Space for literature outside the book, Frisian language and for young (northern) creators
Production house Explore the North from Leeuwarden is sailing to Terschelling with a ship full of makers showing new work and work in development within the Explore the North Hub at Oerol. From 13 to 22 June, work by both established names and up-and-coming (and sometimes very young) talents connected to Explore the North will be on display all over the island. Oerol and Explore the North thus make room for all kinds of 'literature on stage', in keeping with the signature of the Leeuwarden production house. With this cooperation, they offer various (young) northern and national artists the opportunity to introduce themselves to an adventurous audience at an early stage. Performances will be played in Dutch, Frisian, English and Farsi. The cooperation between Oerol and Explore the North has existed for some time, but has never been so intense and future-oriented.
The projects in the Explore the North Hub can be seen across the island in many shapes and sizes. From a larger show in the main programme at a great outdoor location to a series of projects in West- End, Terschelling's smallest theatre.
From psychedelic quest to reflective Frisian hip-hop
Joost Oomen, The Poezieboys and Explore the North take visitors through the new show SPIRITS into a comical, musical and psychedelic quest for inspiration. After LORCA's success at Oerol in 2023, they are now back with their signature, droll and hilarious style of play.
Sanam Tahmasebi, Roshanak Morrowatian and Explore the North show a preview of the performance Beyond the Triangle. A multidisciplinary work full of dance, music and poetry, with recorded voices of female Iranian poets at its core.
Four Young Writers (aged 14-18) take visitors on the literary audio walk Words in the wind along from the festival centre to the beach. There they tell how they experienced the area before the hustle and bustle of Oerol. How many stories did they find in the silence? What words did they hear in the wind? A project by Explore the North and Meeuw young theatre makers, in collaboration with Oerol.
At the intimate West End Theatre, visitors will see work in progress by Nicole van den Berg, ZEA, Mona Thijs, Zindzi Tillot Owusu, Charlotte Westra and Jaimy Hindriks with The Rediscovery of Ella Wassenaer and from the young Flemish/Dutch collective Drie Dagen Fris.
Finally, Frisian rapper and multi-talent Alexander Moto introduces audiences to reflective hip-hop in Dutch and Frisian.
The entire festival programme can be found from 13 May at oerol.nl, tickets will be available from 23 May. Friends of Oerol can buy tickets from 20 May.
Expanded backgrounds:
The Poetry Boys, Joost Oomen and Explore the North - SPIRITS (premiere)
13 and 14 June (premiere) and 17 to 22 June - Nollekes, Terschelling
After the success of the show LORCA, about Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, the Poezieboys and poet Joost Oomen now delve into the wonderful world of inspiration. What is inspiration? It seems like a boring process. A poet stares out of the window and pens something about a bird. But a poet does not always stare out of his window to find inspiration. How does this work? Where does it come from? And why does it work for some and not for others? In SPIRITS The Poezieboys and Joost Oomen go in search of that thing, that ghost - and they do so in their characteristic droll and often hilarious play style, full of joyfully associative leaps of thought, music and unexpected twists. They explore mysterious powers with humour, wonder and a good dose of playful fun.
Sanam Tahmasebi, Roshanak Morrowatian & Explore the North - Beyond the Triangle (preview)
Friday 13 and Saturday 14 June - Bostheater, Terschelling
Beyond the Triangle is an intimate and urgent ritual of sound, movement and memory, rooted in a collective desire for freedom. Set at the intersection of music, dance, poetry and visual art, this multidisciplinary performance is inspired by the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran. At its core are the recorded voices of female Iranian poets of different generations. Their presence echoes in a layered composition of vocals, percussion, cello, electronic textures, field recordings and choreography. Poetry becomes sound. Sound becomes movement. Movement becomes memory. Beyond the Triangle does not tell a linear story, but reveals moments. This sneak preview performance was shown at Explore the North Festival 2024 and at Festival Jonge Harten in Groningen. A sequel to this performance in the making will be seen at Oerol 2025.
Young Writers - Words in the wind
De Deining (festival centre) + 21 and 22 June 13:30, 15:45, 17:00
Four Young Writers collected stories on Terschelling ahead of Oerol. During this literary audio walk, visitors are taken from the festival centre to the beach. There they tell how they experienced the area before the hustle and bustle of Oerol. What did they see in the peace and quiet? How many stories did they find in the silence? What words did they hear in the wind?
Jonge Schrijvers is a writing course for young people in Friesland, organised by Explore the North and Meeuw young theatre makers. Prose, poetry, theatre, songs, film scripts: everything passes in the writing classes. The Young Writers attend Oerol every year and create new work especially for the festival, inspired by the island and/or its inhabitants. This year it is in the form of a literary audio walk with: David Bisschop, Tamar Dicke, Bastiaan Okkema and Rixt Siderius. A collaboration between Explore the North, Meeuw young theatre makers and Oerol.
"It is really bizarre to be at Oerol as a 17-year-old with a performance: you are really taken seriously. It feels like an honour." Young Writer Hedzer Seffinga at Omrop Fryslân during an earlier edition of Oerol.
Weekend full of new work (in the making) at West End Theatre
Also part of the Explore the North Hub is a weekend full of new work or work in progress. From Friday 20 to Sunday 22 June, visitors will see projects by Zea, Three Days Fresh, Nicole van den Berg and Mona Thijs, Zindzi Tillot Owusu, Charlotte Westra & Jaimy Hindriks at the picturesque West End Theatre.
Zea, aka Frisian Amsterdam native Arnold de Boer, will preview his new show and Frisian-language album at Oerol this year In lichem fol promises which will be released next autumn, in collaboration with Explore the North and Popfabryk. A three-piece band full of top musicians and beautiful Frisian-language poetry. At Oerol, Zea will play with clarinettist Xavier Charles and drummer Ineke Duivenvoorde in the cosy setting of the West-End Theatre. The full project with 16-member drum band will be presented at Explore the North festival in Leeuwarden (21 - 23 November 2025).
The four writers Mona Thijs, Zindzi Tillot Owusu, Charlotte Westra and Jaimy Hindriks honour Frisian female pioneer Ella Wassenaar in the project The rediscovery of Ella Wassenaer. Wassenaar entered the experiment in 1955 as one of the few female Frisian poets with her collection of poetry Reade Runes. The four writers give a loud voice to all the forgotten, writing women of then and now. The Verwonderkamer is a talent development project of Flemish-Dutch House deBuren (Brussels) and Explore the North. Every year, Frisian and Flemish writers get to know each other during a residency in Leeuwarden.
Nicole van den Berg & Explore the North also show a preview of the live radio play Gran Canaria, who will take us? We follow Gerard and Marcel, two men who meet at a bus stop just outside the strictly religious village of Grafsloot. What starts as a chance encounter develops into the smallest possible drama - precisely because of everything that is not said. With Douwe Dijkstra and Raymond Muller as Gerard and Marcel.
Literary creators Marieke 'earworm' Ornelis, Mees 'little hands' van Rijswijk and Johannes 'deer run dead' Lievens refuse during the performance Three Days Fresh delete (something they have to do all the time as writers). Visitors get all their concoctions, sing-alongs, rants and other textual blubber on their plate. A lighthearted, linguistic musical theatre show about holding on.
West End timetable
- Nicole vd Berg, Explore the North - Gran Canaria, who will take us (preview)
- Friday 20 June | 14:00 & 16:00
- ZEA, Explore the North & Popfabryk - In lichem fol promises (preview)
- Friday 20 June | 20:00 & 22:00
- Mona Thijs, Zindzi Tillot Owusu, Charlotte Westra and Jaimy Hindriks - The Rediscovery of Ella Wassenaer
- Saturday 21 June | 14:00, 16:00 & 20:00
- Marieke Ornelis, Mees van Rijswijk and Johannes Lievens - Three Days Fresh
- Saturday 21 June | 22:00
- Sunday 22 June | 14:00 & 16:00
Alexander Moto
De Deining (festival centre) | 21 and 22 June at 2pm
This storyteller lets his words dance through the cosmos with disarming honesty, dreamy yet purposeful. The Frisian rapper and keyboard player analyses soul matters in linguistic, reflective hip-hop, in which no blades are taken for granted. His live show surprises from raw boombap to subdued clay songs; in both Dutch and Frisian. In 2025, Moto continues to fuel the fire with multiple projects and album number two on the way.
Explore the North is a production house and festival as well as a home for writers, poets and other young makers in the heart of Leeuwarden: Podium Explore presents programmes throughout the year. Stories in strange forms, told by a new generation of makers. We bring our interdisciplinary projects to festivals and venues at home and abroad. In November, everything culminates during the vibrant festival month, where local makers share the stage with international pioneers. Find out more at www.explorethenorth.nl
Oerol
From Friday 13 to Sunday 22 June, the 44e edition of Oerol Festival Terschelling, an exciting mix of site-specific performances, music, word art, talks, street theatre and visual art. In the nature of Terschelling, at the festival centre, the Bostheatre, the West-End Theater and the new Strandtheater (a seaside arena designed by Collectief Walden), everywhere you will be surprised by the mix of disciplines by established names and experimental work by young creators. The Bostheatre, the West-End Theatre and the Strandtheater offer room for deepening and broadening the programme and are exciting additions for new makers and audiences.
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