More than ice-cream

 

Ben & Jerry's is known to be a fair-trade and socially conscious organization. The new Scoop Shop will also adhere to these principles. Ben & Jerry's is opting to source its products from local suppliers.

For example, the brownies, blondies and chocolate chip cookies are baked at De Bakkerswerkplaats: a safe and inspiring working environment for people who can not get involved in a normal work environment, for example, due to a social or intellectual disability. In addition, coffee beans are supplied by Heilige Boontjes; a coffee brand that helps young people to reintegrate into the labour market by roasting coffee.

Artist Noel from the Rotterdam-based creative agency Venour, has taken care of the colourful murals to bring Ben & Jerry's story back to the store.

 

If you often find yourself feeling too lazy to get off the couch and go out in search of ice-cream, there's good news for you. As of next week, it will be possible to have your orders at the Scoop Shop delivered to your home in Rotterdam.

 

Location: Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop

 

 

On Saturday, July 14th, the Pica Pica Parade once again brought live music and art to Rotterdam Noord. This time, the location was Rose Rouge, a cocktail bar on the corner of Benthuizerstraat and Bloklandstraat in the Oude Noorden neighbourhood.

 

The first thing I did when I arrived at Rose Rouge was head to the bar and check out the menu. I knew I was getting a cocktail, it was just a matter of choosing the right one. Rose Rouge has a variety of cocktails with rather uncommon ingredients such as egg whites and celery.

The friendly bartender assured me they weren't as adventurous as I thought. Still, I kept it safe and ordered a 'Holiday.' You can't go wrong with grapefruit gin and lemonade, right?

 

I swear I didn't know it was going to be this pink. 'Holiday' ingredients: grapefruit gin, liquer de violettes, sicilian lemonade. 

 

Rose Rouge has an amazing decor. While the band was setting up and my drink was being prepared, I decided to snap a few shots of the café's interior design.

 

"We're going to start." It's around a quarter past five when James Burki, together with a percussionist and guitarist start performing. James Burki is a songwriter from the Hague. His music can be described as pop-punk/indie. Burki is mostly inspired by American music from the 1980's as well as more recent acts such as Owl City and The 1975. 

According to James, he's used to performing in a big band with live drums and synthesizers. But the acoustic setting, though different, suits the music very well. The music is melodic, the vocals are passionate and every hook is so catchy it simply begs you to sing along.

 

Find out more about James Burki's music by visiting the official James Burki Facebook page. 

 

Today's featured artist is known as Susan Lucida, a pseudonym which draws in equal parts from both Susan Sontag and Camera Lucida, has come to Rose Rouge to exhibit her work: Icons. Through her art, Susan Lucida aims to distance the photo from the photography by adding mixed media, such as textiles, filigree or gold. The result is a photo that isn't really what it seems. The subject of the photo is 'perfect', but the angle and the amount of light in the room affect the way the image is perceived. At first, you might not see anything at all. That is until you really pay attention.

 

 

In her own words, the photo's we see in everyday modern media symbolize a loss as they do not make a contribution to society. Susan Lucida wants you to make an effort not to take images at face value, but to really try and understand what is going on in terms of both the image and the way it is framed.

 

Find out more about Susan Lucida by visiting her official website.

 

Location: Rose Rouge

 

The Audi Environmental Foundation is working together with CLEAR RIVERS to solve the problem of plastic pollution in the world's oceans. More than 98% of all plastic waste is in the first meter below the water level, most of it even in the first 50 cm.

 

This is how they did it: in rivers and harbours, floating basins ensure that plastic is caught and does not end up in the sea. This plastic is collected in nets. The specially designed collecting basins ensure that even strong waves can no longer take the plastic out to sea. The collected plastic waste is then pressed, welded and 3D printed into hexagonal floating islands.

The archipelago in Rotterdam consists of floating and planted individual islands. Each of the interconnected islands has a surface of 5m2. The total area is 140m2. Each individual island can be planted with moss or even tall trees. Most of the islands (modules) have an open structure, which gives plants more than enough space for their roots. The underwater tangle of roots acts as a nutrient source for aquatic animals and a home for algae as well as aquatic plants.

 

The islands improve the living environment of city residents as well as of the rivers and seas. The islands are easy to move and partly because of this can be put to use in a variety of ways: for lunch breaks for example, but also as a stage for performances.

The floating park in Rijnhaven, the first by Audi Environmental Foundation and CLEAR RIVERS was officially opened on Wednesday, July 5th 2018. Plans have been made to open additional floating parks in the Charleroi canal in Brussels and on the Indonesian island of Ambon.

 

 

Location: Rijnhaven

 

Teams had to move a moving box from the old location on the Lijnbaan to the new Perry store as quickly as possible. The participants in the Moving Race each had to cover a distance of 100 meters with a moving box. The box then had to be handed off to the next team member who continued the relay. Various prizes were handed out, including €250 in store credit.

 

The official opening of the new Perry Flagship store is Saturday, June 30th, at 10:00.