A GOODBYE TO CAPITALISM… AND GUESS WHAT? YOU’RE INVITED
‘From T.I.N.A. to T.A.M.A.’ - a collective contemplation on a post-capitalist future as part of The Spirit of Amsterdam festival
What are you doing next Saturday? Well how about coming to Amsterdam’s Dam Square to join a performance that bids a ceremonial farewell to capitalism. As part of the epic arts festival The Spirit of Amsterdam which kicks off later this week.
While Amsterdam was once the cradle for capitalism during the 17th century, can it now become a breeding ground for alternatives today?
On November 23, at 20.00h, this question will be explored in From T.I.N.A. to T.A.M.A. (From ‘There is no alternative’ to “There are many alternatives”). An event that serves as a contemplation on a post-capitalist future, which will take place in the De Nieuwe Kerk on Dam Square - right on top of the grave of the controversial VOC general Michiel de Ruyter.
“As multiple crises pile up around us, many people are questioning how to build a life in a system that is eating us from the inside, and even whether building anything is the way to go. We are in dire need of new ways. Of new words. Capitalism has promised us freedom and happiness, but we are increasingly starting to ask; at what cost?”
As an alternative to the current status quo, post-capitalism moves beyond the endless belief in progress. It opens the door to an intersectional path, where restorative justice and biodiversity meet, where housing and ownership can be reimagined, and where society’s collective well-being can be prioritised above individual success.
The programme From T.I.N.A. to T.A.M.A. aims to create an imagination space for these alternatives, to resist capitalism's main rhetoric of “there is no alternative” - a phrase infamously used by former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Priestess Tama, a.k.a. South African poet Julia-Beth Harris, will guide the evening, accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Martijn van Ditshuizen. Alternative experts like Melissa Koutouzis (founder of Woonprotest and board member of Huurdersnetwerk Amsterdam) and Chautuileo Tranamil (indigenous rights activist and speaker on restorative justice) will share their visions for what a post-capitalist Amsterdam could look like, together with David Theuvenet (the founder of 7 Billion Presidents), and Nikita (social environmental activist).
This program is part of The Spirit of Amsterdam Festival, created and produced by social artistic platform Above As Below, in partnership with regenerative economy start-up 7 Billion Presidents. Tickets can be bought using a sliding scale based on how well capitalism has treated you financially.
The Spirit of Amsterdam is a three-day cultural take-over running from November 22-24 to repurpose and re-energise over 35 churches, temples, mosques and synagogues.
It features music, performances, rituals and live events in unique locations – leading up to Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary in 2025. The Spirit of Amsterdam is not a religious festival. But it is about belief.
Join this exploration of the many alternatives to capitalism on November 23, at 20.00h, at the Nieuwe Kerk on Dam Square.
