Application for OT301

** khwabgah **

1
Table of Contents
Description of the project, what and how you envision it happening in these particular spaces,
including if possible, documentation of previous projects that the candidate has had experience with
-text, images 3
Description of the project, 1Y plan and approach of how you would integrate into the building and its
organisation 8
**Month 1-3: Establishing the Foundation** 8
Define and establish the mission, values, and goals of the cultural space 8
Develop operational procedures and policies for care, community, and safety 9
Build partnerships with local organisations and stakeholders 9
**Month 4-6: Building Community** 9
Host events, exhibitions and workshops to engage with the local community 9
Develop marketing and outreach strategies to increase visibility 10
Create opportunities for volunteers to get involved and contribute 10
**Month 7-12: Expanding Services and Sustainability** 11
**Budgeting, Reporting and Finances** 11
**Conclusion** 11
What is your idea of the OT301 and why would you like to be a part of it? 12

2
Description of the project, what and how you envision it happening in these particular spaces,
including if possible, documentation of previous projects that the candidate has had
experience with -text, images

khwabgah1 is a cultural space and a non-commercial kitchen/bar serving food and drink
with a South-Asian heart. In Urdu, ‘khwabgah’ roughly translates to “sleeping room” or “room of
dreams”. The space is founded on values of mutual care, safety and community; especially for
the Queer and BIPOC, for the tired and the unconsoled.

Introducing khwabgah
khwabgah is open four days a week. We want to put together a combination of a casual
restaurant dining structure, with the option for guests to stay as little or long as they wish. A full
programme will be implemented for guests to also partake in. Whether they want just food,
drinks, both, or to be a part of the events, all is okay - as one would in their own home. Below are
our opening times and menu:
● Wednesday (16:00-22:00): Thali Meal for 7-10EUR (sliding payment scale)
● Thursday (16:00-22:00): Weekly Family Dinner based on RSVP. A changing menu based
on seasonally available produce served on a long table, family style.
● Friday (11:00-23:00): Regular menu + program
● Saturday (11:00-23:00): Regular menu + program
Our regular menu will have staple sub-categories of dishes that will be made with different
seasonal produce that is available at the time. Guests will be able to see what’s being cooked, and
interact with the aroma and processes that feel reminiscent of a home kitchen.

Starters (3.5-4EUR)
● Samosa
● Honey Chilli Potato
● Cutlets/Tikkis
● Pakora

Main Plates
served with Plain or flavoured Rice or Bread (10EUR)

1
khwabgah - combatting the structure of language in relation to capitalism and the patriarchy. To
emphasise the importance of the word, rather than the dominant linguistic function of structure we have
chosen not to use capital letters.

3
 ● Chana Masala
● Pav Bhaji
● Dal
● Biryani with Raita

Thali Meal (for 12.50EUR)

1 Starter + 1 curry + Dal + Flavoured rice + Bread + Salad + Papad

Dessert
● Paan
● Potential collaborations with local bakeries etc.

Beverages
A nostalgic and informative cocktail/mocktail menu inspired from drinks we grew up with. For
example:
● Beer (including home brewed chilli rice beer)
● Wines
● Coffee
● Teas/Chais
● Shikanji
● Lassi/ Masala Chaas
● Sodas
● Fresh Juices

Monthly specials
In addition to the above weekly business as usual, we plan to introduce a special monthly menu
and organise initiatives centred around food, South Asian food history and lived experiences.
● Dosa Night: Dosa is usually a thin and crispy fermented rice and lentils pancake served
with a spicy lentils stew and multiple chutneys made out of coconut, tomato, peanuts
and coriander, to name a few. A live Dosa counter will be set up in the open kitchen area
and everyone is invited to place their custom orders.
● Nihari Night: Bringing people together to make this labour-intensive dish that marks
celebrations and festivities in Pakistan
● Indoor “Barbecue” with khwabgah special South Asian chutneys and spices

4
 ● Brunch specials: for post OT301 Saturday hangovers. Special South Asian brunch items
served with chai.
● Street food specials, e.g. chaats, pani puri in an attempt to recreate a leisurely
afternoons back home
● Food workshop series: Learning to make momos, parathas together

Introducing the team

Zainab Haq, chef and owner at Mama Haq’s along with sanj, chef at Mama Haq’s and
co-founder at other indias come together to build khwabgah.

Zainab has been an important part of the Amsterdam culinary scene for the last three years.
What started off as a way to bring to the table her mother’s recipes through her food truck,
putting Pakistani food on the diasporic map, has now turned into warm solace for South Asians
and anyone missing a taste of home. Mama Haq’s food is currently served at various locations
around Amsterdam, each in its unique settings. With our food truck, we work with festivals and
events organisers, at Bar Bario, we serve a small but colourful menu every Wednesday and
Sunday evening. At the UvA we have a low cost grab and go food stand with a regular and
enthusiastic customer base. Everything is vegetarian and every menu at every location is
catered towards a unique concept. This has allowed us to grow and be flexible and adaptable to
any settings.

sanj has been working in the cultural industries for the last six years in project management,
marketing and creative strategy capacities. Currently, they develop monthly programs such as
film screenings, workshops, support groups, reading circles and protests through other indias
in collaboration with artists and political organisations working on subjects concerning
contemporary India and its plurality. Zainab and sanj have been working and cooking together
at Bar Bario Amsterdam since early 2023.

We’ve collated some images below which we find to be truly indicative of our journey and
experience so far with our initiatives Mama Haq’s and other indias, see more on the next pages.
Mama Haq’s food truck at festivals during summer: a.o. draaimolen, mystic garden, zeezout

5
Catering/curated events: a.o. openings, Lilith magazine launch, museumnacht, iftars, de Sering

6
other indias:
Queer Muslim Joy Party gathering, film
screenings, Independence Day picnic in
solidarity with political prisoners in India

7
Description of the project, 1Y plan and approach of how you would integrate into the building
and its organisation

In the monthly structure below, we have outlined ongoing efforts that will be in focus in
parallel to our regular operations as detailed above. We envision khwabgah to be a safe space
built on trust and care not just for our guests but also for the internal stakeholders involved such
as staff, management team, OT301 and potential funding organisations.

**Month 1-3: Establishing the Foundation**

Define and establish the mission, values, and goals of the cultural space
Mission
● Spread knowledge of South Asian culture and cuisine
● Community building through regular events and regular communication with potential
guests
● Provide affordable, locally-sourced food, which remains healthy and nutritious
● Building a safe space especially for the Queer and the BIPOC community

Values
● Mutual Care
● Safety
● Community
● Home for all

Goals
● Food related: produce must be locally-sourced, while remaining affordable and healthy.
All dishes will be vegetarian with a heavy emphasis on vegan options ​making it possible
for us to cater to guests with kosher or halal food preferences.
● Events related: build and sustain a community in the Netherlands which reflects the
plurality and complexity of South Asia, to build a space in Amsterdam for discussion,
reflection and (cultural, political) action that prioritises the Queer and BIPOC experience
● OT301 related: integrate into the existing structure, through connecting and
understanding individual and community roles of members of OT301. Working with

8
 members to set up joint structures, e.g. dinner and cinema/exhibition/club nights, film
festivals and discussions.

Develop operational procedures and policies for care, community, and safety

Code of Conduct
○ Make explicit the importance of consent in general and specifically for
photography and videography
○ Zero tolerance policy towards discrimination of any kind based on caste, colour,
sexuality, gender, race and religion
Staff Policy
○ Regular meetings to ensure adherence to social conduct and to hold the
management team accountable

Build partnerships with local organisations and stakeholders

It is important to us that khwabgah houses voices that have been continuously pushed to the
margins. The programming for the space will be designed in consistent collaboration with local
and international stakeholders such as other cultural organisations, activists, artists and small
businesses. Additionally:
● khwabgah will also be partnering with local farmers and vendors in the markets to
minimise food waste. Any unsold produce that is scheduled to be thrown at the end of
the day will be collected and used in our weekly meal prep either for staff meals or for
our regular menu.
● Collaborate with a local brewery to develop a South Asian chilli rice beer

**Month 4-6: Building Community**

Host events, exhibitions and workshops to engage with the local community
● Film screenings and festivals also in collaboration with Ventilator cinema
● Support groups and discussions: Keeping in mind the current programming at the
public spaces of OT301, we are excited to develop an intimate but engaging series of
discussions, reading circles and support groups at khwabgah.
● Performances
● Exhibitions
● Workshops

9
 ● Live background music/ jam sessions and potential Radio collaboration with Club
Transmission and upcoming artists/organisations

Develop marketing and outreach strategies to increase visibility

Social Media:
khwabgah will employ at least one or more social media interns who will take care of both
internal and external marketing communication. The social media team will highlight
khwabgah’s values and missions and ensure that all media messages are in line with these. There
will be a focus on drawing in audiences that have been pushed to the margins and reassuring
that khwabgah is a safe space online and offline.

Website:
● Informative webpage about who khwabgah is and what we do, the space and what it’s
used for.
● Community blog to highlight upcoming events and celebrate key moments from past
events.
● Rotating menu to be published and updated on here.
● Gallery page.
● Written contributions on South Asian food history and recipes.

Offline:
In line with our vision to remain accessible to all and remain inclusive, we want to print
pamphlets/zines that will outline our values/programming/menu/other necessary details and
distribute them among queer BIPOC owned small businesses and cultural and squatted spaces
across the Netherlands, for example Joe’s Garage, Bar Bario, Kindred Kuts, Vondelbunker,
Vrankrijk.

Create opportunities for volunteers to get involved and contribute

Anybody is welcome to write to khwabgah in case they have an idea and would like to host an
event/exhibition/workshop at the space with our support. This will be communicated to all and
our email address will remain accessible on all our platforms.

10
**Month 7-12: Expanding Services and Sustainability**
● Introduce new food and beverage offerings that align with the mission and values of the space.
● Implement sustainable practices in the space, such as composting, an herb garden and
further reducing food waste
● Develop plans for long-term growth and expansion, such as introducing additional
packaged chilli rice beer or chutneys and scaling up operations
● Reflect on achievements and areas for improvement, and revise plans accordingly

**Budgeting, Reporting and Finances**

● Develop a detailed budget for the one year plan and track expenses
● Explore funding opportunities and partnerships to support the sustainability and growth of the
cultural space. Apply to funding organisations and open calls to sustain daily operations and
compensation to staff in case revenue falls short from sales.
● Document and share annual reports for internal and external accountability
● Initial capital: we will use our current savings to set up khwabgah (3 months rent etc), we’ve
calculated that we will have enough to last us 6-8 months while our customer base builds up. We
will use this time to send off funding applications, taking into account that these have a
processing period of a few months.
● Daily operations: all money made through khwabgah will be put back into khwabgah, average
plates of 10EUR to be sold per day to break even

**Conclusion**

khwabgah is a space for everyone to come together and feel at home, where the sharing of home
cooked food is an instrument to reconnect and build meaningful experiences together. A
sustainable, affordable, healthy menu will centre wholesome, engaging and educational events.
In the one year plan above, we walked through our values and instrumental procedures to
sustain the mission of khwagbah. We hope to create and make accessible a space for all based on
values of mutual care, safety and community; in continuous and intentional collaboration with
activists, artists, local small businesses and organisations that are generous to the safety and
celebration of voices in the margins, keeping in mind the core initiatives and vision of OT301
and it’s existing collectives.

11
What is your idea of the OT301 and why would you like to be a part of it?

We’ve been to a number of events at OT301. The secretive entrance of the space sparks
curiosity and invites people in. This way, OT301 remains, in our eyes, for people who either
know about it, have heard about it or have found out about the space and specifically want to
check it out: open for everyone, but not known by all. This also leaves a lot of space to reach out
to a potential audience and bring people in who might need a space like OT301, but simply have
not found it.

As mentioned previously, we have been to the cinema, a magazine launch, an art exhibition and
multiple club nights - which to us shows how the space is so incredibly suited for the
co-existence of creatives, activists and cultural workers. More importantly, OT301 and EHBK’s
defiant response to systems that have historically attempted to erase Amsterdam of its free and
alternative spaces has only fuelled our own fire to keep resisting the growing commercialisation
and gentrification especially in the food and culture spaces.

We kept in mind the opening times at the public spaces at OT301 and after understanding their
programming, developed khwabgah to flow into the rhythm of the space and its beings. Our
aim is to learn with the communities present and continue to explore alternative ways of caring,
celebrating and continue to make space for subcultures, voices and politics. For example, with
Ventilator Cinema/Bar, we envision a week long film festival that gives a platform to filmmakers
and moving image artists that are generous to the Queer, Trans, BIPOC experience. This would
cross-pollinate with discussions and performances that would take place at khwabgah, Studio
301 and 4bidGallery.

We are excited to integrate our continued efforts with yours and sustain OT301’s vision through
an intersectional lens. There isn’t an existing space in Amsterdam such as khwabgah that houses
and values South Asian cuisine and voices. We are looking forward to bringing to the table our
additional marketing, culinary management and programming skills in order to support the
existing team, participate in decision making and put OT301 (and khwabgah) on the map in a
holistic yet transparent way.

12
13