A new space to learn music, art and crafts, cooking and more in Amsterdam NDSM

Earlier this year, the colourful artist village Treehouse NDSM introduced its brand new Creative School, a platform where you can find workshops, courses and lessons organised and taught by their professional resident artists. With offers for both kids and adults, everyone will find something that sparks their creative mind, regardless of prior experience.

Located in Amsterdam’s creative heart, Treehouse NDSM was born in 2019 as an affordable alternative for artists searching for a studio to rent. The organisation’s primary goal is to be “a playground for serious artists”, a space where creatives from diverse disciplines can focus on experimenting and making works but also a fertile ground for artistic collaborations to flourish within the community. It soon became clear that just as important was to provide the opportunity for residents to show their work and connect to the public.

The vision from Adriaan Kole and Marc Koolen, the two founders of this village, did not necessarily involve an events programme developed by the organisation itself. But, after the pandemic and its grave effect on the sector, it became evident that attracting Amsterdammers into Treehouse NDSM was the perfect way to support the artists and keep the organisation going. Today, they offer a diverse cultural programme, which includes the monthly concert series “Live at Our Place” and four exhibitions a year organised by Treehouse, plus jam sessions, art shows, theatre plays, performances, open mics and other activities that the residents come up with and produce themselves. Workshops, courses and lessons have also been part of the programme since the beginning, a trend that only grew more and more. That’s how the concept of Treehouse Creative School came into being.

Among Treehouse NDSM’s residents, approximately half are musicians and half are visual artists. There are also a few creatives outside of these categories, such as tattoo artists, fashion designers, chefs, and hair stylists. This variety directly translates into the diverse options seen on the Treehouse Creative School’s page: “Learn how to make vegan cheese”, ”Crochet for Beginners” and “Disco Dream Craft” are offered together with the more conventional piano lessons, watercolour courses and clay workshops.

For Treehouse NDSM, the exchange between the public and the artists/residents is one of the key aspects of the Creative School and their overall cultural programme. Artist Helga Van Stralen, who gives 3D collage and clay courses and workshops, says the best thing about it is to see how the participants forget about the rest of the world upon entering, and are often gladly surprised about making something they never thought they could. “They connect with the most honest way of communication: their own creativity”, she adds. The laid back atmosphere of Treehouse only adds to the experience of learning something new, which can be vulnerable at times. Offering painting courses for people recovering from substance abuse, Ossa Kierkegaard says it’s important that the space feels safe and there is room for them to develop self-confidence. “It’s really nice to discover your talents whilst having a chill get-together with other people in recovery”, one of her participants said.  Giving the neighbours from Amsterdam Noord and the rest of the city the possibility to participate in these activities is one of Treehouse NDSM’s main focuses. That is why they made workshops, courses and live music concerts available with discounted prices for Stadpas holders.

With the latest news about the lack of funding for many cultural organisations in Amsterdam Noord (including Treehouse NDSM) and the devastating impact it has on the entire sector, bringing awareness to what this kind of alternative spaces offer is more important than ever. With this in mind, Treehouse usually joins forces with neighbouring organisations to work  together on this common goal. An example of these collaborations are NDSM Get Lost, an event that occurs 4 Thursdays per year in which they, together with Nieuw Dakota, Beautiful Distress and NDSM Wharf, extend their opening hours until 21h so that the audience can enjoy their exhibitions and performances. They also give a guided tour through all the venues. Another example of this collaborative approach is the first edition of an “Open Music Day”. On September 14th, Treehouse NDSM is partnering with 3 music schools in Noord (Music School Amsterdam North, Muziekstraat and A’DAM Music School) to give all music enthusiasts a taste of what they could learn there.

As with many other ventures in the NDSM area, Treehouse was always meant to be a temporary project, but they believe these sorts of spaces are incredibly valuable for the city and must be protected. Whoever is curious about what this artist village is all about should drop by their big 5-year anniversary party on November 2nd. They will welcome families, friends and everything in between for a special programme of concerts, performances, workshops, DJ sets, games, a cocktail bar and delicious vegan food.

NDSM Treehouse