From 19 to 24 April, Utrecht venues will finally - temporarily - open their doors to the public. Throughout the Netherlands this month pilot events, 'pilots', place. TivoliVredenburg, De Helling, EKKO, Stadsschouwburg Utrecht and Podium Hoge Woerd are also testing for access at coronaproof programmes.
Pilots to gain experience with the (rapid) testing infrastructure are taking place in the cultural sector in April. Rapid testing can become an important tool to revive social life, as long as vaccination coverage is not yet sufficient. With these pilots, the government will explore the readiness, manageability and feasibility of rapid testing, and the venues and art institutions will gain experience. The pilots are the first step towards a real reopening of the cultural sector: after the testing period, the roadmap can hopefully be moved faster.
Ticketed pilot visitors must show a negative test certificate to enter. At www.testenvoortoegang.nl contains everything about this process and the participating test sites. The corona protocols will remain in place (for the time being), including the 1.5 metres. The concert- and performance-related catering facilities will be allowed to open for drinks. The halls can also be used to full 'corona capacity'. A pilot is thus different from a Fieldlab: these are (large-scale) pilot events involving scientific research. Here, corona measures are deliberately abandoned; this does not happen at the pilots.
Hanno Tomassen, brand-new director Podium Hoge Woerd: 'Even if it is tentative and conditional, we are happy with the first prospect of reopening. Artists, audiences and ourselves have looked forward to this for a long time; above all, let us be part of the solution.'
EKKO, De Helling, TivoliVredenburg, Stadsschouwburg Utrecht and Podium Hoge Woerd present a total of eighteen events. Performances, concerts in different genres, debate evenings and cabaret: the programme is very diverse and has just been announced on the venues' websites. Sales will start there on Thursday 8 April at noon.
Pilots Utrecht venues
Utrecht Municipal Theatre
19 April, 7.30pm, Toneelgroep Oostpool, Laura H.
20 April, 7.30pm, Wende Snijders, The Wilderness
21 April, 7.30pm, Rayen Panday, Trigger
Podium Hoge Woerd
19 April, 7.30pm, Diederik Jekel - Order in Chaos
20 April, 7.30pm, Laura van Dolron - The New Laura
21 April, 7.30pm, Eric Vloeimans Gatecrash
TivoliVredenburg
19 April, 7.30pm, Eric Vloeimans Gatecrash, Great Hall
20 April, 7.30pm, Talkshow: Generation Lockdown, Great Hall
21 April, 7.30pm, Dutch Bach Society, Great Hall
22 April, 7.30pm, Annelie, Hertz
23 April, 7.30pm, Fresku, Ronda
24 April, 7.30pm, De Sluwe Vos x Sjamsoedin, Ronda
The Slope
21 April, 8.30pm, Room With Views - Spinvis in VR
22 April, 8pm, Ultrastation + Rochat
23 April, 8pm, The Slope Sessions: WIES
EKKO on the Nijverheid
22 April, 7.30pm, Lecture: Upsammy & Luke Cohlen
23 April, 7.30pm, LUWTEN
24 April, 7.30pm, LASTER
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