We are nowhere near crazy enough. Why theatre desperately needs a little more Crazy Wisdom.

'We will never be 'the same' enough, we fringe characters: bipolar, borderline, gay, lesbian, indeterminate, narcissistic, autistic, hysterical - and we are all fatally insecure and we all need a hug.'

Permanent, seemingly inevitable uncertainty is peculiar to the theatre industry. Ramsey Nasr hit that sharply in his speech on receiving his second Louis D'Or. The courage, or sometimes almost masochistic urge to constantly question and criticise itself is as strong as the obstinate tendency not to want to change and to close ranks as soon as criticism becomes too much for the sector. The much-heard lament that theatre is not doing well can turn in an instant into the conclusion that "we" are doing quite well after all.

Manic Depressive

While some are sounding the alarm because of the impoverishment of theatres, others decide that it is fine to close a few theatres. When someone talks about opportunities for young makers, others talk about oversupply, a term previously used only by ignorant administrators. Does anyone advocate fair practice, then his neighbour is ready to shout that a side job for young actors is not so bad. You could hear it all go by at lightning speed during the last Dutch Theatre Festival in September.

Someone therefore called the theatre sector 'almost manic-depressive' in the days leading up to Nasr's speech. At that point, the qualifications 'emotional, chatty, inward-looking, self-centred and conservative' had already come up. I would like to add 'crackpot' myself.

Threats

It is good to take a sober look at what has been said in the past festival period and what lessons might be drawn from it. First of all: Nasr's call to be a bit nicer to each other in this sometimes overheated sector. That call seems justified to me. Because even in the cultural sector, threats can be heard, we see intimidation, abusive language and sometimes far too harsh reproaches. This is often done using so-called passion and drive as an excuse.

An industry that calls itself progressive should want to be the first to change that harshness. Being nice is not necessary for me personally. I am happy when we are nice to each other, discuss things normally, remain reasonable and work together constructively. Around the corner from a shop there is a sign with a simple recommendation: Be nice, or go away. That seems to me a reasonable and sufficient request.

Rats

Where does this growing anger come from? Possibly it is the general social outrage at play here. We all feel inadequate in one way or another. On top of that, we more easily hurl our frustrations into the world via social media without paying attention to the feelings of the recipient. The persistent pressure on the cultural sector probably doesn't help much. Perhaps it is this constant uncertainty of existence and lack of (self-)appreciation that makes the sector tend to behave like a bunch of rats in a barrel.

But the truth is: there are no rats and there is no barrel. There is only the world and the perpetual invitation to act in that world.

Hague Mores

That action is needed. Is theatre doing well? Content-wise: yes. Threefold yes. There is fantastic theatre being made in the Netherlands. If actors were footballers, this country would be overflowing with Frenkies and Liekes. Our theatre is modern, appealing, topical and of a high standard. There is something for everyone, as they say. Those who go to the theatre for the first time in a long time are amazed. But does the jovial neighbour at the campsite know what is going on in the theatre? No. Has he heard of the Louis d'Or? Maybe. But probably not.

Is there enough political and public support for theatre? No. Culture hardly appears on the political agenda. Those who associate themselves too much with culture lose votes, so the Hague mores tell us. For those looking to make cuts, the performing arts have long been a willing victim. Subsequently, as all the above shows, we have the greatest difficulty in speaking with one mouth.

Mindset

We watch cultural policy like a deer in the headlights. We are constantly reactive: politicians press a button and we scream, groan, simmer, protest and return to the order of the day. We do not present a plan that politicians will have to relate to or, better still, can be inspired by.

It is therefore time for a new mindset. Because several questions forced themselves on us during the Theatre Festival: Is cultural policy the problem or is the fact that we are guided by cultural policy the issue? Are the venues too big or is our ambition too small? Are politicians not taking us seriously or are we not taking ourselves seriously enough?

Self-aware

What we need as a theatre sector is a new and healthy self-awareness. Healthy self-awareness means knowing where your strengths and challenges lie. That you can look at yourself with distance and compassion. That you transcend your ego and can be bigger than yourself. That you listen to others and hear in them the desires, the opportunities and not the threats. In other words: 'Be cool', as my Tibetan teacher likes to pithily summarise the entire Buddhist teaching. To add, monotonously, 'We are all going to die'.

From that healthy self-awareness, we must take the lead in developing a new cultural vision. We should want to be decisive, not following. That is the right ambition. The strength Nasr points out to us is the divergent, the non-streamlined, the not following. It is about fluidity, the courage to question everything, the courage to be different.

Inestimable value

Is a politician really interested in constantly seeing a copy of himself or does he want to be stimulated by the strange? Should a director of a cultural institution offer inspiration or wait quietly with the public for inspiration to come to him or her? Do we really need to fill our Supervisory Boards with good breasts from the business world or are we doing our profession and ourselves a serious disservice by doing so?

Be aware! We are part of an invaluable creative industry. We are good for this country that wants to build a future on knowledge and innovation. Creativity drives our future economy. It is time for us to step out confidently and take charge.

Woke

When we can be critical but constructive towards each other, daring to be honest when something is not going well somewhere, we make great strides forward. As soon as we support each other with positive suggestions and visionary plans, we set in motion a flywheel of creativity that can hardly be stopped. The fact that we woke being aware of social ills gives us further strength.

Self-awareness is one. Formulating a vision for the future is two. Acting here and now is three. There is no excuse for not acting instantaneously. Touretteshero Jessica Thom called out there during the festival with her Call to Action emphatically. You can keep talking about accessibility, you can also demolish thresholds, proverbial or otherwise, from your buildings today. There is no justification for procrastination: start now and show what true awareness means.

Crazy Wisdom

Did I say we were crackpot? We are nowhere near crazy enough. We should have the ambition to get all Dutch people from 2 to 102 to the theatre, no one excepted. We need to engage with our politicians and policymakers, seat by seat, village to village, city to city. Not to lecture them, but to inspire them with unusual visions of a creative world. Visions that warm their hearts. That they want to make a case for. What they want to associate themselves with because there is no escape.

We desperately need a little more Crazy Wisdom. Free minds who think outside conventions. 'Not being the same' as Ramsey Nasr called it, is our greatest strength of all. Above all, let us use it shamelessly and effectively.