Where the concierge points people first
- Istituto Italiano di Cultura — Italy's official cultural institute in the city, with language courses, talks and film. Events are often in Italian or bilingual, so check the listing. (52.3648, 4.8880)
- Yunus Emre Instituut — Turkey's state cultural institute, with Turkish lessons and exhibitions. A useful door into one of Amsterdam's largest communities. (52.3563, 4.8838)
- OBA Javaplein — A branch of the public library in the Indische Buurt, free to walk into, with reading tables and local events. Open to anyone, no card needed to sit down. (52.3644, 4.9388)
- ICK Space for Dance Art — The home of ICK, the dance company founded by Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten. Performances and open classes; movement needs no translation. (52.3575, 4.8403)
- Broedplaats Baggerbeest — One of the city's broedplaatsen, buildings rented cheaply to artists and makers. Best visited on an open-studio day. (52.3734, 4.9602)
The rest of the cultural centers in Amsterdam — every one we hold
- 't Japans Cultureel Centrum (52.3719, 4.8910)
- Amstel1 Amsterdam (52.3680, 4.9005)
- Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Studies (AMS) (52.3626, 4.9203)
- Broedplaats HW10 (52.3605, 4.8236)
- Broedplaats SUP (52.3577, 4.8523)
- CONTACT Amsterdam (52.3937, 4.8549)
- Creative Europe Desk NL (52.3659, 4.9033)
- De Gele Pomp (52.3936, 4.9241)
- De Monsterkamer (52.3772, 4.9387)
- Frankrijk (52.3731, 4.8933)
- Het Groene Veld (52.4118, 4.9354)
- impulse art managent (52.3743, 4.8985)
- Joods Cultureel Centrum (52.3319, 4.8616)
- KruxAmsterdam (52.3688, 4.9550)
- Lato - Het Griekse Taal- & CultuurCentrum van Amsterdam (52.3684, 4.8562)
- Literaire Salon (52.3694, 4.8871)
- Look Up (52.3766, 4.8995)
- LTS (52.3704, 4.8439)
- MACA - Moving Arts Centre Amsterdam (52.3989, 4.8916)
- Maqam (52.3785, 4.8426)
- Modestraat (52.3997, 4.9354)
- Podium Horizon (52.3916, 4.8749)
- Samen Nieuw-West (52.3626, 4.8389)
- Schietbaan (52.3753, 4.9138)
- Stichting De Fik (52.3460, 4.8261)
- Studio BloemDwars (52.3739, 4.8780)
- Tempel Amsterdam (52.3526, 4.9064)
- Vox Pop (52.3690, 4.8948)
- Vrouwencentrum de Baarsjes (52.3657, 4.8558)
- Български културен и информационен център в Амстердам, Нидерландия (52.3319, 4.8872)
- المركز الثقافى المصرى كليوباترا بهولندا Egyptisch Sociale Cultureel Centrum (52.4015, 4.9442)
A broedplaats is an artists' building, and its doors open on set days
Amsterdam decided decades ago that artists should not be priced out, and the tool it chose is the broedplaats (literally breeding ground): old schools, offices and sheds let to studios at below-market rents. Several appear in this list. They are workplaces first, so you cannot usually wander in on a Tuesday; they open for exhibitions, festivals and open-studio weekends, which are announced on their own sites. The foreign institutes are the opposite, with regular public programs, but the language of an evening varies. Read the listing before you go.
Questions people ask
How many cultural centers are there in Amsterdam?
Num's directory maps 36 cultural centers in Amsterdam, including foreign cultural institutes, community centers and artist studio buildings.
What is a broedplaats in Amsterdam?
A building let at low rent to artists and creative makers under a city policy. Most open to the public only for events and open-studio days.
Are Amsterdam cultural center events in English?
Some are. Many are in Dutch or in the institute's own language, so check each event listing.
Ask Num what is on at a cultural center in Amsterdam this week
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