WHAT WE DO
ABOUT US
MISSION
Red Light Arts & Culture is a local artist-led organization within Amsterdam’s Red Light District (de Wallen). Through curated artistic and cultural experiences, our goal is to highlight and add to the area’s rich cultural history, living heritage, and diversity, by fostering creativity, empathy, and a sense of community. We cultivate a space to do cool things. A space where we feel safe – where we care for and inspire one another. We share a love for discovery, experimentation, and (self-) expression where we can create platforms for interaction, dialogue and community building.
Our approach is not one of opposition to the district’s multifaceted nature but an integration of its complex identity into our artistic expression.
If you’re an artist, venue, resident, or curious person of the neighbourhood and would like be part of our events and/or organization, please reach out!
CONTACT US:
redlightartsandculture [AT] gmail [DOT] com
We are the only year-round organization in the area creating regular free and accessible programming with professional artists and performers who are directly connected to de Wallen.
In order to achieve our vision, we have identified three pillars, that guide our work and focus, functioning within the ecosystem of the arts in Centrum, and more specifically, the Wallen: create, connect, communicate.
ORIGIN STORY TRAILER (2020)
video Fabio van Elswijk (Avis Media)
Music and performers in the video: Niki de Vlaming, Gioia Kuipers, Wan-Ru Cheng, La Voz Humana, Albert Manders and Adanya Dunn.
Big thank you to Marijn Schulte, Pia Pleijsier, Hinse Mutter, Adanya Dunn, Albert Manders, Fabio van Elswijk, and Niki de Vlaming for making this video possible.
WHO WE ARE
THE TEAM
Alex Bulten (he/him)
Alex is a marketing, PR and communications professional by day and an avid flâneur by night. With a Bachelor of Arts within Cultural Studies and Sociology at UvA in the pocket, he holds a deep love and passion for Amsterdam, urban (sub)cultures and queer life. He has dreams of starting his own initiatives to enrich the (queer) cultural life of Amsterdam for future ventures. In the past he has done production and location managing for initiatives like Stukafest Amsterdam, for which he’s now an active member of the Advisory Board.
The dichotomy between the partying tourists, the tremendous and sometimes horrendous bustle on the streets, and the interesting people, initiatives and stories within the community of the Red Light District are what keeps him fascinated and innately interested in the area.
Adanya Dunn (she/her)
Adanya is a Canadian-Bulgarian operatic mezzo-soprano, living in the Red Light District in Amsterdam for 3.5 years. Her frequent collaborations with composers, librettists and collectives have given her the opportunity to sing during the premiere of more than 200 works. Adanya has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Four Seasons Center in Toronto, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and made her debut at the Muziekgebouw with the Jonge Grote Zangers.
Galit Zadok (she/her)
Living in the historic Wallen neighbourhood for 6 years, just opposite the Oude Kerk was a wonderful experience for me, a musician who centres her career around music of the 15th-18th century alongside contemporary music.
Galit Zadok is an Israeli recorder and historical bassoon player based in The Netherlands. She had completed her master’s degree with Prof. Dr. Donna Agrell and Wouter Verschuren (Dulcian) at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. Her previous studies were in the Conservatorium van Amsterdamn where she studied historical bassoon with Benny Aghassi, modern bassoon with Jos de Lange, and recorders with Jorge Isaac and Erik Bosgraaf. She was also accepted to the Erasmus programme at the Conservatorio di Milano where she had studied historical bassoon with Prof. Alberto Grazzi. Galit is the (co-)musical director of the early music ensembles we’N band and La Voz Humana.
Photo by: Marijn Schulte Photography
Nilton Moreira da Silva (he/him)
My name is Nilton Moreira da Silva. I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. As a child growing up there I felt right at home in musea, especially those who explore themes of cultural identity and diversity. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I inherited African, indigenous and European ancestry and I learnt about this complex history with the oral stories of my family.
Living in the Netherlands, I learned to navigate the Dutch community while making room for my own complex heritage and how these two relate to each other. I became an artist to further understand how we can create a sense of belonging in relation to our common heritage.
I have successfully completed the visual arts education at Utrecht School of Arts (HKU) and later obtained another degree at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where I participated in the international class of video artist Nan Hoover. At this stage in my life, I can state I have gained a rich variety of experiences in the world of art and cultural education. As an artist it has always been my goal to involve the viewers in my art projects.
I have often been asked by schools and several education departments of museums and cultural institutions to develop concepts for workshops and creative ways to engage different generations and communities. My purpose is to encourage people to find their own relevance in what we inherit.
Queer Amsterdam, Museum Catharijneconvent, Africa Museum, Boijmans van Beuningen, Dansateliers/Rotterdam, SKVR and Kunstuitleen Utrecht are examples of cooperation partners.
But I consider myself rather an artworker than an artist. If one thing must characterize my artistry it will be that it develops in continuous interaction with the environment.
With that, I allow myself the context I have to deal with to influence my artistic choices. This style, which I characterize as an open and engaging style, derives from my opinion. That being an artist is not just producing art but dealing with the cultural dimension of social processes.
Photo by: Edwin Smits
TJ Leeuwerik (they/them)
TJ Leeuwerik (they/them) is a philosopher and creative. They have a Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Amsterdam and have written their thesis on “The (universal) subject in Butler’s ethics of precarity”. TJ helped organize the first edition (2021) of Violet Gaze, an Amsterdam-based group that hosts events for FLINTS. TJ worked at the local ‘Skek bar Zeedijk in the Red Light District, where they also performed some of their original music on voice and guitar. TJ enjoys hiking and dogs!
Dionne Gillick (she/her)
Dionne is currently a Masters student of Heritage & Memory Studies at the University of Amsterdam in the Nieuwmarkt area. Originally from Ireland, her background is in Gaelic Studies, specialising in folklore and oral tradition, especially through a colonial perspective. This has led to her interest in exploring the link between storytelling, culture, heritage, and community.
Iara Perillo (she/her)
Iara Perillo is a Dutch/Brazilian flute player, artist and teacher based in Amsterdam. At the moment Iara is studying her Master Degree in Live Electronics at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Jos Zwaanenburg,
Currently Iara is playing and being part of the JongNBE (2023-2025), cross-over ensemble Nachtlicht and interdisciplinary ensemble “WORDS”, who released their first album in February ’24 with AUT Records and NÜGO Records. She is active as well as a soloist as in various chamber music ensembles, including the Paleia flute trio (flute/violin/viola), Iara Perillo & Martín Vera Guerra Duo (flute/oboe) and Dufonte (flute/harp). With this last ensemble she won a second prize in 2020 at the Rosa Spier competition in the category Ensemble and performed and recorded at the Forbidden Music Regained festival by Donemus in 2023.
She has collaborated with many (project) orchestras and ensembles including the Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands, Jong Nederlands Blazers Ensemble West, Jonge Blazers Nederland, North Holland Youth Orchestra, Klassiek Collectief, Ricciotti Ensemble and Orchestre Partout. She also performed solo with pianist Vital Stahievitch in the Recital Hall of the Concertgebouw.
Photo by: Adanya Dunn
Albert Manders (he/him)
Albert Manders is a composer, flutist, artistic and executive director. He moved from the US to Amsterdam in 2006 to study contemporary flute and composition. Interested in all sides of artistic expression and cultural management he has worked in many roles including chamber musician, artistic leadership, financial direction, production, and marketing, and has created a number of music(theater) projects including Eendagsliederen, Passing Sounds and SLOT.
Photo by: Marijn Schulte Photography
approach
The world of grand political shifts can feel distant and overwhelming. At RLAC, we believe that exciting change can blossom right here in our own backyard – the Red Light District. We’re not interested in imposing solutions from above, but in empowering the local community to shape its own destiny.
Our approach is all about cultivating a thriving local ecosystem through art. We champion the talents of local artists and businesses through our events and collaborations, fostering a more self-sufficient and vibrant district. We move beyond a purely transactional view of the world, using art as a tool to spark connections, shared experiences, and a deep sense of belonging.
Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. We work hand-in-hand with residents, organizations, social initiatives, and cultural institutions, fostering a spirit of mutual support and shared ownership. Art becomes a platform for residents and workers to tell their stories, celebrating the rich tapestry that is the Red Light District. Our events are more than entertainment – they’re opportunities for the community to gather, celebrate, and discover a shared sense of purpose.
We act as a weaver of connections within the Red Light District. We provide the space and platform for people to connect, share experiences, and celebrate their shared identity. By nurturing this “distributive network,” we empower the community to thrive on its own terms, building a vibrant future block by block, artwork by artwork.
our name
The name “Red Light” in our organization’s title serves as a deliberate choice to acknowledge the existing identity of the area and its historical significance. We believe that by incorporating the term “Red Light” into our name, we contribute to a nuanced and multifaceted narrative about the neighbourhood.
While we understand the desire to promote the Dutch name “de Wallen” internationally, we propose that the dual inclusion of “Red Light” and “de Wallen” in our organization’s name can serve as a bridge between the local and global perspectives. Through our cultural events and artistic programming, we aim to shape an image that encompasses both the traditional aspects associated with the Red Light District including sex work, and the rich arts and culture flourishing within the entire area.
community
Our primary community consists of those connected to Amsterdam’s Red Light District. The communities intersect and overlap between groups of local professional artists, businesses, residents, students, and workers of all kinds – all of whom comprise our audience base, performers/artists, and even our venues.
Our platform for professional local artists particularly includes those from marginalized and intersecting communities of the area. Our audience and our collaborations involve those particularly connected to local social organizations such as Leger des Heils, the Prostitution Information Center, WeLiveHere, TransUnited, and Buurtkamers de Moddermolen and Boomspijker.
Among others, these initiatives represent sex workers, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals, internationals, residents, unhoused people and young and emerging talent (current students and recent graduates), with and for whom we also work on an individual basis. We design our programming to connect our audiences and artists of diverse backgrounds, aiming to foster community through our artistic programming.
We regularly guest curate and develop special programming from within our network. We’ve worked with the Oude Kerk, Queer Amsterdam, Red Light Jazz, Buurtfestival, Wallen Open Dagen, and the Wallen Festival.
WHAT WE DO
ABOUT US
MISSION
Red Light Arts & Culture is a local artist-led organization within Amsterdam’s Red Light District (de Wallen). Through curated artistic and cultural experiences, our goal is to highlight and add to the area’s rich cultural history, living heritage, and diversity, by fostering creativity, empathy, and a sense of community. We cultivate a space to do cool things. A space where we feel safe – where we care for and inspire one another. We share a love for discovery, experimentation, and (self-) expression where we can create platforms for interaction, dialogue and community building.
Our approach is not one of opposition to the district’s multifaceted nature but an integration of its complex identity into our artistic expression.
If you’re an artist, venue, resident, or curious person of the neighbourhood and would like be part of our events and/or organization, please reach out!
CONTACT US:
redlightartsandculture [AT] gmail [DOT] com
We are the only year-round organization in the area creating free and accessible programming with professional artists and performers who are directly connected to de Wallen.
In order to achieve our vision, we have identified three pillars, that guide our work and focus, functioning within the ecosystem of the arts in Centrum, and more specifically, the Wallen: create, connect, communicate.
ORIGIN STORY TRAILER (2020)
video Fabio van Elswijk (Avis Media)
Music and performers in the video: Niki de Vlaming, Gioia Kuipers, Wan-Ru Cheng, La Voz Humana, Albert Manders and Adanya Dunn.
Big thank you to Marijn Schulte, Pia Pleijsier, Hinse Mutter, Adanya Dunn, Albert Manders, Fabio van Elswijk, and Niki de Vlaming for making this video possible.
WHO WE ARE
THE TEAM
Alex Bulten (he/him)
Alex is a marketing, PR and communications professional by day and an avid flâneur by night. With a Bachelor of Arts within Cultural Studies and Sociology at UvA in the pocket, he holds a deep love and passion for Amsterdam, urban (sub)cultures and queer life. He has dreams of starting his own initiatives to enrich the (queer) cultural life of Amsterdam for future ventures. In the past he has done production and location managing for initiatives like Stukafest Amsterdam, for which he’s now an active member of the Advisory Board.
The dichotomy between the partying tourists, the tremendous and sometimes horrendous bustle on the streets, and the interesting people, initiatives and stories within the community of the Red Light District are what keeps him fascinated and innately interested in the area.
Galit Zadok (she/her)
Living in the historic Wallen neighbourhood for 6 years, just opposite the Oude Kerk was a wonderful experience for me, a musician who centres her career around music of the 15th-18th century alongside contemporary music.
Galit Zadok is an Israeli recorder and historical bassoon player based in The Netherlands. She had completed her master’s degree with Prof. Dr. Donna Agrell and Wouter Verschuren (Dulcian) at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. Her previous studies were in the Conservatorium van Amsterdamn where she studied historical bassoon with Benny Aghassi, modern bassoon with Jos de Lange, and recorders with Jorge Isaac and Erik Bosgraaf. She was also accepted to the Erasmus programme at the Conservatorio di Milano where she had studied historical bassoon with Prof. Alberto Grazzi. Galit is the (co-)musical director of the early music ensembles we’N band and La Voz Humana.
Photo by: Marijn Schulte Photography
Nilton Moreira da Silva (he/him)
My name is Nilton Moreira da Silva. I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. As a child growing up there I felt right at home in musea, especially those who explore themes of cultural identity and diversity. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I inherited African, indigenous and European ancestry and I learnt about this complex history with the oral stories of my family.
Living in the Netherlands, I learned to navigate the Dutch community while making room for my own complex heritage and how these two relate to each other. I became an artist to further understand how we can create a sense of belonging in relation to our common heritage.
I have successfully completed the visual arts education at Utrecht School of Arts (HKU) and later obtained another degree at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where I participated in the international class of video artist Nan Hoover. At this stage in my life, I can state I have gained a rich variety of experiences in the world of art and cultural education. As an artist it has always been my goal to involve the viewers in my art projects.
I have often been asked by schools and several education departments of museums and cultural institutions to develop concepts for workshops and creative ways to engage different generations and communities. My purpose is to encourage people to find their own relevance in what we inherit.
Queer Amsterdam, Museum Catharijneconvent, Africa Museum, Boijmans van Beuningen, Dansateliers/Rotterdam, SKVR and Kunstuitleen Utrecht are examples of cooperation partners.
But I consider myself rather an artworker than an artist. If one thing must characterize my artistry it will be that it develops in continuous interaction with the environment.
With that, I allow myself the context I have to deal with to influence my artistic choices. This style, which I characterize as an open and engaging style, derives from my opinion. That being an artist is not just producing art but dealing with the cultural dimension of social processes.
Photo by: Edwin Smits
Adanya Dunn (she/her)
Adanya is a Canadian-Bulgarian operatic mezzo-soprano, living in the Red Light District in Amsterdam for 3.5 years. Her frequent collaborations with composers, librettists and collectives have given her the opportunity to sing during the premiere of more than 200 works. Adanya has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Four Seasons Center in Toronto, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and made her debut at the Muziekgebouw with the Jonge Grote Zangers.
TJ Leeuwerik (they/them)
TJ Leeuwerik (they/them) is a philosopher and creative. They have a Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Amsterdam and have written their thesis on “The (universal) subject in Butler’s ethics of precarity”. TJ helped organize the first edition (2021) of Violet Gaze, an Amsterdam-based group that hosts events for FLINTS. TJ worked at the local ‘Skek bar Zeedijk in the Red Light District, where they also performed some of their original music on voice and guitar. TJ enjoys hiking and dogs!
Iara Perillo (she/her)
Iara Perillo is a Dutch/Brazilian flute player, artist and teacher based in Amsterdam. At the moment Iara is studying her Master Degree in Live Electronics at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Jos Zwaanenburg,
Currently Iara is playing and being part of the JongNBE (2023-2025), cross-over ensemble Nachtlicht and interdisciplinary ensemble “WORDS”, who released their first album in February ’24 with AUT Records and NÜGO Records. She is active as well as a soloist as in various chamber music ensembles, including the Paleia flute trio (flute/violin/viola), Iara Perillo & Martín Vera Guerra Duo (flute/oboe) and Dufonte (flute/harp). With this last ensemble she won a second prize in 2020 at the Rosa Spier competition in the category Ensemble and performed and recorded at the Forbidden Music Regained festival by Donemus in 2023.
She has collaborated with many (project) orchestras and ensembles including the Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands, Jong Nederlands Blazers Ensemble West, Jonge Blazers Nederland, North Holland Youth Orchestra, Klassiek Collectief, Ricciotti Ensemble and Orchestre Partout. She also performed solo with pianist Vital Stahievitch in the Recital Hall of the Concertgebouw.
Photo by: Adanya Dunn
Albert Manders (he/him)
Albert Manders is a composer, flutist, artistic and executive director. He moved from the US to Amsterdam in 2006 to study contemporary flute and composition. Interested in all sides of artistic expression and cultural management he has worked in many roles including chamber musician, artistic leadership, financial direction, production, and marketing, and has created a number of music(theater) projects including Eendagsliederen, Passing Sounds and SLOT.
Photo by: Marijn Schulte Photography
Dionne Gillick (she/her)
Dionne is currently a Masters student of Heritage & Memory Studies at the University of Amsterdam in the Nieuwmarkt area. Originally from Ireland, her background is in Gaelic Studies, specialising in folklore and oral tradition, especially through a colonial perspective. This has led to her interest in exploring the link between storytelling, culture, heritage, and community.
approach
The world of grand political shifts can feel distant and overwhelming. At RLAC, we believe that exciting change can blossom right here in our own backyard – the Red Light District. We’re not interested in imposing solutions from above, but in empowering the local community to shape its own destiny.
Our approach is all about cultivating a thriving local ecosystem through art. We champion the talents of local artists and businesses through our events and collaborations, fostering a more self-sufficient and vibrant district. We move beyond a purely transactional view of the world, using art as a tool to spark connections, shared experiences, and a deep sense of belonging.
Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. We work hand-in-hand with residents, organizations, social initiatives, and cultural institutions, fostering a spirit of mutual support and shared ownership. Art becomes a platform for residents and workers to tell their stories, celebrating the rich tapestry that is the Red Light District. Our events are more than entertainment – they’re opportunities for the community to gather, celebrate, and discover a shared sense of purpose.
We act as a weaver of connections within the Red Light District. We provide the space and platform for people to connect, share experiences, and celebrate their shared identity. By nurturing this “distributive network,” we empower the community to thrive on its own terms, building a vibrant future block by block, artwork by artwork.
our name
The name “Red Light” in our organization’s title serves as a deliberate choice to acknowledge the existing identity of the area and its historical significance. We believe that by incorporating the term “Red Light” into our name, we contribute to a nuanced and multifaceted narrative about the neighbourhood.
While we understand the desire to promote the Dutch name “de Wallen” internationally, we propose that the dual inclusion of “Red Light” and “de Wallen” in our organization’s name can serve as a bridge between the local and global perspectives. Through our cultural events and artistic programming, we aim to shape an image that encompasses both the traditional aspects associated with the Red Light District including sex work, and the rich arts and culture flourishing within the entire area.
community
Our primary community consists of those connected to Amsterdam’s Red Light District. The communities intersect and overlap between groups of local professional artists, businesses, residents, students, and workers of all kinds – all of whom comprise our audience base, performers/artists, and even our venues.
Our platform for professional local artists particularly includes those from marginalized and intersecting communities of the area. Our audience and our collaborations involve those particularly connected to local social organizations such as Leger des Heils, the Prostitution Information Center, WeLiveHere, TransUnited, and Buurtkamers de Moddermolen and Boomspijker.
Among others, these initiatives represent sex workers, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals, internationals, residents, unhoused people, and young and emerging talent (current students and recent graduates), with and for whom we also work on an individual basis. We design our programming to connect our audiences and artists of diverse backgrounds, aiming to foster community through our artistic programming.