Melkweg

The Melkweg in Amsterdam ( Netherlands) is a multimedia center for rock, jazz, blues and music for theater, film, gallery and dance.

History

In the 18th century in the building of today's Melkwegs ( " Milky Way " ) is a sugar refinery was located, which was closed on 16 September 1920. Then took a " Consensual union of farmers to sell pure cow's milk " ( Vereniging van Onderlinge Veehouders dead verkoop van zuivere Koemelk, OVvV ) the factory. In April 1969, the "Milk Factory" was also closed.

1970 was looking for a Dutch theater group for performances in the summer a suitable building. With 25,000 guilders Seed Capital has restored the " old milk factory" and called it Melkweg. It was a youth center furnished with, among others, a restaurant, a tea room and a hall for music and theater. The municipality of Amsterdam subsidized the youth center with 10,000 florins and the Dutch Ministry of Culture invested 15,000 guilders. The Amsterdam youth office supervised the construction of the center. Since the remodeling and renovations cost a lot of money and only a makeshift lighting was present and no heaters, the project was stopped again in the same year. 1971 Melkweg was successfully reopened with film and video performances and light shows and as initially planned a theater. The initial success had its downsides. There were again problems with the fire department due to lack of safety precautions and drug dealers. A new start came in 1972. After long negotiations with the municipality of Amsterdam (Department of "art" ) the organizers, an amount of 50,000 guilders was made available. A private donor had over the Melkweg 30,000 guilders.

The development of Melkweges was an ongoing process from the youth center for multimedia center. The center was then opened from the financial crisis and ongoing basis. In the 1970s there were around 175,000 annually, and in the 1980s ( in the climax ) about 275,000 visitors from home and abroad. Since 1977, organized the Melkweg and festivals, such as the International Women's Festival, One World Poetry Festival and the Festival of Fools. 1984, a gallery was opened. In the 1990s, the annual number of visitors amounted to about 160,000. 2009 there were already 450,000 visitors. The music hall was expanded in 1995 to 1,500 visitors and was named " The Max".

2009, the adjacent Stadsschouwburg was joined by the " Rabozaal " with the Melkweg. Since the Rabobank participated because the hall was named after the bank. The Rabozaal, a multifunctional auditorium is operated in cooperation with the Toneelgroep Amsterdam ( "Theatre Group Amsterdam " ), the Stadsschouwburg and the Melkweg. The café-restaurant Eat @ Jo's from Melkweg provides another international daily menu.

The organization of today's Melkweg consists of a general manager, a financial director, nine program designers and ten departments. The revenues come from ticket and less than 10 percent subsidy from the municipality. The main entrance to the Melkweg is located on the Lijnbaansgracht. The inputs for the cafe - restaurant and gallery in Marnixstraat. Approximately one to two minutes walking distance from Leidseplein.

In Melkweg occurred and, at the international bands, artists and musicians. Robbie Williams, Jakob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Jeff Mills, Willie Nelson, Lostprophets, U2, Arctic Monkeys, Dir en gray, N * E * R * D, Hiro Yamamoto, Beastie Boys, The Darkness, Coldplay, Zorch, Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, NOFX, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bad Religion, Fun Lovin 'Criminals, The Rasmus, Jango Edwards, Brett Anderson, Yonderboi, Bring Me the Horizon and many others.

Melkweg

History

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