City Talks Amsterdam: Breaking the Barrier

Close
The Bookshop
24 Apr '25

City Talks Amsterdam: Breaking the Barrier

Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
City Talks Amsterdam: Breaking the Barrier
24 Apr '25
Internationaal Theater Amsterdam

Every last Thursday of the month, you're welcome at The Bookshop for City Talks Amsterdam. For this monthly talk show, we invite guests - from scientists to artists and from journalists to economists - who come to talk about a social topic or urban trends. Together we dive into a theme and ask how it affects Amsterdam and its residents.

Themes that came up last season include the influence of money, political activism and artificial intelligence. We invite you to grab a drink, join the conversation and get inspired!

Location The Bookshop
Run time 60 minutes
Genre Perspective
Language English

Breaking the Barrier


Humans have never existed in isolation from the world around them, yet modern society often pretends otherwise. This edition of City Talks invites you to rethink our relationship with the non-human world. In a time of climate crisis and ecological collapse, what can we learn from stories that challenge the illusion of human dominance? How can we move toward a more symbiotic way of living, one where care, ethics, and resilience are deeply interconnected? Together with our guests, we will explore the entanglements between people, animals, and the environment - and what it truly means to exist in a world where humans are not the only ones who matter.

Moderator: Geoffrey van de Ven

-|-
This edition’s theme is inspired by ITA Ensemble’s The Wall, based on Marlen Haushofer’s visionary novel, which presents a world where the boundaries between human, animal, and nature dissolve. The Wall runs from March 21 – April 27 at ITA.

Monai McCullough is a plant stylist, green designer, and ecological researcher known for her deep connection to the natural world. With years of experience curating green spaces and working different botanical mediums, Monai brings a thoughtful approach to decolonising horticulture. Her work is rooted in the belief that nature is not just something we admire, it’s something we need to (re)connect to, in order to tap into the creativity that can change the world.

Nathalie Faber is a filmmaker and art curator producer whose work explores the intersection of art, media, and society. Her latest documentary De Natuur Bestaat Niet delves into the crisis of our relationship with nature - framing it as a relationship crisis in need of therapy. In the film, she brings this conflict to renowned Belgian psychiatrist and relationship therapist Dirk de Wachter, who holds therapy sessions with four protagonists to explore how to restore their bond with nature. Beyond filmmaking, Nathalie has an extensive career making exhibitions, books, and cultural projects.

Alexander Cromer is a spoken word performance artist, poet, MC, and researcher. As a PhD candidate at the artistic research program PhDArts (Leiden University / KABK), his research focuses on current and alternative modes of spoken word performance, listening, voicing, and sound production within the context of Black radical imagination, ancestral healing, and performance theory. Through a combination of text, sound, and performance, Alexander creates intimate spaces where speculative pasts, presents, and futures intersect — rethinking relationships between the human, non-human, and more-thanhuman worlds.

The Wall
ITA Ensemble / Eline Arbo
The Wall

The Bookshop

The Bookshop is ITA's new cultural living room on Leidseplein. This compact stage offers a space for innovation, reflection and new perspectives. Here, makers, performers and visitors meet for special programmes, from experiments to intimate performances. The Bookshop is a place for everyone, with a focus on accessibility and openness. It is a gift to the city, made possible by the support of more than 500 donors and various funds and partners.

MORE PERSPECTIVE

Language NP Language no problem Het Dromenpaleis Zephyr Brüggen Perspective programmes Het Dromenpaleis
Close Het Dromenpaleis Zephyr Brüggen
17 Apr '25 to 18 Apr '25
Do you have a dream you want to share? Het Dromenpaleis collects stories and creates with you a collective dream diary of Amsterdam.
Language NP Language no problem Workshop at Het Dromenpaleis Zephyr Brüggen Perspective programmes Workshop at Het Dromenpaleis
Close Workshop at Het Dromenpaleis Zephyr Brüggen
19 Apr '25 to 18 May '25
A theatrical installation in which an associative world of feelings comes to life, inspired by your dreams.
Language NP Language no problem Let's Meet Internationaal Theater Amsterdam / Rabobank Amsterdam Perspective programmes Let's Meet
Close Let's Meet Internationaal Theater Amsterdam / Rabobank Amsterdam
23 Apr '25
A pilot evening at The Bookshop with music, performances and conversations.
Language NP Language no problem City Talks Amsterdam: Breaking the Barrier Internationaal Theater Amsterdam Perspective programmes City Talks Amsterdam: Breaking the Barrier
Close City Talks Amsterdam: Breaking the Barrier Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
24 Apr '25
Every last Thursday of the month, Internationaal Theater Amsterdam presents City Talks Amsterdam. For this monthly talk show, we invite guests - from scientists to artists and from journalists to economists - who come to talk about a social topic or urban trends.
Language NP Language no problem Naar zachtheid en een warm omhelzen - Adriaan van Dis Theater Colleges Perspective programmes Naar zachtheid en een warm omhelzen - Adriaan van Dis
Close Naar zachtheid en een warm omhelzen - Adriaan van Dis Theater Colleges
Adriaan van Dis makes a significant contribution to Dutch culture and literature through his extensive literary portfolio and diverse television projects. His works are cherished by readers from diverse ages and backgrounds.
Language NP Language no problem Public Tour (in English) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam Perspective programmes Public Tour (in English)
Close Public Tour (in English) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
07 Sep '24 to 05 Jul '25
Every first Saturday of the month, you can join the public tour of the building and get a peek behind all the doors that would otherwise remain closed.
Language NP Language no problem Public tour (in Dutch) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam Perspective programmes Public tour (in Dutch)
Close Public tour (in Dutch) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
07 Sep '24 to 05 Jul '25
Every first Saturday of the month, you can join the public tour of the building and get a peek behind all the doors that would otherwise remain closed.
Language NP Language no problem ZOU JE VAN MIJ HOUDEN | openbaar gesprek Female Economy / Leendert Vooijce Theater ZOU JE VAN MIJ HOUDEN | openbaar gesprek
Close ZOU JE VAN MIJ HOUDEN | openbaar gesprek Female Economy / Leendert Vooijce
09 May '25
How do we nurture a place in our society for someone who wants to create themselves?
Language NP Language no problem City Talks Amsterdam Internationaal Theater Amsterdam Perspective programmes City Talks Amsterdam
Close City Talks Amsterdam Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
15 May '25
This time earlier in the month: on May 15, ITA presents City Talks Amsterdam. For this monthly talk show, we invite guests - from scientists to artists and from journalists to economists - who come to talk about a social issue or urban trend.
Language NP Language no problem De Correspondent met Tim 'S Jongers: Armoede uitgelegd aan mensen met geld De Correspondent / Via Rudolphi Perspective programmes De Correspondent met Tim 'S Jongers: Armoede uitgelegd aan mensen met geld
Close De Correspondent met Tim 'S Jongers: Armoede uitgelegd aan mensen met geld De Correspondent / Via Rudolphi
16 May '25
In this theater lecture, Tim 'S Jongers takes the audience through the many misconceptions about poverty.
Language NP Language no problem De Staat van de Stad - Daar waar we elkaar vinden Pakhuis de Zwijger / Internationaal Theater Amsterdam / Rabobank Amsterdam / Gemeente Amsterdam Perspective programmes De Staat van de Stad - Daar waar we elkaar vinden
Close De Staat van de Stad - Daar waar we elkaar vinden Pakhuis de Zwijger / Internationaal Theater Amsterdam / Rabobank Amsterdam / Gemeente Amsterdam
20 May '25
How do we resist division and the survival of the fittest? On connection as a foundation for a resilient city. Including Femke Halsema, Jeroen Slot, a performance by the ITA Ensemble and others.