On Monday, February 11, live art enthusiasts with a sense of adventure attended the 26th Nausicaa event held in a remote location in the north of Amsterdam.

Nausicaa is a platform where artists of various disciplines are invited to present their work, or work in progress. Having started in September 2016 as an independent initiative of a small collective of young artists in Amsterdam, Nausicaa is a non-profit platform working entirely on donation. Since then, Nausicaa has hosted a monthly house art/music event hosting an average of 45 – but sometimes up to 80 – people. It was created by students of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with the aim of helping amateur artists gain exposure. Danai, one of Nausicaa’s founders and a former student of the conservatory, told The Amsterdammer that inspiration for the events comes from the urge to create and share art. Danai added that the group always strives towards diversity, which could be seen from the program on Monday.

Although all artists performing were musicians at Nausicaa’s 26th event, the genre of their music ranged from jazz to experimental rock. The night consisted of listening to three separate acts: We Bleed Like G – Sandra Golubjevaite, Flora, and Able Noise.

Apart from this, Tancrède, another founder of the event, shared with The Amsterdammer that they always keep spots open in case an unexpected artist shows up. Flora, a jazz musician currently located in Berlin, was one of the performers of the night. She revealed that what drew her to the event was the openness of the audience towards all live art.

Nausicaa events pride themselves for being on a “house, living room concert” scale. The vibe of the event is very homey and cozy from start to finish, with the artists taking pauses mid-act to converse with the audience, as well as fifteen minute breaks in between acts which are used to grab a beer and talk to people, or eat some of the creative, humble homemade food, the profit from which goes entirely to the performing artists.

As stated before, the event is open to any sort of live art, from cinematography to poetry, theatre and music, and the Nausicaa team is always looking for new artists. Anyone interested can freely contact them through their Facebook page or email. The next Nausicaa event will be held in March, although the exact date is yet to be announced. It will be similar to the last event, although Nausicaa is constantly striving towards more diversity in their program.