The Supervisory Boards of Stichting Theaterfestival Boulevard and Stichting Bosse Nova announced on 1 February that Tessa Smeulers and Dana Kibbelaar will be appointed as director-directors of both foundations. They will succeed Peggy Olislaegers from 1 April, who, as interim director-director, was tasked with finding a new governance model for the festival, fitting its mission, environment, ambitions and the current times.
The switch to a two-headed board comes at a time of enormous challenges for the performing arts sector. What used to seem obvious is no longer so in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for new, complementary ways of working, as well as the call for a new generation of leaders who embody and can further shape these developments in order to explore and secure the future of the performing arts. Broad leadership, sustainability of working practices, increasing impact and deepening existing and new relationships with audiences, makers, partners, and funders are at the forefront. With Smeulers and Kibbelaar, the RvT believes Theatre Festival Boulevard is in good hands.
Tessa Smeulers (1982) started at Theatre Festival Boulevard in 2009 and has been largely determining the artistic choices and signature of the festival for several years as head of programme. Among other things, she is a member of the advisory board of the Erasmus House in Jakarta and adviser on project subsidies for the Municipality of Utrecht. With her, the festival secures its artistic values and network and the shaping of the next chapter of Theatre Festival Boulevard comes with deep knowledge of history.
Tessa Smeulers: "For some time now, with great love for Theatre Festival Boulevard, I have been allowed to play a role in the encounter between audience and artists. In a festival where themes are raised that deal with the living world of today, where artists are bold and gentle at the same time, where the audience immerses itself with abandon in a total experience. With my accumulated knowledge and experience, I look forward to this new role with great enthusiasm."
Dana Kibbelaar (born 1972) held numerous positions for various cultural organisations. She currently works for the Performing Arts Fund. Before that, she was, among other things, head of programme production and manager of Teatro Luna Blou on Curaçao and taught event management at The University of the Dutch Caribbean. From 2009, she worked for Theatre Group Siberia and Maas Theatre and Dance, where she was responsible for acquisition and relationship management. Over the years, she has also gained a lot of knowledge and experience in advisory positions within the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
The managerial experience she gained at Bijlmer Parktheater, among others, will no doubt prove important to her for this move. Dana brings a fresh perspective and broad complementary knowledge with which the festival can continue to develop as a pioneering public festival.
Dana Kibbelaar: "The social power of art is underestimated. Now, more than ever, I feel a duty to stand beside the artist who shows us the many truths of our society, gives us a place for our fears and moves us through beauty. Theatre Festival Boulevard matches the needs of society, artists and audiences. I look forward to continuing this in collaboration with Tessa Smeulers."
Mieke Geeraedts, chairman of the Supervisory Board: "We have every confidence in these two women whose complementary profiles will usher in a powerful next chapter of the festival. This governance model, in which the board is at the centre of the broad team and bears joint responsibility, suits a new generation of leaders who do not want to operate in a traditionally hierarchical way in their leadership, but want to shape a multi-voiced approach. Leaders who want to strengthen the connection between the various content areas in the performing arts and are broadly developed.“
From 1 April, the Supervisory Board will also see a change. Heleen Herbert, commercial director and HR director of Heijmans, will succeed Mieke Geeraedts as chairman.
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Theatre Festival Boulevard 2022 takes place from 4 to 14 August.
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