Skip to content

APPRECIATE & DONATE!

Culture Press does things differently. We bring you professional journalism, but don't put a pay wall around it. Instead, we ask you, the reader, to decide for yourself what these stories are worth to you. Want to post a general donation? You can: Contribute to Culture Press!

Benjamin Verdonck renews, for a moment, your view of the world. At Theatre Festival Boulevard #tfboulevard

One of the things that make Boulevard so special in the Dutch festival landscape is its generous focus on Belgian performances. Where Dutch theatres programme less and less work from across the southern borders, Boulevard continues to offer a stage to a large number of Belgian makers. Learning to live together This produces very varied work again this year. At the heart of the festival is... 

Read More "Benjamin Verdonck renews, for a moment, your view of the world. At Theatre Festival Boulevard #tfboulevard

Nerd podcast #s2e1: On the necessary lightness of something heavy. A conversation about reviews and witches with Club Gewalt #tfboulevard

There is a huge amount happening in theatre, this summer, as many summer festivals have special corona editions where they show a lot of what was made in attic rooms last year during the forced closure of theatres. One such show was Die Hexe, by Club Gewalt, a fresh point theatre band/theatre collective that is/was showing at Theatre Festival Boulevard this summer. Nerd... 

Read More "Nerd podcast #s2e1: On the necessary lightness of something heavy. A conversation about reviews and witches with Club Gewalt #tfboulevard

The 'weird life' of all-rounder Jef Last is not over

Better to die standing than to live kneeling. The statement is fresh in memory after the murder in the Lange Leidse Dwarsstraat, as a mantra in praise of Peter R de Vries, his fearlessness, non-conformism, straightforwardness and honesty. This same statement jumps out even from the first paragraphs of the introduction to the biography of poet Jef Last, written by Rudi Wester.1.... 

Read More "The 'weird life' of all-rounder Jef Last is not over

Why laughter is best left to us more often: Joseph Toonga teaches theatre rage #tfboulevard

Think Pussy Riot, think Rammstein, maybe think Nina Hagen before she found Jesus and mix that up nice and fierce. Then you get something that is basically an insane festival act. Raging female punk in a beer- and smoke-soaked nightclub, ferocious moshpits full of people who really have something to dance out of their souls. It's all in there... 

Read More "Why laughter is best left to us more often: Joseph Toonga teaches theatre rage #tfboulevard

Spielberg, #metoo and corona: Ivo van Hove's West Side Story does not survive crisis

It was supposed to be Ivo van Hove's big break on Broadway. And it was meant to be, but fate decided otherwise. It was announced today via US show news Variety that West Side Story, in Ivo van Hove's modern, raucous version, will not be revived. Despite a jubilant reception and virtually sold-out theatres,... 

Read More "Spielberg, #metoo and corona: Ivo van Hove's West Side Story does not survive crisis

Better listening, watching, feeling, smelling and tasting thanks to Theatre Festival Boulevard #tfboulevard

We don't look upward enough. Maybe we do a quick glance at the horizon to see if that shower is really going to ruin our terrace afternoon, but that's not looking for the sake of looking. And I was able to do that thanks to the people of BLOOS. In Bossche Zuiderpark, they have a... 

Read More "Better listening, watching, feeling, smelling and tasting thanks to Theatre Festival Boulevard #tfboulevard

PODCAST - Guilherme Miotto: the wait is always for it to start flowing. #tfboulevard

Guilherme Miotto is artistic director of Corpo Maquina, an extraordinary dance company based in Breda and Tilburg. This year, among other things, he is at Festival Boulevard in Den Bosch with the performance Tak. A performance, stemming from an earlier project in an urban district of Den Bosch. Six women he worked with there now form an ensemble with whom he... 

Read More "PODCAST - Guilherme Miotto: the wait is always for it to start flowing. #tfboulevard

Boulevard makes you feel what white balls cause #tfboulevard

White balls are quite in the news, lately. For instance, they molest compatriots as a holiday pastime. Or they shout 'Snollebollekes' at a black champion. So the fact that white balls can also be fine is news. You can experience it at Festival Boulevard, where in a small, narrow tent, thousands of white Styrofoam balls, driven by huge fans, give you a fine massage shower,... 

Read More "Boulevard makes you feel what white balls cause #tfboulevard

Unaccustomedness was to be expected at this rare summer festival #TFBoulevard

For a year and a half, there was hardly any playing, festival tents remained in mothballs and artists were busy doing living room concerts or attic sessions on Zoom. Now everything is allowed out again and the discharge is just barely there. Unaccustomedness characterises the fresh start of Theatre Festival Boulevard, which has moved to a park south of downtown Bossche for the next few years,... 

Read More "Unaccustomedness was to be expected at this rare summer festival #TFBoulevard

'Vanished talent and manpower will break up culture sector as it relaunches in September'

The uncertainty of the events sector and cultural institutions, after 17 months of lockdowns and one-and-a-half-month openings, is not only disastrous for the mood of directors, artists and spectators. According to the Creative Sector Taskforce, much more is being lost. In fact, a 'Marshall Plan' is needed to get the cultural and creative sector back on its feet,... 

Read More "'Vanished talent and manpower will break up culture sector as it relaunches in September'

'Minister bans art!' - How dangerous propaganda gets a chance in cucumber time

Down to the union, the message was shared: outgoing culture minister Ingrid van Engelshoven had allegedly gone overboard with her diversity policy and now wants to ban non-diverse art from universities. It was big in the Telegraaf and former cabaret artist Hans Teeuwen got a few hundred thousand likes with it on Instagram. Meanwhile, it has also reached the columns of Het Parool thanks to 'artist' 

Read More "'Minister bans art!' - How dangerous propaganda gets a chance in cucumber time

The NUT delivers splendour with Never Work Again.

On the day that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of the world's Facebook, announced his launch to the 'Metaversum', in order to trounce his collegatechies Bezos, Musk and Branson, who had only had a little sniff of the Universe, I attended the performance 'Never work again' by the Nieuw Utrechts Toneel in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn. In these times of lockdown and... 

Read More "The NUT delivers splendour with Never Work Again.

Nerd podcast #15 with Dick Zijp: 'Humour usually follows power, and is more effective in it than serious expressions.'

With his opinion piece in the Volkskrant, he drew the ire of gein manufacturers like Bert Brussen and Hans Teeuwen. In no uncertain personal attacks, 'Suck My Dick Zijp' was accused of having a 'gender-neutral rotten head', which showed that 'woke' people had no humour. Reason for the woke nerds, Marijn Lems and I, aka the... 

Read More "Nerd podcast #15 with Dick Zijp: 'Humour usually follows power, and is more effective in it than serious expressions.'

Dear Hans Teeuwen, art has nothing to fear from boring men.

It is a great thing that there are comedians who keep a finger on the pulse of society. Hans Teeuwen, for instance, has once again made himself angry. He has joined the small chorus of (mostly) men who see the end of the world coming because of a rebuttal. That is the rebuttal that now comes via social media 

Read More "Dear Hans Teeuwen, art has nothing to fear from boring men.

Dance history in action - Dance On Ensemble performs iconic works, with contemporary responses

That Julidans is experiencing a strong edition was actually already evident with the bold and delightful opening night. That performance invited you to think about what dance is. Making Dances - Dancing Replies makes you ponder the same question, but in a very different way. Dance On Ensemble, the Berlin-based company with dancers over 40, performed works by... 

Read More "Dance history in action - Dance On Ensemble performs iconic works, with contemporary responses

A dangerously hurt little bird. Writer Caroline De Mulder delved into the world of girl gangs and sugardating

Girl gangs and sugar dating - these are the themes of Bambi likes you raw. Caroline De Mulder (44) wanted to talk about the violence of women rather than against women. 'I could work out the dark, aggressive sides in myself without bashing someone's head in.' Bambi's protagonist, 16-year-old Hilda, or Bambi, as her... 

Read More "A dangerously hurt little bird. Writer Caroline De Mulder delved into the world of girl gangs and sugardating

On citation law, De Wereld Draait Door and John de Mol's claim robot (Angry Spirits Podcast with Ewout Jansen)

In 2014, The Cutter published a review of De Wereld Draait Door. What not many people will know is that prior to that moment, there was a weeks-long battle behind the scenes over this publication. De Wereld Draait Door tried with all its might to stop the episode by not giving permission to quote the footage. Initially,... 

Read More "On citation law, De Wereld Draait Door and John de Mol's claim robot (Angry Spirits Podcast with Ewout Jansen)

Ilay den Boer pushes boundary between theatre and journalism with 'Solomon's Judgement'

Je Maintiendrai. Holland's motto of arms ('Ik zal handhaven') adorns the beautiful hall of Utrecht's old Post Office, now Library. The motto also watched over the premiere of the performance 'Solomon's Judgement' with which Ilay den Boer now returns to the public. After all, he was not here for a while. He worked for just under a year at the IND, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service,... 

Read More "Ilay den Boer pushes boundary between theatre and journalism with 'Solomon's Judgement'

Nerd podcast 14: These two reviewers remarkably agree on Catholic theatre, the Holland Festival, ITA and the upcoming summer

We once started this series because we disagree horribly about some things, but in practice things turn out differently. In episode 14 of this fascinating series of insider conversations about theatre and whatnot, we talk about a few Holland Festival performances and look ahead to the festival summer. As it turns out, the... 

Read More "Nerd podcast 14: These two reviewers remarkably agree on Catholic theatre, the Holland Festival, ITA and the upcoming summer

The bizarre world of Euripides Laskaridis - Julidans opens with guts

After a year of forced inactivity, Julidans kicked off yesterday under the slogan Never Stop Dancing. And so do the wondrous creatures that populate Elenit, the opening night in the hands of Euripides Laskaridis. His Elenit is a universe of grotesque and sometimes endearing characters held hostage by a huge windmill on stage. Against their will, they carry on, or... 

Read More "The bizarre world of Euripides Laskaridis - Julidans opens with guts

Rijksmuseum puts names to our slavery past and the effect is stunning

It is very easy not to dwell on things. For instance, I learned at school that we sailed to the East to get nutmeg and pepper. Stuff that just rolled off the trees into the boats there and that we could sell very expensively here. Sugar, another thing. That came to us from plantations just like that,... 

Read More "Rijksmuseum puts names to our slavery past and the effect is stunning

ITA leaves exactly the wrong things to the imagination in Age of Rage. #HF21

In Electra, one of the finest tragedies handed down to us by the ancient Greeks, there is at least one piece of text that made history. It is the account of a horse race. You see nothing, but the language puts your imagination to work. 25 centuries later, they tried to turn the images described into real images for the... 

Read More "ITA leaves exactly the wrong things to the imagination in Age of Rage. #HF21

Arnold Schoenberg sounds out of an endearing piece of kindergarten drama. #HF21

There is a direct, inverse, link between musical talent and acting ability. The techniques needed to play a musical instrument are completely different from the registers you need - physically and mentally - for acting. So the better you master your instrument, the worse the acting. The musicians of Klangforum Wien master their instrument at the very, very... 

Read More "Arnold Schoenberg sounds out of an endearing piece of kindergarten drama. #HF21

The myth of Europe, you need a Greek for that anyway (and a better theatre) #hf21

'...this (final) image, in which really I saw what I never saw before. That was so insane where I started to doubt my own perception. Interesting sensation that for me is separate from interpretation.' I quote here a visitor I know from the performance Transverse Orientation, one of the toppers of this year's Holland Festival. She was sitting three metres... 

Read More "The myth of Europe, you need a Greek for that anyway (and a better theatre) #hf21

Presenter Harm Edens wrote a book about his childhood: 'I always felt like an outsider'

He is known as a writer of comedy series, such as SamSam and Het zonnetje in huis, and as presenter of the satirical TV programme Dit was het nieuws. But during Harm Edens' (59) youth, there was little to laugh at. 'Even though the whole country claps for you, if your parents don't, it's still a loss.' The 'intelligent lockdown' was last... 

Read More "Presenter Harm Edens wrote a book about his childhood: 'I always felt like an outsider'

Private Membership (month)
5€ / Maand
Subscribe
For natural persons and self-employed persons.
No annoying banners
A special newsletter
Own mastodon account
Access to our archives
Beste Keuze
Small Membership (month)
18€ / Maand
Subscribe
For cultural institutions with a turnover/subsidy of less than €250,000 per year
No annoying banners
A premium newsletter
All our podcasts
Your own Mastodon account
Access to archives
Posting press releases yourself
Extra attention in news coverage
More details in the welcome email
Large Membership (month)
36€ / Maand
Subscribe
For cultural institutions with a turnover/subsidy of more than €250,000 per year.
No annoying banners
A special newsletter
Your own Mastodon account
Access to archives
Share press releases with our audience
Extra attention in news coverage
Premium Newsletter (substack)
5 trial subscriptions
All our podcasts
More details in confirmation email!

Payments are made via iDeal, Paypal, Credit Card, Bancontact or Direct Debit. If you prefer to pay manually, based on an invoice in advance, we charge a 10€ administration fee

*Only for annual membership or after 12 monthly payments

en_GBEnglish (UK)
nl_NLNederlands fr_FRFrançais en_GBEnglish (UK)