Amsterdam Alternative just launched a new video department called Fragmenta.
Check out the Fragmenta page for more info about this project and how to join as a video maker.
The first two videos are now online. Episode one is an interview with David Bollier, episode two an interview with Katie Duck.
Together with Jeffrey Babcock, founder of Jeffrey’s Underground Cinema, the Rad-ish podcast reflects on cinema as a community-based experience, its relation to cultural activism, and the importance of diverse audiences.
Listen on:
AA website // Soundcloud // Spotify // Youtube
Amsterdam Alternative is a collective project, an association built on the strength, energy and dedication of its members. An organization like AA cannot exist without people who want to help, think along and/or provide financial support. That is why we call on everyone to support Amsterdam Alternative and our goals by becoming a member.
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Amsterdam Alternative publishes articles about free spaces, gentrification, politics, climate, music, art, housing and other urgent topics. We publish in our bi-monthly free newspaper as well as online.
See all articlesOver the past two years, we have seen numerous student protests and encampments – from solidarity with Palestine to opposition to university budget cuts. Far from being spontaneous outbursts of “angry” or “too radical” students, these actions are rooted in years of organized effort and institutional pressure from student groups to democratize the university itself. The Activistenpartij UvA, a leftist progressive student party of the University of Amsterdam, are one
Wat betekent het voor je om met Steelhenge op Het Stenen Hoofd te staan, zo vlak naast de Silo waar jouw verhaal zo’n 30 jaar geleden begon? Het roept een dubbel gevoel op. Aan de ene kant voel ik dankbaarheid. De vrijheid die ik in de jaren ’90 in de Silo ervoer, heeft mij gevormd. Ik leerde er vrij denken en handelen, in een tijd waarin vrije ruimte nog echt vrij was – zonder politieke kaders of institutionele controle. Alles ontstond organisch, in zelfbeheer. We bouwden onz
Music discovery has always been at the centre of my life. From browsing through my Dad’s CD collection, to talking to my bandmates in high school, to attending local gigs in my first year of university. Although the ways I discover new music are evolving, one thing has stayed the same: it is still the main drive of my existence. I discovered early on that the experience of music was my favourite thing about being alive: from listening to it live or recorded, playing it alone or with others
Vrijwel iedereen met een activistische antenne in Amsterdam heeft inmiddels van de Lutkemeerpolder gehoord. Misschien liep je mee met een actie, doneerde je aan de crowdfunding (dank daarvoor), tekende je een petitie of zag je er iets over in de media. De strijd om de Lutkemeerpolder is uitgegroeid tot één van de meest sprekende voorbeelden van de vraag waar Amsterdam voor staat en waar de gemeentepolitiek toe in staat is. Voor wie later aanschoof: de Lutkemeerpolder ligt aan de
Amsterdam Alternative has initiated a wide variety of projects since 2015. Some were temporary but most are still running. Check some of the most current projects below or visit the projects page to see a full overview.
See all projectsFrom the 1st of February 2023 Amsterdam Alternative is running the cinema + bar on the second floor of the OT301. The spaces are being used for film & documentary screenings, discussion nights, comedy, music, dance performances, workshops, book launches, podcast recordings and more.
Sometimes, you sense it. A gesture, a sound, something pulses quietly beneath the surface of the city. A story waiting to be heard. Rad-Ish is a podcast about the silent dreamers, everyday radicals and hidden dissenters who keep the city alive. We seek out the voices of the underground, the pillars of movements that often go unseen yet build the foundation for collective spaces and a desirable future for the many, not the few. On a regular basis we release a short episode where we pull that little red thread that runs through Amsterdam, from the people directly shaping alternative culture to those nurturing it in the background. We're here to pay attention to those who resist the obvious, and talk to those who quietly practice other ways of being.
This modular web documentary is intended as an inspirational document, a guide and an archive. It is a compilation of stories about and quests for other ways in which we can shape society. We (and many others with us) are convinced that things really can be done differently and that a different view of ownership can play a major role in this.
In a media landscape dominated by shallow content, fear, distrust, anger, violence and toxic polarization, Fragmenta will offer an alternative. We don't simply focus on problems or on generic or popular topics but rather connect to individuals and their stories. We seek passion, hope, optimism and inspiration in order to help create a better, more fair, equal and healthy world for the many and not the few.
Thanks to all the talented photographers in the Amsterdam Alternative collective we always have great images in our newspaper and lots of nice photo reports online.
See all photographyReclaim the Seeds Amsterdam organizes an annual, donation-based festival that combines the exchange of seeds with talks centered on political and social context, practical workshops, and lectures on topics related to seeds, sovereign growing practices, and biodiversity.
Photo report Reclaim the seeds - 15 March - Fruittuinen van West.
Photography: Jeanne Beyssac
On Sunday 8th of March (International Women's Rights Day) thousands of people joined the feminist march in Amsterdam to protest for equality, freedom and solidarity. The crowd walked from from Dam Square to Museumplein and raised their voices against oppression, inequality, femicide and discrimination of women and girls worldwide.
Photography © Jeanne Beyssac
On Sunday 15th of February we hosted another edition of the Noodle Show. A laid-back Sunday afternoon for electronic music makers and curious listeners. For this edition, the guest speaker was Tripping Jaguar — a Dutch electronic artist known for deep, psychedelic journeys across downtempo and related emphasized “storytelling” sound worlds. After the talk the floor was opened for a collaborative live jam, where people can plug in their own hardware and “noodle” together—drum machines, synths, samplers, modular, grooveboxes… anything that makes sound.
Photography © Jeanne Beyssac
Amsterdam Alternative started as a network of solidarity and free newspaper but we’ve alwys had the ambition to create inspiring videos as well. In 2024 we created and published about 50 hrs of video about collective ownership, in 2025 we started a new video department called Fragmenta.
See all videoEen film over en door de mensen van Het Groene Veld.
Help ons mee in strijd voor het behoud van Het Groene Veld! Teken de petitie, hang een poster of kom langs!
Kijk op: https://hetgroeneveld.amsterdam
Camera/edit: Elffin van Baars
Camera: Niels Douma, Tibbe van Diemen, Denys Parchenko, Isa van Lier
Productie/Regie: Isa van Lier, Oscar Zeegers
Met dank aan: Sara, KJ, Hay, Femke, Wybe, Inez, Ollie, Anouk, Isobel
Camera: Pablo van Wetten
Audio/music: Peter Rutten
Edit/animation: Ivo Schmetz
Met dank aan/Thanks to:
People: Ad Vlems, Diny
Funding: AFK, Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie
Camera: Pablo van Wetten
Audio/music: Peter Rutten
Edit/animation: Ivo Schmetz
Met dank aan/Thanks to:
People: Melissa Koutouzis & Cody Hochstenbach
Funding: AFK, Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie
In the Amsterdam Alternative agenda you’ll find the public programming from our participating venues.
See the complete agendaMaakgemeenschap De Hoop is een levendig atelierdorp, werkplek, podium en netwerk in één. Gevestigd op de grens van Zaandam en Amsterdam vind je hier ruim 320 kunstenaars, ambachtslieden en makers die samen werken, denken en maken, binnen De Hoop en daarbuiten. In een groot industrie
Rijkshemelvaartdienst (RHVD) aan de Oude Haagseweg is een vereniging die zich bezig houdt met vrijheid voor leven, kunst en cultuur. Sinds 1989 hebben zij dit met muziek, performances, shows en exposities laten zien tijdens verassende festivals. De sfeer tijdens deze festivals, andere evenementen, m
Since September 2021, ICK Dans Amsterdam has moved into the iconic Westbeat building in Amsterdam Nieuw-west. In collaboration with artists from different disciplines, the dance company has established Space for Dance Art there, where performances, workshops and symposiums are organised fr
Mike’s Badhuistheater is the home of English-language theater in Amsterdam. The theater is a friendly welcoming location in Amsterdam Oost for music, dance, theater, parties and meetings. For nearly four decades, the Badhuistheater has brought together performers and audiences fro
Located in Amsterdam’s creative heart, Treehouse NDSM is a playground for artists that are committed to their work. Whether you’re a new graduate looking to build your professional network, or a seasoned professional in search for the next direction in your career, we get it. Our goal is
Since 2013, Zone2Source has served as a dynamic testing ground for art and ecology, spanning its diverse pavilions, artist gardens, and the surrounding outdoor spaces of Amstelpark in Amsterdam South. Drawing inspiration from the park’s history as the site of the 1972 Floriade international ho
De Culturele Stelling van Amsterdam is een verdedigingslinie in en rond de stad waarin onafhankelijke creatieve initiatieven, zelfstandige woon-werkpanden en vrije culturele ruimten zich hebben verenigd sinds 2012. Amsterdam heeft van oudsher een reputatie als ‘vrije stad’ en ‘v
Sinds 2008 lagen de gebruikers van de Fabriek pand in een clinch met de gemeente, wat graag nieuwbouw had gezien in plaats van de voormalige drukkerij. Het pand in de Van Ostadestraat werd in 1980 gekraakt, waarna in 1983 een erfpachtcontract werd afgesloten met de gemeente. Dat liep in 2013 af. Gel
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