Since the end of March, De Kweek, a breeding ground for artists and creatives, has been located in the building at Nieuwe Kerkstraat 126.
Over the past six months, the old school building where De Kweek is located has been converted into a breeding ground. The foundation’s goal is to house a creative community that works together under one roof. Quico Touw and Quirijn Zijlmans founded the foundation in the summer of 2023 and are eager to connect with the neighborhood.
Municipal monument
Two years ago, the municipal monument above childcare Dikkie Dik became available, creating a unique opportunity: a creative breeding ground in the heart of Amsterdam. With De Kweek, that plan became reality, but the road to it was not easy. In order to receive a subsidy for the renovation of a breeding ground, a process with many requirements and conditions must be completed. For example, twelve of the fourteen studios in the building must be affordable for emerging artists. Talented creatives are given the opportunity to practice their craft here. They can rent a studio or workspace if they have been CAWA-tested – the municipality assesses whether they are allowed to work in the building based on their education and portfolio.
Photographers, illustrators, visual artists, fashion designers and even a theatre collective work in De Kweek. Quico enthusiastically talks about the goal of De Kweek: ‘Creating a creative community of people who work in the building every day. They meet each other, work together and the neighbourhood is also involved. There is a room that can be used by everyone in the neighbourhood. Our neighbours from Soop already use it every Friday for their gym lessons where the elderly get more exercise. I hope that more initiatives will sign up and that the artists and residents will inspire each other and work together. De Kweek is a place for creativity and meeting, and we look forward to bringing this new breeding ground to life together with the neighbourhood.’
Source: Oost-online, photo BO1018
De Kweek, Nieuwe Kerkstraat 126.