Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen is a partner at Halal and head of the documentary film department, Halal Docs. Halal is an established Amsterdam based film production company & photography agency with a big creative team, connected to people and networks all across the world
Amsterdam is at it’s best when it is covered in a thick layer fresh fallen snow, I like to go out at night and wander through one of the parks, to experience this beautiful metamorphosis of a city landscape.
A few years ago, the Volkskrant (one of the countries biggest newspaper) moved office to a new location. Their old headquarter now houses hundreds of artists and musician; along with dance studios, a bar/club with panorama over the city, a dreadlock 'doctor', a Russian cultural centre, a cyberpunk gallery and my photo studio on the 4th floor. It was a conscious choice by the founders to create a total melting pot. In the basement for example, 3 doors away from our music studio, you will find some cheerful weed smoking hiphop producers from the Bijlmer (the 'ghetto' of Amsterdam); an ex-yougoslavian hardcore drummer with a full analogue recording studio and a ballet school run by an obese woman in her 70's. Ok, it might seem artificial, but it really is quite magical!
Probably the cosiest place in town! Warm 'Berlin style' wallpapered living room build around a half circle bar. They host poetry, bingo & acoustic evenings in the front room, and great film, concerts and dress up parties in the hidden mezzanine back room.
It's a very small museum in the Hermitage about art made by outsiders. It's also known as 'Art Brut', a name given to it in 1972 by French artist Jean Dubuffet. It simply means that it is art made by people that don't fit in the normal life structure that humans suppose to have. Which can mean that the art is made by people who are in jail, who are ill, have a mental dissability or another way of not fitting into the community. The exhibitions are quite small, so it takes you just around an hour. And the hermitage has a nice canal view.
A really lovely restaurant with terasse with lots of sun hidden in the west and close to Erasmus Park. It is a place where you will a lot of locals catching up. The food is always great and there is a super cosy and friendly atmosphere. The kind of place you actually want to keep a secret so don't tell anyone! ;)