Living Archive #1: Komşu Zuid

A celebration of art, memory, and community spirit. 

We’re kicking off the very first edition of The Living Archive with Komşu Zuid, a vibrant celebration of kunst, komşuluk and
togetherness!

Curated by İpek M. Sur and produced by CC Amstel & 7 Hills
Foundation, this heartfelt pilot edition shines a spotlight on the
soul of Amsterdam’s Diamantbuurt.

At its heart are the voices of Turkish-Dutch women who have called this buurt home for decades. Stories of warmth, humour, migration, and belonging that weave into the living fabric of the city.

Over two inspiring days, CC Amstel transforms into a lively meeting place filled with performances, live music, storytelling, exhibitions, shared meals, and a guided neighbourhood walk through the stories of the Diamantbuurt.

The programme flows naturally between Dutch, Turkish, and English just like the community itself.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

Performances by Yeliz Doğan and Başak Layic
Live music by Meral Polat & Chris Doyle (Saturday) and Seval Okyay (Sunday). A special pop-up exhibition by Cigdem Yuksel
BuurTour  guided neighbourhood walks with Ben Sanattan Anlamam Ki. 

For the full programme and details, check the schedule.

EVENT DETAILS

CC Amstel, Amsterdam
22 & 23 November 2025

Performances: 20:00–22:00 (Triple Bill)

BuurTour: 16:30 & 17:15 (30 min each)
Tickets available via this link 

Come explore, reflect, and celebrate together. Komşu Zuid is
waiting for you.

Living Archive #1: Komşu Zuid. A Two-Day Public Programme

Over one special weekend (22-23 nov), Komşu Zuid transforms CC Amstel into a space of art, memory, experience, and connection. The programme unfolds through performances, pop-up exhibition, music, oral history and neighbourhood tours, with shared meals, weaving together diverse voices and creative practices.

Highlights include:

Residencies and Performances Premieres of residency works by Yeliz Doğan and Başak Layic, alongside a powerful concert by Meral Polat with Chris Doyle and Seval Okyay creating frequencies of connection and collective healing.

BuurTour a program inviting us to walk through the Diamantbuurt and uncover its architectural, social, and historical layers.The tour evolves around the stories of migration, womanhood, resilience, and belonging while exploring the forces that have shaped its spaces and communities over time.This tour is developed by historian and curator İrem Sezer (Ben Sanattan Anlamam Ki).

Exhibition A two-day long pop-up exhibition of Çiğdem Yüksel’s If Only You Knew as a film installation. The display will be available specially for two days at the Foyer of CC Amstel.

Spoken in Dutch, Turkish, and English, the program reflects the multilingual fabric of its participants and communities. There will be no formal translation; instead, we move through languages as part of the experience, embracing moments of understanding, mishearing, and shared meaning.

Schedule

Saturday 22 November 2025

20:00 – Performance by Başak Layic (English)
20:40 – Performance by Yeliz Doğan (Dutch)
21:15 – Concert by Meral Polat Duo

Sunday 23 November 2025

20:00 – Performance by Başak Layic (English)
20:40 – Performance by Yeliz Doğan (Dutch)
21:15 – Concert by Seval Okyay

BuurTour

22 + 23 November
16:30
17:15

Credits

Curator: İpek M. Sur
Resident Artists: Yeliz Doğan, Başak Layic
Closing Performance: Meral Polat, Chris Doyle (22 november), Seval Okyay (23 november)

Living Archive Tours: İrem Sezer (Ben Sanattan Anlamam Ki)
Techniek: Tom van Wijngaarden
Graphic Designer: Marit van der Gevel
PR&Communication: Alexander Tempel and Merel Kerssenberg
Media Partners: @birturkbirhollandali
Community Manager: Sophie Valérie Janssen
Vrijwilliger: Hatice Cetin
Creative Producer: Pırıltı Onukar
Producer: CC Amstel, 7 Hills Foundation

And special thanks to everyone who has invested their valuable time, love and memory to be able to build this special archive.

This project is empowered by City of Amsterdam, Fonds Sluyterman van Loo, Cultuurfonds