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Wijbrand Schaap

Cultural journalist since 1996. Worked as theatre critic, columnist and reporter for Algemeen Dagblad, Utrechts Nieuwsblad, Rotterdams Dagblad, Parool and regional newspapers through Associated Press Services. Interviews for TheaterMaker, Theatererkrant Magazine, Ons Erfdeel, Boekman. Podcast maker, likes to experiment with new media. Culture Press is called the brainchild I gave birth to in 2009. Life partner of Suzanne Brink roommate of Edje, Fonzie and Rufus. Search and find me on Mastodon.

Marijn Lems: 'I write for people who don't shy away from the adventurous in art.'

by Wijbrand Schaap
30 January 202130 March 2022
2 min read
For members only, PODCAST, PODIUM ART, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

More than 1,500 hours were spent by theatre critic Marijn Lems last year in theatres, in front of TV and, most importantly, with games. That's a lot of time and it raises questions. Questions especially about how you organise your time as a journalist, and how you divide it between watching art for work and what we will call 'normal life'. That's what this podcast is about, for just under three quarters of an hour.

13 foundations and one private limited company. Controversial Brabant grant decisions raise more questions every day.

by Wijbrand Schaap
29 January 20212 April 2022
4 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, FAITS DIVERS, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

To get a subsidy in the Netherlands, you have to jump through a lot of hoops. Every farmer knows that, and so does every artist. In the cultural sector, for instance, it is important that you have a form of organisation that is controllable and approachable. You cannot have a profit motive either. That is why you can usually only apply for funding as a foundation, so you have statutes, a board and a...

Breaking: How motherly love is undermining Brabant's subsidy system.

by Wijbrand Schaap
28 January 202130 March 2022
4 min read
For members only, FAITS DIVERS, FILM, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Cinecitta Tilburg gets 280,000 euri a year from the province of Brabant, or rather the founder's mother. Despite there being quite a lot wrong with the application.

Frisian theatres are joining forces. The whole of the Netherlands can learn something from this.

by Wijbrand Schaap
27 January 202129 March 2022
3 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, FAITS DIVERS, PODIUM ART, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Good news from Friesland. The five larger theatres in the Netherlands' most independent province are going to cooperate intensively to tackle the corona crisis together.

Eddy Bellegueule live. Still impressive, but also makes you yearn for the real thing.

by Wijbrand Schaap
23 January 202129 March 2022
4 min read
For members only, INTERNET, MEDIA, PODIUM ART, THEATER, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Yesterday, I finally saw 'Away with Eddy Bellegueule', the theatre hit of the previous broken and devastated theatre season, and saw that its creators had effortlessly bridged the gap between youth and grown-up theatre. The show is a nineties grunge concert with brilliant actors and intense visual direction by rising star Eline Arbo.

The future of the arts sector lies in Heritage and Events

by Wijbrand Schaap
22 January 2021
5 min read
HERITAGE, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

What happens in 2022, when refunds are due or not, we will determine on 17 March. But we may just have to count on the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science changing its name already.

Keep Standing! 5 tips for VPRO's new book programme

by Wijbrand Schaap
17 January 2021
6 min read
LITERARY, MEDIA, TELEVISION, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

With these five tips, we are sure to come up with a wonderful programme, in this bizarre summer we are facing, in which we will hopefully be allowed to hit the streets again at all. My fingers are crossed for both.

Moniek Merkx bids farewell to Maas Theatre & Dance: 'I would grant it to any creator to have this audience in front of you once.'

by Wijbrand Schaap
15 January 202116 January 2021
4 min read
PODCAST, PODIUM ART, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Moniek Merkx will step down as director of Maas Theatre&Dans on 3 February this year. She co-founded this Rotterdam-based company that makes theatre for people from small to large in 2013. A forced merger with two other youth theatre houses from the Maas city, it developed under her leadership into one of the most successful and interesting theatre groups in our country. In our podcast, I talk to her for an hour about how that came to be.

2021 will be a year for near-home culture

by Wijbrand Schaap
3 January 20213 January 2021
4 min read
ACTUAL, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Planning in 2021 can only be done in the very short term, or with so many fits and starts that it is actually impossible to deal with. Therefore, at Lowlands - if it goes ahead at all - we will have a lot of offerings from our own country and the very close neighbouring countries.

Mistake BNR. Germany does not do more for the arts than the Netherlands. They just sell it better.

by Wijbrand Schaap
18 December 202029 March 2022
4 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Germany has 80 million people, the Netherlands 17 million, so we can multiply the Dutch aid by five if we want to test the German claim. Still, we arrive at an amount three times higher.

Leading starts with yourself. Learn more about that in this podcast on LinC-Artistics

by Wijbrand Schaap
16 December 202030 March 2022
2 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, Featured, Leadership in Culture, PODCAST, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

In this podcast, I talk to Marjolein Verhallen and Paul Adriaanse from Public Administration, Nanna Verhoef from Media and Iris van der Tuin from Philosophy, and artistic directors Lars Ebert and Jente Hoogeveen about what that is: leadership. And we talk about how you can learn it.

When real stars seek relief in lockdown: Star Force makes you happy

by Wijbrand Schaap
15 December 202030 May 2022
2 min read
For members only, FILM, INTERNET, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

These actors sit at their kitchen table and we fly through space with them. Art can be that simple, because we, the viewers, actually make the story.

No better time imaginable for Splendid Isolation. Personal initiative soprano provides unique concert in times of Corona.

by Wijbrand Schaap
13 December 202020 December 2020
1 min read
MUSIC, PODCAST, PODIUM ART, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Splendid Isolation is about the happiness of loneliness, but, Elgershuizen stresses, it is best experienced together. 'It needs to be performed, because as humans we need to be able to be together'.
If all goes well, it can be experienced on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December.

Province of Brabant makes FvD threat come true after all: halving art budget sold as support in Corona era

by Wijbrand Schaap
10 December 202029 March 2022
4 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

When it talks about 'some adjustments', of course, you have to be careful. They know that at the province, so they don't mention details. And those details include a cut of 1.3 million from previously promised amounts.

Dutch playwrights still have no idea about the quality of the stage work of their predecessors.

by Wijbrand Schaap
8 December 20208 December 2020
3 min read
HERITAGE, LITERARY, PODCAST, PODIUM ART, THEATER, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Dutch theatre is thriving, despite frantic attempts by various Rutte cabinets to bring it down. And even though money is always short as a result: a lot of new theatre is being made. More than ever, even. But.

There is a but.

VPRO's Mondo is television as grown-ups deserve on channels other than NPO3.

by Wijbrand Schaap
29 November 202029 November 2020
4 min read
TELEVISION, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

My tip to the bonzes in Het Gooi: forget young people. Focus on the wandering forties and fifties, who yearn for disruption. This broadcast of VPRO's Mondo was unforgettable.

NBE Composition Competition semi-finals to be seen via live stream from Junushoff Theatre

by Wijbrand Schaap
29 November 202030 March 2022
3 min read
For members only, MUSIC, PRESS, PODIUM ART, TELEVISION

From over 100 entries, 24 young composers have been selected for the semi-finals of the Netherlands Wind Ensemble's (NBE) composition competition Towards the New Year Concert with the grand prize of a performance with the NBE at the New Year Concert on 1 January (19:00 NPO 2).

Frascati and Plan Brabant saved thanks to pastry fork Ingrid van Engelshoven #tkculture

by Wijbrand Schaap
23 November 202030 March 2022
4 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

With the saving of Frascati and at least a Chamber that does understand the importance of the sector, the most depressing event of the year - the culture budget debate - still ended with a few bright spots.

Museum association sounds alarm: Ten museums at risk of closing within six months, implementation of emergency aid must improve

by Wijbrand Schaap
12 November 202030 March 2022
2 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, HERITAGE, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

The support cultural organisations receive from the government seems generous, but we can add some nuance to this. This is because if a local authority gives emergency support to a museum, support is then offset against the National Enterprise Scheme (NOW).

Surprising outcome Musicalgate? Albert Verlinde suddenly leaves Stage Entertainment

by Wijbrand Schaap
3 November 202029 March 2022
3 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, PODIUM ART, THEATER, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

The Netherlands is not big enough for two major musical producers. That is the only conclusion that can be drawn from Albert Verlinde's departure from Stage Entertainment.

VPRO's Mondo yesterday was a shining example for all arts television (hint: rule disruption!)

by Wijbrand Schaap
19 October 202029 March 2022
4 min read
For members only, VISUAL, MEDIA, TELEVISION, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

So on 18 October 2020, something happened. VPRO's Mondo had suddenly become an upbeat broadcast. And that in these times, when lamentation and mourning over lockdowns and impending bankruptcies dominate everywhere. What was going on?

Three actresses and a hijab. That's all Alum needs for chillingly beautiful Bakchanten

by Wijbrand Schaap
10 October 202010 October 2020
3 min read
PODIUM ART, THEATER, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Alum plays classics 'unplugged' once in a while. That means no fuss, just the story and the players. With Bakchanten, 2,500 years old but never surpassed in eloquence since, they have gold in their hands.

The Mondrian Fund made no bones about its own saw line. That is unfortunate for those who fall by it.

by Wijbrand Schaap
4 October 20204 October 2020
4 min read
ACTUAL, VISUAL, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Strictly speaking, prioritisation is another word for wielding a saw line, but it feels different. 'Prioritisation within the applicable criteria', as stated on the site, smacks of possible arbitrariness, as nowhere is it indicated which criteria were given how much weight.

Everyone saved? Only a few festivals suffered heavy damage.

by Wijbrand Schaap
22 September 202030 March 2022
2 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, Featured, PODIUM ART, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

The total of eight festivals that were given a place in the Basic Cultural Infrastructure thanks to vigorous political lobbying are in the clear. They do not benefit from the extra millions released by the Cabinet on Budget Day to rescue the Performing Arts Fund, because they are not (or no longer) covered by it.

Free producers minimise programmes until next autumn Heavy blow for zzp'ers in performing arts.

by Wijbrand Schaap
22 September 202029 March 2022
2 min read
ACTUAL, For members only, PODIUM ART, APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Further postponement and downsizing of commercial theatre productions means a severe blow to the countless self-employed who have work in the smaller roles and accompaniment.

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