Fleeing (as an) Artist: Building a Life in Amsterdam

Awareness & Critical Reflection

Jun 21, 2025

13:00

-

15:30

No Limits! Art Castle

Sliding scale starting at €5 and education events are free, if you do not have means to purchase a ticket please email us.
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What does it mean to be — and to become — a refugee artist in a city like Amsterdam? In this intimate and reflective afternoon, we invite visitors into the vibrant and urgent space of No Limits! Art Castle, a space for art, community, and resistance.

13:00 – 13:30
We begin with a soft landing: dumplings, drinks, and an invitation to explore the exhibitions at your own pace.
13:30 – 13:45
What and who makes up No Limits! Art Castle? This week is not just about welcoming refugees, it's about reclaiming space, writing narratives, and honouring resistance through culture.
13:45 – 14:30 Artist talk
Then, we gather for a conversation that centers lived experience. Artist Berat Bebek will reflect on how displacement, identity, and creative practice intersect in their life and work. How do you carry your story into your art? What evolves when you create far from home, but rooted in resilience? This program is not just about welcoming refugees. It’s about reclaiming space, honouring creative resistance, and making visible the stories that too often remain unheard. Through art, we imagine futures shaped by radical hope, mutual recognition, and the power of expression.
14:30 – 15:30
Stick around after the talk for drinks, conversation, and another chance to explore the exhibitions. Then, head with us to the next program at Tolhuistuin (16:30), where we continue the day with a panel, workshop, and music around the theme of Undocumented Migrants.
Berat Bebek (they/them) is a queer drag artist, actor, and creator from Türkiye, now based in Amsterdam building a life without borders. Moving beyond the norms set by society, they make space for complexity, contradiction, and radical joy. As a performer, organizer, and professional fat, Berat brings both softness and sharpness to the stage—whether through drag, theatre, or community-building. Their work is rooted in queer survival, diaspora, and the desire to feel free, even if just for a moment. A serotonin source and a glitter-fuelled rebel, Berat transforms pain into presence and performance into protest.