CREA has turned 50! For this special occasion, a series of events are taking place from the 11th until the 15th of October. During the most “visible” of these, students can see a video projection titled: “Creativity Rules”, boldly displayed on the facade of the main building.
During this 10-minute show, you are invited to soak in a series of images relating the history of CREA. Having started as a diamond-cutting factory, this venue later became a cultural center for students in Amsterdam. The similarity between “creativity” and CREA is a constant focal point during the entire projection. Creativity has been central to humanity from the very beginning of our existence and has been shaping the world surrounding us. Every new innovation, trend, art style- they are merely the outcome of people’s imagination and their ever-expanding creativity. On the Roeterseiland campus, CREA has been a part of this process for 50 years, a gathering place for young people full of passion, and eager to explore and create. “CREA is Us”, proclaims the projection, emphasizing that without those people, there would be no CREA: neither the place nor the cultural innovations.
CREA does not differentiate between objects of art. Images on the building range from Rembrandt and Vermeer to popular memes. Despite its advanced age of 50, CREA acknowledges cultural developments and seems willing to continue inspiring and helping young people become better versions of themselves, polishing them like the delicate diamond they used to handle.
When the show ends, I can hear thunderous applause. People start discussing it, smiling, and exchanging reactions. Culture and creativity at CREA are far from extinction. The sensitivity and inclination towards art is something that doesn’t cease to bring people together. CREA seems to know it better than anyone. Through this show, it promises to continue to serve as the platform, a gathering place, a hub of art, and ideas, an on-campus oasis of drinks and friends nestled in the endless maze of lecture halls and study rooms.