On Saturday, December 16, Plantage Dok will celebrate its fifth anniversary with an open day, a dinner and a big party.

This recalls that an empty church building was squatted in the avenue of the same name opposite Artis in 1998. The squatters formed a community ‘where art, culture, social housing, activism and crafts come together in a vibrant whole’. In 2000, the building could be acquired from the municipality on a leasehold basis for one guilder on the condition that there would be workshops and living spaces for professional artists and for social or creative entrepreneurs.

Plantage Dok has been the proud home of countless exhibitions and theater productions over the past 25 years. Many Dokkers are also involved in art on all fronts of innovation. Much of the work is socially committed and goes hand in hand with activism on numerous themes, from human rights to sustainable agriculture. The Anarchist Book Fair of Amsterdam has been taking place here every autumn for years and has grown into the largest activist event in the Netherlands.’

The anniversary celebration starts in the afternoon, when all studios are open from 12 noon to 5 p.m. At 6 p.m., the in-house chefs of Taste Before You Waste will provide a dinner, followed by a party with performances and music that continues well into the night.

Visit the website  for more information. Entrance is on donation basis.

(Source; East online)