hoe overleven zij in een wereld waar ze amper hun hoofd boven water kunnen houden? En hoe maak je ruimte om te dromen wanneer je dagelijks dealt met uitbuiting? Teruggaan is geen optie, maar blijven: ondragelijk. Na afloop van de film gaan we met makers Milou Rientjes en Niek Pennings, en Anna Ensing van FairWork in gesprek over de situatie in Italië en de realiteit van ongedocumenteerden in Nederland.
Met in dit programma Milou Rientjes Maker documentaire 'The Unseen', Co-founder Nuru Foundation Tanzania Niek Pennings Maker 'The Unseen', cameraman, founder Beeldzeggend Filmproducties Anna Ensing Programmacoördinator bij FairWorkOver de makers / sprekers
Milou Rientjes heeft een achtergrond in International Development Studies, waarmee ze zich voortdurend inzet voor kwetsbare gemeenschappen. Ze deed onderzoek naar de uitbuiting van Afrikaanse arbeidsmigranten in Italië, wat leidde tot haar debuutdocumentaire The Unseen. Na haar werk als teamleider bij VluchtelingenWerk richte ze Nuru Foundation Tanzania op. Milou gelooft in film als krachtig middel voor bewustwording en actie.
Niek Pennings begon zijn carrière als cameraman en editor in de televisiewereld en startte in 2007 zijn eigen productiebedrijf Beeldzeggend. De afgelopen acht jaar richt hij zich volledig op zijn ware passie: documentaires. Voor Niek is film de ultieme manier om oprechte verhalen vast te leggen die raken, een ander perspectief bieden en het publiek stof tot nadenken geven.
Anna Ensing werkt bij FairWork, een organisatie die zich inzet tegen arbeidsuitbuiting en voor de bescherming van kwetsbare arbeidsmigranten. Anna Ensing is coördinator van het programma Uitbuiting onder Ongedocumenteerden. In haar werk houdt zij zich bezig met het signaleren van misstanden, het ondersteunen van slachtoffers en het versterken van bewustwording rondom eerlijke en veilige arbeid. Vanuit haar expertise brengt zij een praktijkgerichte en maatschappelijke blik in het debat.
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Regenerative economics
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Tuesday, May 26 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
An evening with the unconventional economist John Fullerton on regenerative economics.What would it mean when capitalism is redesigned to work like a living system? In his book Regenerative Economics economist, investor and author John Fullerton explains why today’s economic model is failing and reveals eight principles for an economy that can foster resilience, justice and health for people and planet. Together with Prof. Dirk Schoenmaker, members from Rethinking Economics and the audience we discuss how these principles can move from theory to practice.
Together with John Fullerton Economist, and author of Regenerative Economics Dirk Schoenmaker Professor of banking and finance Femke Schootstra Economist at Our New Economy and Coördinator at Rethinking Economics NLMore information on the speakers
John Fullerton is an unconventional economist, writer, educator, and impact investor widely considered the architect of Regenerative Economics. He is the founder of Capital Institute, dedicated to the bold reimagination of economics and finance in service to life, and the author of Regenerative Economics: Revolutionary Thinking for a World in Crisis (New Society Publishers, 2025). After a 20-year career on Wall Street, where he was a Managing Director of JPMorgan, John walked away in 2001 with no clear plan but many pressing questions — a decision that led, after encountering the work of Dana Meadows and witnessing 9/11 firsthand, to the founding of Capital Institute in 2010. His courses in Regenerative Economics and Regenerative Finance have since reached more than 2,500 alumni across 81 countries. He is a member of the Club of Rome and was featured alongside James Lovelock in the 2021 award-winning documentary Going Circular.
Dirk Schoenmaker is Professor of Finance at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam. His research and teaching focus on the areas of sustainable finance, wellbeing economics, central banking and European financial integration. He is regular speaker at academic and professional conferences. Dirk is also a Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Research (CEPR) and cochair of the Sustainable Finance Lab.
Femke Schootstra is economist at Our New Economy and Board member of Rethinking Economics NL. In these organisations she works on transforming economic thinking and economics education. Both the think tank Our New Economy and Rethinking Economics envision economics as pluralist, real-world, value-conscious and open to other disciplines, for an economy that is more just and in support of life. Her interests lie in post-growth thinking and the challenge of growth imperatives, democratising the economy, the financial system and debt, decolonising economics and political philosophy.
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The Fifth Wall
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Wednesday, May 20 at 07:00 PM GMT+2
Een filmische EP over het spanningsveld tussen dromen en realiteit.Wat gebeurt er wanneer muziek, film en persoonlijke groei samenkomen? Tijdens deze avond duiken we in The Fifth Wall: een filmische EP van creative en producer ROOM996 (Meshach Boye). The Fifth Wall verkent het spanningsveld tussen dromen en realiteit. Hoe doorbreek je de grenzen van je huidige werkelijkheid? En hoe blijf je bewegen richting je ambities, ondanks obstakels die je onderweg tegenkomt, zeker als jonge maker uit de Bijlmer? In dit multidisciplinaire project worden deze vragen vertaald naar een audiovisuele ervaring waarin muziek en beeld naadloos in elkaar overvloeien. Na een eerdere besloten première bij OSCAM wordt de filmische EP nu voor het eerst publiekelijk vertoond in een nieuwe setting. De screening nodigt bezoekers uit om niet alleen te kijken en luisteren, maar om echt onderdeel te worden van de wereld van ROOM996, een mentale ruimte waarin creativiteit centraal staat.
Na de vertoning volgt een verdiepend panelgesprek met onder andere director Ian Bodo Del Angel, MC Lost en de maker ROOM996. Samen gaan zij in op het creatieve proces achter het project en delen zij concrete inzichten en tools die helpen bij het verleggen van persoonlijke en artistieke grenzen. Een avond over verbeelding, doorzettingsvermogen en het creëren van je eigen ruimte.
Met in dit programma ROOM996 Music Producer, Creative Storyteller & Junior Director Ian Bodo del Angel Lehmann Director of Photography, Editor MC Lost Schrijver, rapper en performer NATAO Woordkunstenaar, Spoken-word artist, performer Sydney Lowell dichter, host en cultureel organisator Sydney Lowell is spoken word dichter, performance en recording artiest, stemacteur, en host. Ook is ze oprichter & organisator van creatief platform We The People Amsterdam. Zij zal vandaag de moderator zijn van deze avond! ROOM996 Music Producer, Creative Storyteller & Junior DirectorMeshach Boye, oftwel ROOM996 is een multidisciplinaire artiest die werkt op het snijvlak van muziek, beeld en beleving. Onder de naam ROOM996produceert hij muziek en werkt hij samen met opkomende artiesten binnen genres als hiphop, soul, R&B, afro en drill, vaak met een experimentele insteek. Voor hem is muziek zelden het eindpunt, maar het begin van bredere verhalen die zich vertalen naar visuele en ruimtelijke ervaringen. Als startende creative director en conceptontwikkelaar initieert en begeleidt hij projecten van idee tot ervaring, waarbij hij de essentie bewaakt en zorgt dat alles inhoudelijk en esthetisch klopt.
Ian Bodo del Angel Lehmann Director of Photography, Editor Ian Bodo is een multidisciplinaire visual storyteller die werkt met film en fotografie. Hij richt zich op het vertellen van onvertelde verhalen over de menselijke conditie. Zijn werk strekt zich uit van Ghana tot Mexico, met als drijfveer om ons dichter bij onszelf te brengen. Als director van de film ‘’The Fifth Wall’’, zal hij delen wat de gedachtegang is achter het gehele proces. MC Lost Schrijver, rapper, performer MC Lost is Roger Buyne. Rapper, schrijver en performer. Hij draagt voor op gevoel. Soms op het randje, vanuit het hart, maar vooral vanuit de stad. ‘De Bijlmer om precies te zijn.’ MC Lost is een van de artiesten op de filmische EP, waarbij hij op deze dag zijn perspectief deelt op het thema van The Fifth Wall. NATAO Woordkunstenaar, Spoken-word artist, performer NATAO is een Storyteller die zich richt op het verbinden van verhalen en personen. “Identiteit, verbinding en persoonlijke ontwikkeling” is de rode draad die door NATAO loopt. Haar stukken verkennen zowel the good, the bad and the ugly. Hierin maakt zij connectie met haar publiek en neemt ze hen mee door een scala aan emoties. Bij dit evenement zal zij een rode draad vormen van de hele avond: met een performance in de PSA, de film zelf en in de paneltalk -
The Fifth Wall
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Wednesday, May 20 at 07:00 PM GMT+2
Een filmische EP over het spanningsveld tussen dromen en realiteit.Wat gebeurt er wanneer muziek, film en persoonlijke groei samenkomen? Tijdens deze avond duiken we in The Fifth Wall: een filmische EP van creative en producer ROOM996 (Meshach Boye). The Fifth Wall verkent het spanningsveld tussen dromen en realiteit. Hoe doorbreek je de grenzen van je huidige werkelijkheid? En hoe blijf je bewegen richting je ambities, ondanks obstakels die je onderweg tegenkomt, zeker als jonge maker uit de Bijlmer? In dit multidisciplinaire project worden deze vragen vertaald naar een audiovisuele ervaring waarin muziek en beeld naadloos in elkaar overvloeien. Na een eerdere besloten première bij OSCAM wordt de filmische EP nu voor het eerst publiekelijk vertoond in een nieuwe setting. De screening nodigt bezoekers uit om niet alleen te kijken en luisteren, maar om echt onderdeel te worden van de wereld van ROOM996, een mentale ruimte waarin creativiteit centraal staat.
Na de vertoning volgt een verdiepend panelgesprek met onder andere director Ian Bodo Del Angel, MC Lost en de maker ROOM996. Samen gaan zij in op het creatieve proces achter het project en delen zij concrete inzichten en tools die helpen bij het verleggen van persoonlijke en artistieke grenzen. Een avond over verbeelding, doorzettingsvermogen en het creëren van je eigen ruimte.
Met in dit programma ROOM996 Music Producer, Creative Storyteller & Junior Director Ian Bodo del Angel Lehmann Director of Photography, Editor MC Lost Schrijver, rapper en performer NATAO Woordkunstenaar, Spoken-word artist, performer Sydney Lowell dichter, host en cultureel organisator Sydney Lowell is spoken word dichter, performance en recording artiest, stemacteur, en host. Ook is ze oprichter & organisator van creatief platform We The People Amsterdam. Zij zal vandaag de moderator zijn van deze avond! ROOM996 Music Producer, Creative Storyteller & Junior DirectorMeshach Boye, oftwel ROOM996 is een multidisciplinaire artiest die werkt op het snijvlak van muziek, beeld en beleving. Onder de naam ROOM996produceert hij muziek en werkt hij samen met opkomende artiesten binnen genres als hiphop, soul, R&B, afro en drill, vaak met een experimentele insteek. Voor hem is muziek zelden het eindpunt, maar het begin van bredere verhalen die zich vertalen naar visuele en ruimtelijke ervaringen. Als startende creative director en conceptontwikkelaar initieert en begeleidt hij projecten van idee tot ervaring, waarbij hij de essentie bewaakt en zorgt dat alles inhoudelijk en esthetisch klopt.
Ian Bodo del Angel Lehmann Director of Photography, Editor Ian Bodo is een multidisciplinaire visual storyteller die werkt met film en fotografie. Hij richt zich op het vertellen van onvertelde verhalen over de menselijke conditie. Zijn werk strekt zich uit van Ghana tot Mexico, met als drijfveer om ons dichter bij onszelf te brengen. Als director van de film ‘’The Fifth Wall’’, zal hij delen wat de gedachtegang is achter het gehele proces. MC Lost Schrijver, rapper, performer MC Lost is Roger Buyne. Rapper, schrijver en performer. Hij draagt voor op gevoel. Soms op het randje, vanuit het hart, maar vooral vanuit de stad. ‘De Bijlmer om precies te zijn.’ MC Lost is een van de artiesten op de filmische EP, waarbij hij op deze dag zijn perspectief deelt op het thema van The Fifth Wall. NATAO Woordkunstenaar, Spoken-word artist, performer NATAO is een Storyteller die zich richt op het verbinden van verhalen en personen. “Identiteit, verbinding en persoonlijke ontwikkeling” is de rode draad die door NATAO loopt. Haar stukken verkennen zowel the good, the bad and the ugly. Hierin maakt zij connectie met haar publiek en neemt ze hen mee door een scala aan emoties. Bij dit evenement zal zij een rode draad vormen van de hele avond: met een performance in de PSA, de film zelf en in de paneltalk -
Shadow Game
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Thursday, June 18 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Filmvertoning van Shadow Game, een coming of age-verhaal van jonge vluchtelingen op een avontuurlijke reis door Europa. Nagesprek met Eefje Blankevoort.Donderdagavond = filmavond bij Pakhuis Kino. Samen kijken we een film, genieten we van een lekkere ‘knabberei’ van Vrouw met de Baard en praten na afloop verder over het thema of het makerschap. Film, gesprek en snack; alles voor een goede donderdagavond! Deze filmavond is in samenwerking met Cinema Delicatessen, een Nederlandse distributeur met een scherp oog voor bijzondere documentaires. Hun missie: eigenzinnige cinema een plek geven in de Nederlandse filmcultuur. Tijdens deze avond kijken we een film die uitnodigt om anders te kijken naar de wereld én naar film zelf. Na de vertoning gaan we in gesprek over het makerschap achter de film: hoe vang je een verhaal en welke keuzes maakt een filmmaker bij het verbeelden van de werkelijkheid? Deze keer op het programma: Shadow Game, winnaar van een Gouden Kalf voor Beste Lange Documentaire 2021. Een coming of age-verhaal van jonge vluchtelingen op een avontuurlijke reis door Europa.
Met in dit programma Eefje Blankevoort Oprichter Prospektor, documentairemaker en creatief producentOver de film
Shadow Game is een coming of age-verhaal, een avontuurlijke reis door Europa met pubers als onze gidsen. In deze mozaïekvertelling worden de ervaringen van jonge vluchtelingen samengesmeed tot een universeel verhaal. Zullen ze alle obstakels overwinnen en een nieuw thuis vinden?
Drie jaar lang volgden regisseurs Eefje Blankevoort en Els van Driel (De Deal) verschillende jongeren op hun tocht door Europa: van Griekenland tot Servië en van Bosnië en Herzegovina tot Italië en Nederland. De tieners doorkruisen besneeuwde landschappen en mijnenvelden, en komen onderweg agressieve grenspolitie tegen. Het bereiken van de eindbestemming is moeilijker dan ooit. Een deel van het materiaal is door de jongens zelf op hun telefoon gefilmd.
Shadow Game is onderdeel van een transmediaal project bestaande uit de feature length documentaire, een serie korte follow-up docu’s (30’), een adventure game, tentoonstellingen en een impactcampagne.
Over de regisseur Eefje Blankevoort (1978) is regisseur en creatief producent, en studeerde Geschiedenis aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam. Tussen 2002 en 2006 verbleef zij met grote regelmaat in Iran, waar zij studeerde, een archief samenstelde voor het Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis en werkte aan haar boek “Stiekem kan hier alles”. Eefje heeft zich sindsdien ontwikkeld tot een journalistieke duizendpoot; ze schrijft artikelen en boeken, maakt interactieve projecten, tentoonstellingen en documentaire films. Als creatief producent begeleidt ze de makers van Prospektor. -
Regenerative economics
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Tuesday, May 26 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
An evening with the unconventional economist John Fullerton on regenerative economics.What would it mean when capitalism is redesigned to work like a living system? In his book Regenerative Economics economist, investor and author John Fullerton explains why today’s economic model is failing and reveals eight principles for an economy that can foster resilience, justice and health for people and planet. Together with Prof. Dirk Schoenmaker, members from Rethinking Economics and the audience we discuss how these principles can move from theory to practice.
Together with John Fullerton Economist, and author of Regenerative Economics Dirk Schoenmaker Professor of banking and finance Femke Schootstra Economist at Our New Economy and Coördinator at Rethinking Economics NLMore information on the speakers
John Fullerton is an unconventional economist, writer, educator, and impact investor widely considered the architect of Regenerative Economics. He is the founder of Capital Institute, dedicated to the bold reimagination of economics and finance in service to life, and the author of Regenerative Economics: Revolutionary Thinking for a World in Crisis (New Society Publishers, 2025). After a 20-year career on Wall Street, where he was a Managing Director of JPMorgan, John walked away in 2001 with no clear plan but many pressing questions — a decision that led, after encountering the work of Dana Meadows and witnessing 9/11 firsthand, to the founding of Capital Institute in 2010. His courses in Regenerative Economics and Regenerative Finance have since reached more than 2,500 alumni across 81 countries. He is a member of the Club of Rome and was featured alongside James Lovelock in the 2021 award-winning documentary Going Circular.
Dirk Schoenmaker is Professor of Finance at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam. His research and teaching focus on the areas of sustainable finance, wellbeing economics, central banking and European financial integration. He is regular speaker at academic and professional conferences. Dirk is also a Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Research (CEPR) and cochair of the Sustainable Finance Lab.
Femke Schootstra is economist at Our New Economy and Board member of Rethinking Economics NL. In these organisations she works on transforming economic thinking and economics education. Both the think tank Our New Economy and Rethinking Economics envision economics as pluralist, real-world, value-conscious and open to other disciplines, for an economy that is more just and in support of life. Her interests lie in post-growth thinking and the challenge of growth imperatives, democratising the economy, the financial system and debt, decolonising economics and political philosophy.
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RAAF
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Friday, May 22 at 07:00 PM GMT+2
Stand up for animal rights in your own way. Are you interested in animal rights and wondering how you can make a difference for animals? RAAF is a recurring event where experienced animal rights advocates share their personal stories, insights, and practical advice. Get inspired and explore ways to stand up for animals that fit your personality, talents, and strengths. Before the programme, visitors can optionally join for a vegan dinner (17:30). After the talks, there is time for connection in a warm and welcoming atmosphere where you can recharge and meet like-minded people. Together with Kasia Mak Community Builder Heartbeet Lenneke van Gaal Lawyer For The Animals bij Stop Humane Washing Alexandra Berlin-based VEGAN activist Lammert van Raan Author and campaigner DINA MuzikantAbout the speakers
Kasia Mak is a marketer and strategist on a mission to make our food system healthier, more ethical, and more sustainable. She pivoted her career into the plant-based, moving from Burger King to vegan activism. Her own experiences inspired her to start building Heartbeet, a female-led community to empower and support others on their vegan journeys. Heartbeet has been active for over two years, bringing together more than 300 members and hosting monthly meetups in Amsterdam, and soon beyond. Lenneke van Gaal is a lawyer specializing in trademark law, advertising law, and unlawful publications, with nearly fifteen years of experience examining how communication shapes public perception. After becoming vegan, she began critically analyzing the claims made by the animal industry, such as “animal-friendly meat” and idyllic images of farm life, which suggest that the use of animals can be ethical. This led her to found Stop Humane Washing, an initiative that challenges misleading marketing around animal products and exposes how such narratives conceal the realities of animal agriculture.Lammert van Raan is a former Member of Parliament for the Party for the Animals, where he introduced the Climate Law 1.5 and a law for the Criminalisation of Ecocide. Together with Femke Wijdekop he co-edited the book Hope in Times of Ecocide. In this bundle of essays, Indigenous, religious, and spiritual traditions and their relationship with nature are presented. Drawing on these diverse and colourful perspectives, the book offers a hopeful vision for restoring our connection with Mother Earth and all its inhabitants through compassion and sustainability. Currently Lammert is a campaigner for Ecocide Law.
Alexandra, also known as Die Radikale Veganerin, is RADICAL! LOUD! VEGAN! This Berlin-based activist uses confrontation as a deliberate tool – bringing the reality of animal exploitation directly into public space, unapologetically and hard to ignore. She founded NEON Protest, an extension of her brand FAIR! LOUD! VEGAN!, where techno music, visceral imagery, and abolitionist messaging collide. Her actions are designed not only to disrupt, but to create space for vegans to process emotions and turn them into effective action. Those emotions are central to Alexandra’s work. “I get furious when I see what is done to animals at the hands of humans,” she says. Rather than suppressing that anger, she treats it as fuel.
DINA takes you through her grown-up bedtime stories with her subtle, clear voice and unfiltered lyrics. The true fantasies at first sound innocent but lyrically hit you with a harsh edge of reality. Nevertheless, this music floats through you, so delicate and warm. A bit of jazz, soul and sometimes even hip-hop, everything in her own vulnerable way. Full of harmonies and dancing melodies, the songs evoke a Sunday morning feel in spring with singing birds and a cup of coffee. -
Queer Poetry Night
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Tuesday, October 27 at 07:00 PM GMT+1
Celebrating spoken word, poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama & music.The Unwanted Words Project is thrilled to celebrate spoken word poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama and music, with our popular open mic series, Queer Poetry Night, at Pakhuis De Zwijger – Amsterdam’s independent cultural center. Organic, joyous and spontaneous, this event, produced and hosted by Tuaca Kelly, draws professional, amateur and first-time performers from far and wide. Get ready for an unforgettable evening filled with powerful words, heartfelt expressions, and a vibrant celebration of real human voices!
About the Open Mic
Whether you’re an experienced performer or a first-time poet, this is your chance to shineand to be seen. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others, build the arts community, share your story and be part of something truly special.
If you’ve pre-registered to perform through Unwanted Words Project, or wish to sign up to read or perform at the open mic, we kindly ask that you arrive 15–minutes before the event begins to confer with our host.
This programme is hosted by Tuaca Kelly Poet, performance artist and philosopherAbout Tuaca Kelly
Hailing from multiple generations of Irish poets and musicians, Tuaca Kelly is an American poet, spoken word artist, and songwriter, most known for her unique wordplay, uncanny improvisation, unpredictable humor, presence and ability to connect with the audience.Amsterdam-based poet Tuaca Kelly, also serves Stichting Unwanted Words Project and the local arts community as a creative producer, talent curator, workshop facilitator, and a most vivacious host, where she can be found at the helm of their monthly open mic held at Pakhuis De Zwijger in Amsterdam.
About Unwanted Words Project
Stichting Unwanted Words Project is an award-winning platform for emerging queer poets and spoken word artists in the Netherlands. Founded in 2018 by Luis Bracamontes, a queer immigrant and Spoken Word artist from Mexico, our goal as a collective is to create spaces where LGBTQ+ talent can thrive and connect with like-minded communities. We are on a mission to provide more options for safe(r) spaces and opportunities for queer connection and growth. We do this through spoken word workshops & open mics such as our Queer Poetry Nights series, as well as initiatives to spotlight the best queer talent in our community such as our 1st & 2nd Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards and our Queer & Feminist Poetry Anthology. We aim to promote and empower queer voices from an intersectional approach.
Our current team celebrates diversity. We are a mix of queer & non-binary feminists, BIPOC and white, dutch nationals, immigrants & refugees. As a collective, we take an open stance against racism, xenophobia, ableism and other forms of structural and direct discrimination.
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Queer Poetry Night
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Tuesday, September 22 at 07:00 PM GMT+2
Celebrating spoken word, poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama & music.The Unwanted Words Project is thrilled to celebrate spoken word poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama and music, with our popular open mic series, Queer Poetry Night, at Pakhuis De Zwijger – Amsterdam’s independent cultural center. Organic, joyous and spontaneous, this event, produced and hosted by Tuaca Kelly, draws professional, amateur and first-time performers from far and wide. Get ready for an unforgettable evening filled with powerful words, heartfelt expressions, and a vibrant celebration of real human voices!
About the Open Mic
Whether you’re an experienced performer or a first-time poet, this is your chance to shineand to be seen. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others, build the arts community, share your story and be part of something truly special.
If you’ve pre-registered to perform through Unwanted Words Project, or wish to sign up to read or perform at the open mic, we kindly ask that you arrive 15–minutes before the event begins to confer with our host.
This programme is hosted by Tuaca Kelly Poet, performance artist and philosopherAbout Tuaca Kelly
Hailing from multiple generations of Irish poets and musicians, Tuaca Kelly is an American poet, spoken word artist, and songwriter, most known for her unique wordplay, uncanny improvisation, unpredictable humor, presence and ability to connect with the audience.Amsterdam-based poet Tuaca Kelly, also serves Stichting Unwanted Words Project and the local arts community as a creative producer, talent curator, workshop facilitator, and a most vivacious host, where she can be found at the helm of their monthly open mic held at Pakhuis De Zwijger in Amsterdam.
About Unwanted Words Project
Stichting Unwanted Words Project is an award-winning platform for emerging queer poets and spoken word artists in the Netherlands. Founded in 2018 by Luis Bracamontes, a queer immigrant and Spoken Word artist from Mexico, our goal as a collective is to create spaces where LGBTQ+ talent can thrive and connect with like-minded communities. We are on a mission to provide more options for safe(r) spaces and opportunities for queer connection and growth. We do this through spoken word workshops & open mics such as our Queer Poetry Nights series, as well as initiatives to spotlight the best queer talent in our community such as our 1st & 2nd Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards and our Queer & Feminist Poetry Anthology. We aim to promote and empower queer voices from an intersectional approach.
Our current team celebrates diversity. We are a mix of queer & non-binary feminists, BIPOC and white, dutch nationals, immigrants & refugees. As a collective, we take an open stance against racism, xenophobia, ableism and other forms of structural and direct discrimination.
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Queer Poetry Night
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Tuesday, June 23 at 07:00 PM GMT+2
Celebrating spoken word, poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama & music.The Unwanted Words Project is thrilled to celebrate spoken word poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama and music, with our popular open mic series, Queer Poetry Night, at Pakhuis De Zwijger – Amsterdam’s independent cultural center. Organic, joyous and spontaneous, this event, produced and hosted by Tuaca Kelly, draws professional, amateur and first-time performers from far and wide. Get ready for an unforgettable evening filled with powerful words, heartfelt expressions, and a vibrant celebration of real human voices!
About the Open Mic
Whether you’re an experienced performer or a first-time poet, this is your chance to shineand to be seen. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others, build the arts community, share your story and be part of something truly special.
If you’ve pre-registered to perform through Unwanted Words Project, or wish to sign up to read or perform at the open mic, we kindly ask that you arrive 15–minutes before the event begins to confer with our host.
This programme is hosted by Tuaca Kelly Poet, performance artist and philosopherAbout Tuaca Kelly
Hailing from multiple generations of Irish poets and musicians, Tuaca Kelly is an American poet, spoken word artist, and songwriter, most known for her unique wordplay, uncanny improvisation, unpredictable humor, presence and ability to connect with the audience.Amsterdam-based poet Tuaca Kelly, also serves Stichting Unwanted Words Project and the local arts community as a creative producer, talent curator, workshop facilitator, and a most vivacious host, where she can be found at the helm of their monthly open mic held at Pakhuis De Zwijger in Amsterdam.
About Unwanted Words Project
Stichting Unwanted Words Project is an award-winning platform for emerging queer poets and spoken word artists in the Netherlands. Founded in 2018 by Luis Bracamontes, a queer immigrant and Spoken Word artist from Mexico, our goal as a collective is to create spaces where LGBTQ+ talent can thrive and connect with like-minded communities. We are on a mission to provide more options for safe(r) spaces and opportunities for queer connection and growth. We do this through spoken word workshops & open mics such as our Queer Poetry Nights series, as well as initiatives to spotlight the best queer talent in our community such as our 1st & 2nd Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards and our Queer & Feminist Poetry Anthology. We aim to promote and empower queer voices from an intersectional approach.
Our current team celebrates diversity. We are a mix of queer & non-binary feminists, BIPOC and white, dutch nationals, immigrants & refugees. As a collective, we take an open stance against racism, xenophobia, ableism and other forms of structural and direct discrimination.
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Queer Poetry Night
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Tuesday, November 24 at 07:00 PM GMT+1
Celebrating spoken word, poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama & music.The Unwanted Words Project is thrilled to celebrate spoken word poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama and music, with our popular open mic series, Queer Poetry Night, at Pakhuis De Zwijger – Amsterdam’s independent cultural center. Organic, joyous and spontaneous, this event, produced and hosted by Tuaca Kelly, draws professional, amateur and first-time performers from far and wide. Get ready for an unforgettable evening filled with powerful words, heartfelt expressions, and a vibrant celebration of real human voices!
About the Open Mic
Whether you’re an experienced performer or a first-time poet, this is your chance to shineand to be seen. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others, build the arts community, share your story and be part of something truly special.
If you’ve pre-registered to perform through Unwanted Words Project, or wish to sign up to read or perform at the open mic, we kindly ask that you arrive 15–minutes before the event begins to confer with our host.
This programme is hosted by Tuaca Kelly Poet, performance artist and philosopherAbout Tuaca Kelly
Hailing from multiple generations of Irish poets and musicians, Tuaca Kelly is an American poet, spoken word artist, and songwriter, most known for her unique wordplay, uncanny improvisation, unpredictable humor, presence and ability to connect with the audience.Amsterdam-based poet Tuaca Kelly, also serves Stichting Unwanted Words Project and the local arts community as a creative producer, talent curator, workshop facilitator, and a most vivacious host, where she can be found at the helm of their monthly open mic held at Pakhuis De Zwijger in Amsterdam.
About Unwanted Words Project
Stichting Unwanted Words Project is an award-winning platform for emerging queer poets and spoken word artists in the Netherlands. Founded in 2018 by Luis Bracamontes, a queer immigrant and Spoken Word artist from Mexico, our goal as a collective is to create spaces where LGBTQ+ talent can thrive and connect with like-minded communities. We are on a mission to provide more options for safe(r) spaces and opportunities for queer connection and growth. We do this through spoken word workshops & open mics such as our Queer Poetry Nights series, as well as initiatives to spotlight the best queer talent in our community such as our 1st & 2nd Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards and our Queer & Feminist Poetry Anthology. We aim to promote and empower queer voices from an intersectional approach.
Our current team celebrates diversity. We are a mix of queer & non-binary feminists, BIPOC and white, dutch nationals, immigrants & refugees. As a collective, we take an open stance against racism, xenophobia, ableism and other forms of structural and direct discrimination.
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RAAF
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Friday, May 22 at 07:00 PM GMT+2
Stand up for animal rights in your own way. Are you interested in animal rights and wondering how you can make a difference for animals? RAAF is a recurring event where experienced animal rights advocates share their personal stories, insights, and practical advice. Get inspired and explore ways to stand up for animals that fit your personality, talents, and strengths. Before the programme, visitors can optionally join for a vegan dinner (17:30). After the talks, there is time for connection in a warm and welcoming atmosphere where you can recharge and meet like-minded people. Together with Kasia Mak Community Builder Heartbeet Lenneke van Gaal Lawyer For The Animals bij Stop Humane Washing Alexandra Berlin-based VEGAN activist Lammert van Raan Author and campaigner DINA MuzikantAbout the speakers
Kasia Mak is a marketer and strategist on a mission to make our food system healthier, more ethical, and more sustainable. She pivoted her career into the plant-based, moving from Burger King to vegan activism. Her own experiences inspired her to start building Heartbeet, a female-led community to empower and support others on their vegan journeys. Heartbeet has been active for over two years, bringing together more than 300 members and hosting monthly meetups in Amsterdam, and soon beyond. Lenneke van Gaal is a lawyer specializing in trademark law, advertising law, and unlawful publications, with nearly fifteen years of experience examining how communication shapes public perception. After becoming vegan, she began critically analyzing the claims made by the animal industry, such as “animal-friendly meat” and idyllic images of farm life, which suggest that the use of animals can be ethical. This led her to found Stop Humane Washing, an initiative that challenges misleading marketing around animal products and exposes how such narratives conceal the realities of animal agriculture.Lammert van Raan is a former Member of Parliament for the Party for the Animals, where he introduced the Climate Law 1.5 and a law for the Criminalisation of Ecocide. Together with Femke Wijdekop he co-edited the book Hope in Times of Ecocide. In this bundle of essays, Indigenous, religious, and spiritual traditions and their relationship with nature are presented. Drawing on these diverse and colourful perspectives, the book offers a hopeful vision for restoring our connection with Mother Earth and all its inhabitants through compassion and sustainability. Currently Lammert is a campaigner for Ecocide Law.
Alexandra, also known as Die Radikale Veganerin, is RADICAL! LOUD! VEGAN! This Berlin-based activist uses confrontation as a deliberate tool – bringing the reality of animal exploitation directly into public space, unapologetically and hard to ignore. She founded NEON Protest, an extension of her brand FAIR! LOUD! VEGAN!, where techno music, visceral imagery, and abolitionist messaging collide. Her actions are designed not only to disrupt, but to create space for vegans to process emotions and turn them into effective action. Those emotions are central to Alexandra’s work. “I get furious when I see what is done to animals at the hands of humans,” she says. Rather than suppressing that anger, she treats it as fuel.
DINA takes you through her grown-up bedtime stories with her subtle, clear voice and unfiltered lyrics. The true fantasies at first sound innocent but lyrically hit you with a harsh edge of reality. Nevertheless, this music floats through you, so delicate and warm. A bit of jazz, soul and sometimes even hip-hop, everything in her own vulnerable way. Full of harmonies and dancing melodies, the songs evoke a Sunday morning feel in spring with singing birds and a cup of coffee. -
Queer Poetry Night
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Tuesday, May 26 at 07:00 PM GMT+2
Celebrating spoken word, poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama & music.The Unwanted Words Project is thrilled to celebrate spoken word poetry, storytelling, op-eds, drama and music, with our popular open mic series, Queer Poetry Night, at Pakhuis De Zwijger – Amsterdam’s independent cultural center. Organic, joyous and spontaneous, this event, produced and hosted by Tuaca Kelly, draws professional, amateur and first-time performers from far and wide. Get ready for an unforgettable evening filled with powerful words, heartfelt expressions, and a vibrant celebration of real human voices!
About the Open Mic
Whether you’re an experienced performer or a first-time poet, this is your chance to shineand to be seen. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others, build the arts community, share your story and be part of something truly special.
If you’ve pre-registered to perform through Unwanted Words Project, or wish to sign up to read or perform at the open mic, we kindly ask that you arrive 15–minutes before the event begins to confer with our host.
This programme is hosted by Tuaca Kelly Poet, performance artist and philosopherAbout Tuaca Kelly
Hailing from multiple generations of Irish poets and musicians, Tuaca Kelly is an American poet, spoken word artist, and songwriter, most known for her unique wordplay, uncanny improvisation, unpredictable humor, presence and ability to connect with the audience.Amsterdam-based poet Tuaca Kelly, also serves Stichting Unwanted Words Project and the local arts community as a creative producer, talent curator, workshop facilitator, and a most vivacious host, where she can be found at the helm of their monthly open mic held at Pakhuis De Zwijger in Amsterdam.
About Unwanted Words Project
Stichting Unwanted Words Project is an award-winning platform for emerging queer poets and spoken word artists in the Netherlands. Founded in 2018 by Luis Bracamontes, a queer immigrant and Spoken Word artist from Mexico, our goal as a collective is to create spaces where LGBTQ+ talent can thrive and connect with like-minded communities. We are on a mission to provide more options for safe(r) spaces and opportunities for queer connection and growth. We do this through spoken word workshops & open mics such as our Queer Poetry Nights series, as well as initiatives to spotlight the best queer talent in our community such as our 1st & 2nd Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards and our Queer & Feminist Poetry Anthology. We aim to promote and empower queer voices from an intersectional approach.
Our current team celebrates diversity. We are a mix of queer & non-binary feminists, BIPOC and white, dutch nationals, immigrants & refugees. As a collective, we take an open stance against racism, xenophobia, ableism and other forms of structural and direct discrimination.
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Out of the Picture
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Wednesday, June 10 at 07:30 PM GMT+2
Would the ladies please move out of the picture so we can have the architects?Where are the female architects? Women have passionately and skillfully created architectural works for centuries. History seems to have forgotten them... or have they been conscientiously erased from a male-dominated profession? The film Out of the Picture goes in search of these women, exploring their history and their outlook; it investigates why and how women have been excluded from the honour roll of architecture, and how they now are reclaiming visibility. Join us on for a screening of Out of the Picture, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
Together with An. Ash Smolar Artist, activist, filmmaker, architect & editor of a feminist magazineAbout the film
Out of the Picture is a compelling documentary by An. Ash Smolar that sheds light on a persistent blind spot in architectural history: the structural invisibility of women. Although women have shaped cities, designed buildings, and contributed to the evolution of architecture for centuries, their names and work have often been excluded from official narratives. Through the voices, works, and life stories of more than twenty architects, as well as historians and researchers, the film reveals the mechanisms behind this exclusion; from missing archives and historiography to wage inequality, glass ceilings, and the dominance of male professional networks. Blending archival material, interviews, and animated sequences, the documentary not only uncovers erased histories but also foregrounds the strategies and solidarities through which women are reclaiming their place in the discipline today. Ultimately, Out of the Picture raises a critical question: who gets to be seen, remembered, and included in the architectural canon, and how can that frame be expanded?
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Open Socials Award Show
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Friday, June 5 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Part of Public Spaces Conference 2026: Technology for Democracy. Join the Open Social Awards for open social media projects that are shaping the future of social media.As part of the PublicSpaces Conference 2026: Technology for Democracy, PublicSpaces in collaboration with New_Public present Open Social Awards this year for the first time. With this award we want to stimulate the field of decentralized social media, with open social principles at heart. We aim to celebrate and lift up those efforts, and show people that healthy, sustainable, and sovereign online social spaces are possible. A fully independent from partnering organisations expert jury, including well-known digital pioneers are joining us. During this evening, we will explore open social media platforms through keynote presentations, a panel discussion, and the jury will share their insights and announce 5 honorable mentions, and the 3 winners!
This programme is part of the PublicSpaces Conference 2026: Technology for Democracy and is free accessible.
In conversation with Rudy Fraser Founder of Blacksky Lauren Challis Board Member of the Internet Society Netherlands (ISOC) Moktar Nabil Founder of Garage Noord en Director of 40Worldwide FoundationRudy Fraser is a technologist, community organizer, and founder of Blacksky Algorithms, where he develops open-source infrastructure that lets communities shape their social media experience, govern their data, and fund collective needs.
Lauren Challis works for the government as an AI Governance consultant and is a board member of the Internet Society Netherlands (ISOC NL). She has a background in Anthropology and Philosophy of Technology; in her work and ancillary roles, she focuses on the intersection of AI, public values, and legislation. At ISOC NL, she contributes to the societal debate on a free and accessible internet, digital sovereignty, and the growing power of Big Tech.
Moktar Nabil is a seasoned cultural entrepreneur with a strong background in both the business and creative aspects of the industry. He is the General Director of Stichting 40Worldwide Foundation, the founder of Garage Noord and kanaal40, and the former Creative Director of these organizations. With a passion for fostering cultural initiatives, Moktar has demonstrated a keen ability to navigate the complexities of the cultural landscape while driving creative vision and business success.
Meet the Jury Laurens Hof Independent Analyst of open social web Johannes Ernst Co-founder of FediForum & Founder of Dazzle Labs Inc. Robin Berjon Principal at Supramundane Agency & Deputy Director of the IPFS Foundation Audrey Tang Taiwan's Cyber Ambassador & Civic Hacker Melanie Bartos Science Communicator in the Public Relations Office at the University of InnsbruckLaurens Hof is an independent analyst covering the open social web. He publishes the Fediverse Report and ATmosphere Report, weekly newsletters tracking the ActivityPub and ATProto ecosystems, with work supported by NLnet and the Stimuleringsfonds voor de Journalistiek. Based in Gouda, he operates through Connected Places, where he writes about protocol governance and what kind of public values decentralized social media actually produces.
Johannes Ernst has been a long-time advocate of putting people back in control of their technology, instead of letting unaccountable digital overlords control their lives. At FediForum, he helps convene the global community of people who move the Open Social Web forward, pioneering new and better forms of interacting online. At Dazzle Labs, he helps create some tech for it and consults with organizations who are planning to move to the Open Social Web.
Robin Berjon is a technologist specialised in strategy and governance. His work focuses on digital sovereignty, issues of power in the digital sphere, and bringing democracy to the internet. He is Principal at Supramundane Agency, Deputy Director of the IPFS Foundation, part of the Modal Foundation, and a Senior Fellow with both the Future of Technology Institute and the Public AI network. Previously, he was VP of Data Governance at The New York Times, where he worked on data strategy and safeguarding media independence, and Vice-Chair of the board of the World Wide Web Consortium.
Audrey Tang is Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador and the 2025 Right Livelihood Laureate. A civic hacker and co-author of *Plurality* and *Civic AI*, she is a Senior Fellow at Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI and Columbia SIPA. As the world’s first nonbinary cabinet minister and Taiwan’s Minister of Digital Affairs (2016–2024), she received the Right Livelihood Award for advancing digital technology to empower citizens and renew democracy. Tang co-founded g0v, helped lead the 2014 Sunflower Movement, and implemented vTaiwan, which raised public trust in government to over 70%. She co-launched ROOST and strives to be a “good enough ancestor.”
Melanie Bartos is a science communicator in the Public Relations Office at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, responsible for multimedia formats such as podcasts and actively shaping the university’s online and social media communication. She established the university’s Open Science Communication strategy, with a focus on non-profit, privacy-friendly infrastructures like the Fediverse, as well as open knowledge projects such as Wikipedia. She chairs the Social Media Working Group of the German Association for University Communication, coordinating strategic exchange across German-speaking higher education, and is part of the Save Social initiative in Germany, which advocates for open, decentralized alternatives to commercial social media.
Ehsan Beyraghdar is an Iranian composer and musician based in the Netherlands. His work focuses on contemporary and cross-cultural music, often combining elements of Persian traditional music with modern composition. Since 2010, he has been a member of the Iranian Cinema Composers Association (House of Cinema), and has been actively composing for film, television, and visual media. In addition to his work for screen, he has composed music for various albums and singles, and has performed in numerous concerts in Iran and internationally.
Timeline 20:00-21:00 | Keynote Presentation & Panel DiscussionOpening Keynote by Rudy Fraser on community governance & Panel Discussion with all the speakers
21:00-21:20 | Q&A & Music PerformanceQ&A / Remarks sharing by audiences & a music performance
21:20-22:00 | Introtalk W/ Jury Members & Winners AnnoucementAn Introtalk with Jury Members followed by Winners Annoucement and speeches
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Opening Refugee Welcome Week 2026
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Monday, June 8 at 06:00 PM GMT+2
This year, Refugee Welcome Week NL is guided by the theme Radical Hope & Courage.Radical hope is not naive optimism, but an empowering practice. It asks us to face reality honestly, even when it is painful, while still believing that change is possible and worth working for. This opening evening of Refugee Welcome Week 2026 creates space for the truths that are too often blurred, avoided, or polished for others. Refugee status tells us where someone has been, not who they are. Facing this truth is where the possibilities begin. This evening is not about refugees. It is an evening by refugees, inspiring creators of their own destiny in a new cultural space.
The evening begins with a community dinner at 18:00. For €25,50, you are welcome to join the table for the community dinner in the Grote Zaal. Just like last year, you can buy a Solidarity Ticket along with your own, to invite a refugee to eat with you. Refugee Welcome Week will make sure someone receives the donated ticket.
After we connect and dine together, we will officially kick off this week with a coalition panel with the organisers and partners. From 20:00 onwards, artists and storytellers take the floor across three breakout spaces, inviting the audience to poetic, theatrical, zine-making and co-creation experiences. Throughout the evening, a curated visual art exhibition reminds us that displacement is not an identity. It is a circumstance.
If you only wish to join the programme from 20:00, please select a free ticket.
Transportation support is available for people living in AZCs or shelters outside of Amsterdam. Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].
Joined by Sajad Salmanpour Founder of Queer Work, author & community builder Elena Ponzoni Researcher at Sociology and coordinator of the Refugee Academy (VU) Anas Younes Theatre practitioner, cultural researcher & curator Naya Aljoudi Spoken word artist, author and decolonial researcher Mohammed BadranAbout Refugee Welcome Week NL 2026
Refugee Welcome Week NL 2026 is a refugee-led programme bringing together 30–40 young refugees and newcomers across four Dutch cities. Over two weeks, participants take the lead as performers, curators, hosts, producers and storytellers, creating spaces of connection through art, discussion, film, music, food and community action. Refugee Welcome Week NL is part of the wider international Refugee Week movement and is organised in close partnership with Refugee Week UK. Explore the full programme at refugeewelcomeweek.nl.
Time table 17:00 - 22:00 Meetingroom | ExhibitonMore info about the exhibtion and participating artists will soon be announced.
18:00 - 20:00 Grote Zaal | Community dinner & kick-offMore info about the panel and participating speakers will be announced soon.
20:15 - 21:15 Workspace | Truth, Resistance & Refugee VoicesAs refugees we are often seen primarily as recipients of help, but many of us are dedicated to activism and human right protection in our destination country. What does it mean to dedicate a life of displacement to protect human rights in a new country? How can our own experience of exile help us to raise awareness about human right dismantlement happening in current times? And do we build resistance to stigma and far-right propaganda by sharing different perspectives and narratives ?
In this session we will listen to experiences of human right activists with refugee backgrounds operating in different contexts (Netherlands and South Africa) and reflect together through co-creative exercises to understand what their experience teaches us about today’s theme: What truth do we need to face to stop repeating harm?
20:15 - 21:15 Expo | A Letter Full of Love to an Non-Person: On queer storytelling & refugee narrativesThis programme presents A Letter Full of Love to a Non-Person, a collective book project created through community writing workshops with LGBTQI+ refugees. Participants are invited to create a small zine using words, drawings, or fragments. This hands-on activity explores storytelling in an accessible and creative way.
20:30 - 21:30 Studio | On Anger and FatigueOn Anger and Fatigue is an artistic research and lecture-performance that investigates the relationship between truth-telling, exhaustion, and resistance within the contemporary European Art worlds. The work merges the aesthetics of the performative lecture with the oral tradition of storytelling, creating a hybrid form that oscillates between academic critique and poetic confession.
About the contributors
Sajad Salmanpour is an author, community builder, and the founder of Queer Work, a platform dedicated to supporting LGBTQI+ refugees in the Netherlands. His work is rooted in the belief that storytelling is a powerful act of presence a way to reclaim voice, identity, and belonging in the face of displacement. He is the initiator of the collective book project A Letter Full of Love to an Unknown Person. As an author, Sajad is interested in the intersection of memory, migration, and identity. He sees writing not only as expression, but as a form of connection between past and present, between individuals and communities, and between silence and visibility.
Alongside his creative work, he actively builds collaborations with organizations, cultural spaces, and networks across the Netherlands, contributing to initiatives such as Refugee Welcome Week. His approach bridges storytelling with social impact, creating moments where voices are not only heard, but held and recognized. At the heart of his work is a quiet but powerful intention: to create space where people can exist fully, and where their stories can live beyond them.
Elena Ponzoni is an academic researcher working from the principle of Radical Hope, which involves humility and recognition of the lessons, knowledges, and practices of communities that experience injustice. It involves learning from the ability of those who, despite oppression and structures of impossibility, find the capacity to act, care, love and challenge power.
Refugee Academy, initiated together with professor Halleh Ghorashi, has the goal of centring refugee knowledges in research and society. Now part of the Co-creation for Inclusive Knowledges Lab, Refugee Academy follows the principle of Radical Hope by creating small acts of resistance to transform academic institutions, and challenge both colonial heritages and hierarchies engrained in how we create (academic) knowledge. It means working with people with lived experiences and collective wisdom that are currently marginalised, having the courage to address power differentials, and intertwine our work, perspective and lives.
Anas Younes is a theatre practitioner, cultural researcher, and curator working across Syria and the Netherlands. His practice connects performance, participatory theatre, cultural policy, and public programming, with a focus on how art can create spaces for dialogue, collective reflection, and social imagination in contexts shaped by conflict, displacement, and migration. He has collaborated with cultural institutions, municipalities, festivals, and grassroots initiatives across Europe and the Arab region as a facilitator, lecturer, curator, and artistic programmer. In the Netherlands, he has worked with organizations such as SPOT Groningen, Vrijdag, municipalities, and newcomer centers, using theatre as a tool for participation, inclusion, and intercultural exchange.
Anas also curated public programs for Mena is Here Festival and contributed to Diwan Arts and Culture Festival in Switzerland. He is the director of Culture Tank Factory, a Syrian think-and-do tank focused on cultural rights, civic imagination, and participatory approaches to public policy. Through this work, he develops research labs, policy discussions, and community-based initiatives linking artistic practice with justice, governance, and collective futures.
Naya Aljoudi is a Syrian artist, whose poetry is a tool to combat the systemic erasure that writes many intersectional identities out of their own biographies. Their work moves through war, exile, and trauma, while returning to love and care, practices of both survival and defiance, and collective becoming. On stage, Naya offers performances that invite audiences to question language as a technology of resistance against censorship and harm, and whether it can serve as a tool for collective liberation.
Mohammed Badran is a Palestinian-Syrian social designer, anthropologist, and community organizer based in Amsterdam. He is the co-founder of Syrian Volunteers Netherlands , where he develops initiatives that connect diaspora expertise, refugee-led advocacy, and cultural programming.
Rula Asad is a feminist journalist, researcher, and facilitator committed to transforming media through feminist values and solidarity. As co-founder and former Executive Director of the Syrian Female Journalists Network (SFJN), she confronted patriarchal narratives and created spaces for Syrian women journalists to claim power in war, post-war, and exile.
Her work bridges journalism, activim, gender studies, and movement-led organizing, shaped by experiences from Damascus to Amsterdam. Rooted in the stance that knowledge and storytelling are political, she mobilizes them as tools to resist erasure, amplify unheard voices, and imagine liberation.
Rula embodies collaboration beyond borders, weaving feminist narratives that challenge authoritarianism and nurture collective resilience. With her cat Mimi, she moves between the Netherlands, Jordan, and Syria.
https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/opening-refugee-welcome-week-2026
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Open Socials Award Show
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Friday, June 5 at 08:00 PM GMT+2
Part of Public Spaces Conference 2026: Technology for Democracy. Join the Open Social Awards for open social media projects that are shaping the future of social media.As part of the PublicSpaces Conference 2026: Technology for Democracy, PublicSpaces in collaboration with New_Public present Open Social Awards this year for the first time. With this award we want to stimulate the field of decentralized social media, with open social principles at heart. We aim to celebrate and lift up those efforts, and show people that healthy, sustainable, and sovereign online social spaces are possible. A fully independent from partnering organisations expert jury, including well-known digital pioneers are joining us. During this evening, we will explore open social media platforms through keynote presentations, a panel discussion, and the jury will share their insights and announce 5 honorable mentions, and the 3 winners!
This programme is part of the PublicSpaces Conference 2026: Technology for Democracy and is free accessible.
In conversation with Rudy Fraser Founder of Blacksky Lauren Challis Board Member of the Internet Society Netherlands (ISOC) Moktar Nabil Founder of Garage Noord en Director of 40Worldwide FoundationRudy Fraser is a technologist, community organizer, and founder of Blacksky Algorithms, where he develops open-source infrastructure that lets communities shape their social media experience, govern their data, and fund collective needs.
Lauren Challis works for the government as an AI Governance consultant and is a board member of the Internet Society Netherlands (ISOC NL). She has a background in Anthropology and Philosophy of Technology; in her work and ancillary roles, she focuses on the intersection of AI, public values, and legislation. At ISOC NL, she contributes to the societal debate on a free and accessible internet, digital sovereignty, and the growing power of Big Tech.
Moktar Nabil is a seasoned cultural entrepreneur with a strong background in both the business and creative aspects of the industry. He is the General Director of Stichting 40Worldwide Foundation, the founder of Garage Noord and kanaal40, and the former Creative Director of these organizations. With a passion for fostering cultural initiatives, Moktar has demonstrated a keen ability to navigate the complexities of the cultural landscape while driving creative vision and business success.
Meet the Jury Laurens Hof Independent Analyst of open social web Johannes Ernst Co-founder of FediForum & Founder of Dazzle Labs Inc. Robin Berjon Principal at Supramundane Agency & Deputy Director of the IPFS Foundation Audrey Tang Taiwan's Cyber Ambassador & Civic Hacker Melanie Bartos Science Communicator in the Public Relations Office at the University of InnsbruckLaurens Hof is an independent analyst covering the open social web. He publishes the Fediverse Report and ATmosphere Report, weekly newsletters tracking the ActivityPub and ATProto ecosystems, with work supported by NLnet and the Stimuleringsfonds voor de Journalistiek. Based in Gouda, he operates through Connected Places, where he writes about protocol governance and what kind of public values decentralized social media actually produces.
Johannes Ernst has been a long-time advocate of putting people back in control of their technology, instead of letting unaccountable digital overlords control their lives. At FediForum, he helps convene the global community of people who move the Open Social Web forward, pioneering new and better forms of interacting online. At Dazzle Labs, he helps create some tech for it and consults with organizations who are planning to move to the Open Social Web.
Robin Berjon is a technologist specialised in strategy and governance. His work focuses on digital sovereignty, issues of power in the digital sphere, and bringing democracy to the internet. He is Principal at Supramundane Agency, Deputy Director of the IPFS Foundation, part of the Modal Foundation, and a Senior Fellow with both the Future of Technology Institute and the Public AI network. Previously, he was VP of Data Governance at The New York Times, where he worked on data strategy and safeguarding media independence, and Vice-Chair of the board of the World Wide Web Consortium.
Audrey Tang is Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador and the 2025 Right Livelihood Laureate. A civic hacker and co-author of *Plurality* and *Civic AI*, she is a Senior Fellow at Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI and Columbia SIPA. As the world’s first nonbinary cabinet minister and Taiwan’s Minister of Digital Affairs (2016–2024), she received the Right Livelihood Award for advancing digital technology to empower citizens and renew democracy. Tang co-founded g0v, helped lead the 2014 Sunflower Movement, and implemented vTaiwan, which raised public trust in government to over 70%. She co-launched ROOST and strives to be a “good enough ancestor.”
Melanie Bartos is a science communicator in the Public Relations Office at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, responsible for multimedia formats such as podcasts and actively shaping the university’s online and social media communication. She established the university’s Open Science Communication strategy, with a focus on non-profit, privacy-friendly infrastructures like the Fediverse, as well as open knowledge projects such as Wikipedia. She chairs the Social Media Working Group of the German Association for University Communication, coordinating strategic exchange across German-speaking higher education, and is part of the Save Social initiative in Germany, which advocates for open, decentralized alternatives to commercial social media.
Ehsan Beyraghdar is an Iranian composer and musician based in the Netherlands. His work focuses on contemporary and cross-cultural music, often combining elements of Persian traditional music with modern composition. Since 2010, he has been a member of the Iranian Cinema Composers Association (House of Cinema), and has been actively composing for film, television, and visual media. In addition to his work for screen, he has composed music for various albums and singles, and has performed in numerous concerts in Iran and internationally.
Timeline 20:00-21:00 | Keynote Presentation & Panel DiscussionOpening Keynote by Rudy Fraser on community governance & Panel Discussion with all the speakers
21:00-21:20 | Q&A & Music PerformanceQ&A / Remarks sharing by audiences & a music performance
21:20-22:00 | Introtalk W/ Jury Members & Winners AnnoucementAn Introtalk with Jury Members followed by Winners Annoucement and speeches