>>>broedplaatsblabla

>>>This page provides an open forum for discussion of issues related to Project Broedplaats, Amsterdam City's much-hyped and heavily funded (90 million guilders!!!) initiative to find affordable living and working spaces for young artists.

There appears to be general agreement at all levels of political and cultural debate of the urgent need for steps to be taken to reinvigorate the (sub)cultural life of the city. Politicians even admit that mistakes have been made in evicting large squatted buildings such as the Graansilo, Vrieshuis Amerika, OLVG etc. etc. etc. without finding viable alternatives. These "Vrijplaatsen" (free spaces), despite constant financial and legal difficulties, have been a feature of the Amsterdam scene for 20 years or more and provide a fertile environment for creative innovation and experiment.
However, despite some fine rhetoric..."no culture without subculture" (Mayor Patijn)... "artists need anarchy" (Trevor Davies), and loads of money, there are serious questions being asked about the reality of the broedplaats policy in action.....

- Is Amsterdam City Council really serious about preserving and promoting subculture in the city? If so, why was Kalenderpanden, probably the most active 'vrijplaats' over the last couple of years, evicted, despite massive public support , sympathetic press, and pleas from the directors of such mainstream institutions as the Concertgebouw, Rijksakademie, BIMhuis etc. to find a solution?

- Does the 'Plan van Aanpak', the blueprint for Project Broedplaats, provide realistic solutions for the problems it's designed to address and is the Project Management Bureau, the body set up to put the plan into action, sufficiently in touch with the needs of the projects it is supposedly managing? If so, how can it be that the original 'broedplaats' contract offered to Akademie ot301 was nothing but a standard business contract which prohibited us from living in the building or providing access to the public?

- Can the ideals of the 'Vrijplaatsen' (free spaces) - non-profit oriented, communal, often determinedely chaotic structures, with a commitment to political action and artistic experiment - survive in a 'Broedplaats' environment without being hopelessly compromised?

- Is 'Broedplaats' simply another name for anti-squat?

We want to open up this whole issue for public debate. After all, 90 million guilders is a whole lot of money and maybe it'd be better spent on sending the ME eviction squads off on holiday for a couple of years and letting us get on with developing our own free spaces!

What do YOU think? Send e-mail to........ot301@squat.net
We'll keep these pages updated with your comments.