Framer Framed

Vrij Atelier

Starting from October 2024, Werkplaats Molenwijk hosts the weekly drop-in studio Vrij Atelier, organised for and by Molenwijk neighbourhood residents.

Every Monday afternoon, easels are set up and participants can paint and draw together. The schedule of the Vrij Atelier is flexible and depends on both the participants' needs and the principle of self-organisation and ownership. Sometimes the afternoons consist of workshops with a specific theme. For instance, art teacher Diede Visser visited to teach novice painters the tricks of the trade. Participants can also continue to work on their own artworks if they prefer.

Vrij Atelier is an initiative of local resident Janneke Jeeninga and is realised through the neighbourhood budget, a grant made available by the Amsterdam municipality.

Naaiatelier

Every Monday morning, Werkplaats Molenwijk starts the week as a sewing workshop. Under the guidance of other neighbourhood residents, Molenwijk residents can (learn how to) work with a sewing machine.

At the Werkplaats, anyone can join in repairing, changing and upcycling clothes and textiles. Sewing machines and materials are available. During the workshop you can learn the basics of sewing and repairing clothes, but more experienced tailors are also welcome.

The sewing workshop was set up through the Molenwijk door elkaar groep, which consisted of several Molenwijk residents with refugee backgrounds who created a collective tapestry about the neighbourhood in 2021.

Karam Keuken

Every three months, on the last Friday night of the month, Werkplaats Molenwijk hosts a free communal dinner with performances in the company of other local residents.

Karam Keuken is a cultural community dinner born out of Molenwijk Bloeit!, a monthly poetry dinner during Spring initiated by Molenwijk residents. During Karam Keuken, neighbourhood residents also present stories, poetry or music, while the three neighbourhood chefs Sonya, Ghada and Enaam transform the Werkplaats into a restaurant.

‘Karam’ translates from Arabic and Turkish to ‘generous’, ‘hospitable’ and ‘giving something without expecting something in return’. A fitting name, as these evenings focus on togetherness, eating together at no cost and connecting with others.

Arpilleras workshops: textielherinneringen uit de Molenwijk

During the Arpilleras Workshop Cycle: Molenwijk Textile Memories, organised by Chilean artists Monet Barraza Madariaga and La Javi Textil, participants learn about the origin and meaning of Arpilleras in three sessions in November and December 2024. This Chilean textile technique, which originated as a form of protest, will be used in the workshops to capture the stories and memories of the residents of Molenwijk. Participants will create a collective Arpilleras artwork that incorporates their memories of Molenwijk. In this way, the workshops not only promote creativity, but also dialogue and connection within the Molenwijk community.

The collective Arpilleras artwork will be on display during the screening of the documentary Retazos Móviles on 14 December 2024, where visitors will be able to admire the final result and the process behind it.

Zelf gemaakt! In de Molenwijk

In a collaboration with the OBA, students from the Praktijkcollege Noord and two art teachers, Gina Sanches and Diede Visser, meet every Wednesday afternoon at the Werkplaats. Here the students have the opportunity to develop their artistic skills under supervision and to express and challenge themselves outside the regular school curriculum.

Zelf gemaakt! aims to develop cultural education for students in practical education, to enhance their artistic and creative capacity so that they can face challenging situations with confidence and a sense of ownership. And it works: during the podcast Zelf gemaakt! Art and Creativity with students, Ikra, Rana & Rumaysa students say that they not only enjoy making art, but also see its value as a creative outlet and even inspiration for future careers. The project ends each year with an exhibition of the students' artwork at Werkplaats Molenwijk.

Zelf gemaakt! is made possible in part by Fonds voor Cultuur Participatie, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst, de Alliantie and Gemeente Amsterdam

to M•Others is gastonderzoeker in de Molenwijk

Social artist Sun Chang (she/they) started a project about motherhood in 2020 consisting of interviews, discussions and workshops. This project, named to M•Others, sprouted in the Bijlmer in Amsterdam-Zuidoost and travelled onwards to the Molenwijk, where she continued it in collaboration with Framer Framed.

to M•Others is a creative publishing and art education project exploring the ideology of parenthood from the concept of M(Other)ing. The publications are created through a participatory approach in collaboration with M•Others (mothers, parents and caregivers, regardless of gender and social roles) from different backgrounds in order to share their stories with the public. Sun Chang also designs pedagogical tools to engage with children and young people in artistic ways. The artist focuses on community-based work - working in and with the neighbourhood - and develops workshops and other events to inform her publications and research.