Queer
Currents

Mo Verlaan – Shadows of Presence
Exhibition at Magazijn | Oudezijds Voorburgwal 153A, Amsterdam
July 26 – August 3, 2025 | Daily 12:00 – 18:00
Part of the Pride Art Route & Queer Currents 2025
Festive Opening: Sunday, July 28 | 17:00 – 19:00

Join us at Magazijn for an evocative new exhibition by photographer Mo Verlaan, presenting both recent works and pieces created during her Artist-in-Residence period at Château du Fresne in France. Verlaan’s images explore the subtle interplay of identity, memory, and light—where absence speaks, and presence whispers.

As part of Queer Currents 2025 and the Pride Art Route, this exhibition invites you into a world where queerness is not only celebrated but sensitively observed through Verlaan’s poetic lens.

Don’t miss the festive opening on Sunday, July 28, from 5 to 7 PM—a moment to meet the artist, connect with fellow art lovers, and celebrate pride through art.

Winter Pride 2025 – Amsterdam Nieuw-West
November–December 2025

This winter, the heart of Amsterdam Nieuw-West lights up with Winter Pride 2025—a vibrant celebration of queer resilience, joy, and community warmth. Organized by Stichting OndersteBoven (Irene Hemelaar & Mireille de Ridder), in close collaboration with the partners of Queer 365, this edition brings powerful stories, inclusive events, and creative expression to the west side of the city.

Through performances, exhibitions, dialogues, and local gatherings, Winter Pride connects queer lives and histories with the diverse communities of Nieuw-West—challenging norms and building bridges, even in the colder months.

Come for the art. Stay for the connection.
Queer, loud & proud—365 days a year. powered by the Gemeente Amsterdam

Queer Currents Presents: The VR Queer Museum at the Shakespeare Club
Celebrating 750 Years of Queer Amsterdam

As part of the 750 Queer Amsterdam festivities, Queer Currents is proud to reintroduce the groundbreaking VR Queer Museum at the Shakespeare Club. Developed by students from the Master Digital Design program at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA), this immersive virtual reality experience offers a unique journey through LGBTQIA+ culture and history.

Originally launched during Queer Currents and Pride Amsterdam in 2022, the VR Queer Museum features personal narratives, educational exhibits on global LGBTQIA+ rights, and a virtual Amsterdam Pride canal parade. Designed to be both informative and engaging, the museum aims to provide visitors with enlightening “eureka moments” about queer experiences and heritage.

This re-exhibition underscores the importance of preserving and celebrating queer history through innovative digital mediums. Visitors can explore the museum using VR headsets, gaining insights into the diverse stories and milestones that have shaped the LGBTQIA+ community.

Join us at the Shakespeare Club to experience this pioneering virtual museum and honor the rich tapestry of queer Amsterdam.

3 Layers Foundation for Equality at Canal Pride 2025
“Go LOVE Yourself” – A Radical Call for Trust and Dignity
August 2 | Amsterdam

On August 2nd, during Amsterdam’s Canal Pride 2025, the 3 Layers Foundation for Equality proudly sails with a bold and loving message: “Go LOVE Yourself.” A powerful reimagining of a well-known phrase, this theme transforms cynicism into compassion, turning a curse into a call for self-acceptance, community strength, and radical trust. On Board we welcome 50 AZC queer from all over the Netherlands

In a time when fear too often divides, we respond with visibility, voice, and love. “Go LOVE Yourself” is more than a slogan—it’s a movement rooted in the change we want to see: from a world of fear to a world of trust.

Inspired by the plea for mercy once spoken to a “president”, our boat honors the dignity of all people—queer children growing up in uncertain homes, undocumented families striving for a better life, those who labor quietly behind the scenes, and every soul seeking safety, love, and belonging.

“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you and, as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings; who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants; who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They…may not be citizens or have the proper documentation. But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurudwaras and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. And that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people. Good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen”

With dance, color, and pride, we celebrate our identities and advocate for those whose voices are still unheard. Join us on the water—or from the shore—as we shine a beacon of joy, resistance, and self-love into the heart of Amsterdam.

3 Layers Foundation for Equality
Because loving yourself is the beginning of loving each other.

Queer Currents x Queer 365 – Proud Partners for Change (2024–2026)

Queer Currents is proud to be an official partner of the Queer 365 alliance, initiated by the City of Amsterdam. From 2024 through 2026, we are actively involved in shaping a continuous, year-round presence of queer art, culture, and activism—through our own curated programming as well as collaborative projects with fellow Queer 365 partners.

Year-Round Action, Impact & Imagination

From summer to winter, Queer Currents celebrates and challenges through powerful events, exhibitions, performances, and dialogue. Highlights from our 2024 program include:

• Queer Currents Summer & Winter Editions (2024) – see full PLAN for detailed programming.

• Jan–Apr: Preparation meetings with curator Mini Maxwell, Seger Terpstra, and Harris Blondman. Artist scouting, open call design, and funding applications (AFK, Mondriaan Fund, VSB, Fonds 21, Queer Amsterdam, Pride Amsterdam, GALA).

• March 1: Launch of international Open Call, receiving over 250 submissions of queer art & culture.

• Mar 29–Apr 3: Production of the Queer 365 Strategy Retreat at Château du Fresne, France.

• May 20–24: Participation in Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN) Congress in Athens on Queer Placemaking, representing Amsterdam’s cultural district alongside Queer 365.

• June 1–Aug 4: Queer Currents & Pride Photo present “Ces Histoires Doivent Aussi Être Racontées” – an international photography exhibition at Château du Fresne featuring artists from South Africa, China, Brazil, the Netherlands, and beyond.

• April–June: Consultations with Dutch Ministry of OC&W (in collaboration with Stichting OndersteBoven and Encourage) to establish long-term funding pathways for Queer 365.

• June 25: QueerXpress Podcast #2 – featuring conversations with Mireille de Ridder, Gébi Seedorf, Sherryl Netteb, Gijs Stork, and Eward Koning (The Pink Embassy).

• July–Aug: Strategic partnership meetings for long-term stewardship with Stichting OndersteBoven, Pride Business Club, and the City of Amsterdam.

• July 9–11: Visit to Tbilisi, Georgia – connecting with queer artists like Uta Bekaia & Ria Keburia Foundation to prepare a site-specific performance in Amsterdam.

• July 27: Performance at the Oude Kerk – Uta Bekaia and countertenor Mikheil Abramishvili perform a powerful queer ritual performance in the sacred heart of Amsterdam.

• July 23: Queer Currents joins OSCAM panel on Consent, with Colourful Pride.

• Aug 3: Queer Currents / 3 Layers presents the Polarisation Boat during Pride Amsterdam’s Canal Parade.

• July–Sept 1: Leadership in grant coordination for Queer 365’s involvement in Amsterdam’s 750-year anniversary, alongside Stichting OndersteBoven.

• Autumn 2024: Planning & application rounds for Winter Pride participation. Engagement with AFK and Fonds 21.

• Nov 25–Dec 13: Exhibition: “Dealing with the Past” by Allard Honigh – addressing intergenerational queer trauma through art, dialogue, and community events.

• Nov 26: Theme Night on Sexual Violence within the Queer Community, in collaboration with No Limits! Art Castle & Colourful Pride.

• Dec 2: Quentin Delvaux – “Corps-Jardin” installation & performance. A botanical metaphor on queer ecology, marginalization, and healing.

• Dec 3: Workshop on Diversity & Inclusion at HvA – “Building Bridges Within the Rainbow Community,” led by Maurits Brans.

• Dec 4: Forward-looking session with curator Mini Maxwell and facilitator Gijs Stork on the future of Queer Currents 2025, including artistic direction, intergenerational focus, and sustainability strategy.

Queer Currents is more than a festival—it is a platform for change, a community builder, and a proud co-creator in Amsterdam’s long-term commitment to LGBTQIA+ visibility, dignity, and artistic excellence.

Stay tuned for more in the coming months.

queercurrents.com | #QueerCurrents | #Queer365 | #750JaarAmsterdam