Theatre De Nieuwe Doelen in Gorinchem will close its doors on 31 May, due to lack of support in local politics. The city council, which also previously closed the music school, would like to continue using the building as a Village Hall for amateur artists. For professional theatre, a CDA party leader reported, those few enthusiasts can just go to Dordrecht.
Theatre director Rob van Wijk is furious about it. Ever since he announced a month ago that he would have to close the doors because the council does not want to pay for the staff of this municipal building, it has been raining expressions of support, but nothing helped. In a facebook post Van Wijk sums up the absurd situation:
'Big names from theatre land with a huge track record, who speak wonderfully fine words about De Nieuwe Doelen, the atmosphere there, the staff and the director. And of course, you can dismiss them as sour critics or councillors, with comments in the category "that all those BN'ers are doing this purely for their own interest or publicity" or in the category "then they can come and play for free, if they are so committed" and that some "hardly know where Gorinchem is".'
That the level of local politics is hardly enviable, we know by now. But that it can sink so low is still news. We would love to grant Gorinchem a real theatre, with a local government that has an interest in allowing professional art within the medieval city walls as well.
Van Wijk: 'I very much hope that something good will come out of it for the city in terms of its cultural future, given the huge number of good ideas launched by all and sundry, there should be something useful among them..... According to Alderman Doodkorte, interested parties are lining up, so if he says so, it must be true right? I cannot imagine this alderman lying about an issue like this, which is keeping the city pretty busy. Or maybe he is? Time will tell. And until then, it's just badly fucked and hugely crummy, for the employees who are flying out of the lane, with no social plan (as a result of the Green Left group's divided voting mode).'
We can, in short, add another drama to the ever-lengthening list of municipal mismanagement in the property policy, which invariably affect local art in particular.
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