Amsterdam-Noord: Situating Sonic Acts Academy 2018
Sonic Acts Academy 2018 is principally located in Amsterdam-Noord. At the EYE Filmmuseum we warm up with two film presentations, while our Academy Opening and subsequent two-day Symposium will be hosted at Dansmakers. A sensorial exhibition will open nearby at Motorkade 9, and we will occupy Paradiso Noord, Tolhuistuin, for two special editions of our ongoing Progress Bar series of club nights.
Directly to the north of the river IJ, behind Central Station, Amsterdam-Noord has the best of contrasting worlds: vast expanses beside some of the city's most cutting-edge architecture and exhibition spaces. Easily accessible by ferry from the city centre, the north of the city has been the object of various regeneration projects over the past few years.
On 20 and 22 February, as part of the Sonic Acts Academy warm-up week, we present two films at the cinematic EYE Filmmuseum – a sleek white building that houses a museum, cinema and restaurant with a panoramic view over the water. In collaboration with EYE on Film we will screen Speel Reel by Filipa César and Time Passes by Ane Hjort Guttu, two genre-bending films that contribute to debates on artist responsibility and education’s role in understanding and engaging with reality.
The Academy's opening evening on 23 February and the following two-day Symposium will be held on the waterfront at Dansmakers – a dance production house which brings together artists and audience in an open setting. For Friday and Saturday night we move to Paradiso Noord, Tolhuistuin, which, as well as offering a unique club setting for a weekend of Progress Bar, will host two immersive installations as part of the Academy’s Special Events programme.
From Friday until Sunday visitors can visit Sensing the Place – an experimental and experiential environment devised out of a collaborative student research project at Damen Shiprepair between KABK and Sonic Acts. Presented at Motorkade 9, around the corner from Dansmakers, this collaboration invites visitors to consider different ways of navigating space.
A new metro line connecting the north and the south of the city is set to expand current markets in Amsterdam-Noord. Paradiso Noord, Tolhuistuin, which plays to host to the Academy’s night programme, is a good example of the north's regeneration. As the canteen of the old Shell factory, the location is an industrial remnant that has been repurposed as a cultural destination offering a mix of music, theatre and exhibitions.
More information about the Academy locations can found on our Visit page.
