Stichting Ammodo, For arts, architecture and science

If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want To Be Part Of Your Revolution researches and produces performance work in all its shapes. Through artist commissions, If I Can’t Dance supports makers who find themselves at a defining moment their careers.

In 2022, If I Can’t Dance launches Edition IX: Bodies and Technologies, spanning two years. During this period, the organisation commissions four artists to create new work and invites three researchers to research performance art. In this edition, If I Can’t Dance explores how performance can help us better understand the relation between bodies and technologies. The artists are Black Speaks Back, Jessika Khazrik, Tchelet Weisstub and Constantina Zavitsanos and the researchers are Susanne Altmann, Samia Henni and Igiaba Scego.

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Pictured: His Flowers Shed, Tchelet Weisstub, 2021

The Nexus Institute creates space for critical thinking by organising conferences, lectures and masterclasses and publishing essays. At the annual Nexus Conference, prominent contemporary thinkers discuss topics around democracy, science, art and civilisation. Important intellectuals who have joined these debates include Nobel Prize Laureates Amartya Sen, Wole Soyinka and Mario Vargas Llosa, philosophers Jürgen Habermas and Avishai Margalit, and authors Marilynne Robinson and J.M. Coetzee.

Ammodo supports the annual Nexus Conference to contribute to a high-level discourse on the big questions of life.

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Pictured: Nobel Prize laureate Wole Soyinka
Photo: Jan Reinier van der Vliet

Every other year, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra selects four young conductors to participate in its Conducting Masterclass. This trajectory gives them the rare opportunity to work with the renowned Concertgebouw Orchestra and learn from an acclaimed conductor. This constitutes a huge step in their artistic development.

Ammodo has supported the Conducting Masterclass since its establishment in 2015. In 2022, the four participants will rehearse with the orchestra under the supervision of conductor Fabio Luisi.

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Pictured: Fabio Luisi
Photo: Monika Ritterhaus

Frascati is a theatre company that gives new directing talent ample space to push the limits of the medium. It also holds a crucial position in the international theatre field by contributing to international co-productions and by being a member of two European theatre networks. To foster this international function, Ammodo supports the theatre’s New Frontiers programme. As part of this new programme, Frascati will realise three international co-productions as well as three productions by international Netherlands-based directors between 2022 and 2024.

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Pictured: De Profundis | Uit de diepte roep ik, Charli Chung/Toneelgroep Oostpool in co-production with Frascati Producties

Photo: Henri Verhoef

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Every other year, the Concertgebouw presents SOUK, a two-day festival around Arabic music. Ammodo supports the sixth and seventh edition of the festival, in 2023 and 2025 respectively, to enhance the cross-fertilisation of Western and Arabic music and the collaboration between musicians.

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Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ is a concert hall in Amsterdam specialised in contemporary music. In order to push the development of new music, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ commissions new pieces by Dutch and international musicians and composers. Ammodo has supported these commissions since 2013.

As of 2023, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ will initiate two to three large-scale international (co-)productions per year.

muziekgebouw.nl

Pictured: Asko|Schönberg
Photo: Ada Nieuwendijk

The Academy is the training institute of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchesta in Amsterdam. During a season-long trajectory, promising young musicians hone their skills by participating in orchestra productions, receiving individual guidance and following masterclasses, workshops and training sessions. After participating, the musicians often take on positions in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra or other prominent orchestras in Europe.

By supporting the Academy, Ammodo aims to contribute to the growth of a new generation of musicians.

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Pictured: Participants 2019/2020
Photo: Renske Vrolijk

ITA is a venue for cutting-edge theatre and dance. Its in-house theatre ensemble is celebrated internationally. Led by artistic director Ivo van Hove, the company brings inventive and modern interpretations of classic and contemporary repertoire. ITA also regularly invites foreign directors for co-productions.

In 2019, Ammodo and ITA entered a partnership for the period of 2020-2022. This partnership has been extended for 2023-2025. Every year, Ammodo supports at least three productions: one by the ITA ensemble and two international co-productions.

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Pictured: Age of Rage, ITA ensemble/Ivo van Hove

Photo: Jos Versweyveld

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Photo: Paul van Riel

Click here to read our interview from 2021 with Rosemary Joshua, artistic leader of Opera Studio.

www.operaballet.nl

Photo: Ritratto by Willem Jeth, Ruth Walz

Componer Michel van der Aa (1970) is a pionieer in the field of contemporary music and new technology. His work emphasises the theatrical and visual aspects of music and converges music, theatre, opera and multimedia installations. Ammodo supports three of his new project, to be realised between 2019 and 2022:  the VR installation Eight (2019), the film opera Upload (2021) and the music-theatre production The Book of Water (2022).

In 2022, Upload won an International Opera Award for best digital opera.

In 2023, Ammodo released the documentary In Between Realities about the work of Michel van der Aa. Watch it now at ammododocs.org.

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Michel van der Aa, Eight (2019)

Concertgebouw Connects is a programme around non-Western music. For each season, The Concertgebouw presents a series of concerts by outstanding musicians from all corners of the world and representing all genres.

Ammodo supports this concert series to contribute to a richer and more future-proof programming at the Concertgebouw.

concertgebouw.nl

Pictured: Angélique Kidjo

In 2021, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra appointed Pierre Audi as its first-ever Artistic Curator. This position was established with the aim of contributing to the never-ending evolution of classical music. During a three-year appointment, the Artistic Curator develops musical projects that transcend the traditional programming, in collaboration with international partners. The aim of the curatorship is to ground classical music in the present day and expand the artistic profile of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

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Pictured: Pierre Audi
Photo: Sarah Wong

Julidans is an international contemporary dance festival taking place in Amsterdam every July. The festival presents dance performances by established and upcoming filmmakers. Since 2017, it also co-produces new works by mid-career choreographers with the aim of contributing to the evolution of dance and strengthening international collaborations. In many cases, the resulting performances mark a first step into larger venues for their creators.

Between 2019 and 2021, Ammodo supported one international Julidans co-production per year. This support has been continued for the period 2022-2024 and expanded to include a second co-production each year. In 2022, one of the supported productions is by Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos.

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Pictured: Opus, Christos Papadopoulos, 2021

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Image: Rahi Rezvani

Photo: Weg met Eddy Bellegueule by Eline Arbo, Sanne Spijkers

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Click here to read our interview from 2018 with Pierre Audi, former director of the Dutch National Opera.

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Still from Upload van Michel van der Aa.

NBprojects realises projects of the choreographer and curator Nicole Beutler. For the performances 6: THE SQUARE and 7: TRYPTICHON Beutler was inspired by the geometric principles of the Bauhaus: circular, square and triangular shapes form a substantive theme. 6: THE SQUARE (2016) is concerned with the square and in 7: TRYPTICHON (2017) Beutler moves on to the triangle/the trinity. Beutler’s work explores the idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk as a conception of art in which different disciplines such as architecture, design and theater are intertwined. Ammodo supports 6: THE SQUARE and 7: TRYPTICHON to contribute to the development of Nicole Beutler who, with these performances, is taking the plunge as a choreographer into the world of larger halls and theatres.

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THE SQUARE, NBprojects, 2016, photo: Anja Beutler