July’s speaker is Radna Rumping, an independent cultural programmer and initiator and a partner at Non-fiction. She will be talking about the tension and possibilities of contemporary culture in a heritage environment, based on a selection of projects she’s been involved in. Like last month, we’ll introduce her with a couple of questions:

1. What is your creative profession?

I always find it hard to describe myself in one sentence, my work often brings different professions together. I’m an independent cultural programmer and initiator based in Amsterdam. I connect contemporary culture with heritage, music with visual arts and people with institutions. I’m partner at Non-fiction, office for cultural innovation, and on the side I also make a weekly radio show on Red Light Radio.

2. What will you be sharing with the CreativeMornings community on Friday 25 July?

I’ll share some of my projects with a focus on programming and engaging people with contemporary art within the city and heritage of Amsterdam, for instance a 12-hour art marathon at Oude Kerk, and Tussen-ruimte (Between-space), that consisted of artistic interventions in hidden spaces at the Amsterdam canal area. These projects represent my search for an open and free space, and different modes of concentration in the city.

3. How is Amsterdam and its creative scene special to you?

The creative scene is a very broad term, these days and especially in Amsterdam, everyone is called a creative - from an art director at a big agency to a student at Rietveld. Some parts of it are dear to me, mostly small autonomous spaces or initiatives like Red Light Radio, Lost Property (R.I.P.) and bigger institutions like the Rijksakademie and Oude Kerk - institutions that have an amazing history but also act in the here and now. Amsterdam is like a small village, but what’s special to me is the possibility to switch so easily, to jump on the bicycle and move - from museums to some good club nights to small artist spaces.

4. If stuck in a creative rut, what’s your trick to get free and let loose?
Walk, make soup, swim, listen to a good dj mix.

Thank you Radna for this interview! Sign up now for this Friday’s event at A-Lab. Please note our new location - you can reach it easily by taking the Buiksloterweg ferry from Central Station. The doors will open at 8:30. See you on the 25th!