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Festival Circolo: relaxed and sunny festival celebrates circus innovation without glitz

A campfire, primeval hamburgers and flammkuchen with bacon and cream, as well as coffee with oat milk and remarkably many loose buns in Tilburg's Leijpark. White wine, kombucha and speciality beer. Some people get pimples from such combinations, but it felt remarkably good, last Monday at Festival Circolo. The hipster folk, considered super sustainable, mixed effortlessly with the burgundian Brabanter, so in... 

Read More "Festival Circolo: relaxed and sunny festival celebrates circus innovation without glitz

Jan-Bas Bollen on November Music: 'I experience music as a purely sonic event. I can enjoy a metal band immensely, but also drum 'n bass.'

His life is a strange journey through time, a giant leap forward from one musical culture to another. His mother was a composer and singer, his father accompanied a relay of famous song singers as a pianist. And Jan-Bas Bollen (1961) took to the stage early on as a promising violin talent. In 1970, a child of nine, he played at the Oscar Back Violin Competition, and... 

Read More "Jan-Bas Bollen on November Music: 'I experience music as a purely sonic event. I can enjoy a metal band immensely, but also drum 'n bass.'

Composer Morris Kliphuis on High Dive with Lucky Fonz III: 'Every composer is a little dictator' #novembermusic

The Bossche sounds in November are contemporary. Since '93, the city has acted as a sounding board for today's music under festival name November Music. I talked to Morris Kliphuis (composer) and lyricist Otto Wichers (Lucky Fonz III), about their musical piece High Dive. The song cycle will premiere 11 November at the Verkadefabriek, performed by singer Pitou and ensemble stargaze.... 

Read More "Composer Morris Kliphuis on High Dive with Lucky Fonz III: 'Every composer is a little dictator' #novembermusic

Stille Nacht Am Silbersee is a unique musical sound poem: 'A single word can evoke a world.' #novembermusic

'Every time I go to a beach, I see the sea through a filter of all the texts written about it.' Writer Joachim Robbrecht, at the request of Romain Bisschoff and together with writer brother Artun Alaska Arasli, created a sound poem for Ensemble Silbersee. During November Music, the work will finally premiere, after it had been a year... 

Read More "Stille Nacht Am Silbersee is a unique musical sound poem: 'A single word can evoke a world.' #novembermusic

Jan-Peter De Graaff composes Parallax: 'I show how much effort people put into creating their own world' #novembermusic

Jan-Peter de Graaff (b. 1992) is and thinks big. As an islander, raised on Terschelling as a child of musicians, he also perhaps perceives things a little differently from the peripheral city. The height of the sky, the nothingness of a strip of land surrounded by the movement and power of water; they suggest infinity and the mystery of higher powers. That perspective... 

Read More "Jan-Peter De Graaff composes Parallax: 'I show how much effort people put into creating their own world' #novembermusic
Botero

Why never say, 'Botero, that's that fat-woman painter, isn't it?

Mons (Mons), a Walloon pinhead on the French border, became European Capital of Culture in 2015. To everyone's surprise. The city presents its umpteenth major exhibition this autumn and winter: Fernando Botero, beyond the forms. 3 questions are addressed in this story: 1) How does a small city like Mons get all that done? 2) Why never say:... 

Read More "Why never say, 'Botero, that's that fat-woman painter, isn't it?

'NOW support saved us, but creates a lot of extra workload afterwards.'

At the end of July, we posted an appeal by the UWV on this site. The benefit agency sounded the alarm because few cultural organisations had yet completed their final application for corona support. If they had not submitted the application corresponding to the advance received earlier before 31 October, they would have to repay that advance anyway. Every reason to take a... 

Read More "'NOW support saved us, but creates a lot of extra workload afterwards.'

Nina Hiddema, director a.i. of the Netherlands Reisopera: 'Nicolas Mansfield's succession is going to take some time to complete

'A sorcerer's apprentice? It is really not the case that Josef Fuchs could and would single-handedly bend an entire application process to his will. That is pertinently untrue and I even find it damaging to his person.' Nina Hiddema reacts vehemently to our article on Josef Fuchs' remarkable job title, and the change in it. Hiddema explains: 'I am... 

Read More "Nina Hiddema, director a.i. of the Netherlands Reisopera: 'Nicolas Mansfield's succession is going to take some time to complete

The dizzying void is literally at the heart of L'absolu during Festival Circolo

Voor wie van acrobatiek én existentiële levensvragen houdt, is L’absolu van Boris Gibé een walhalla. Het bijzondere spektakel is te bewonderen tijdens Festival Circolo in Tilburg. In een lege silo op een hoogte van 12 meter confronteert acrobaat (en metafysicus) Gibé het publiek met grote levensvragen. Met zijn act laat hij zien dat circus en kunst hand in hand kunnen… 

Read More "The dizzying void is literally at the heart of L'absolu during Festival Circolo

Lucho Smit's unique take on circus innovation: 'Everything already exists, we just make different connections' #festivalcircolo

'I often wonder why I keep doing what I do. I do circus, but I don't just want to tell stories, I want to act, I want to live up to my beliefs and my values. And by acting, I don't mean eating organic food, sorting my waste and donating to Greenpeace, no ; I really want to contribute to all those issues I... 

Read More "Lucho Smit's unique take on circus innovation: 'Everything already exists, we just make different connections' #festivalcircolo

Jolanda Spoel seamlessly forges hip-hop and classical together in Melomaniac. And that is quite difficult

'They come from two worlds, but work together towards something that is one. Jolanda Spoel has done that perfectly'. Katinka Reinders, head of education at the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, is enthusiastic after one of the first play-in performances of Melomaniac at Maas Theatre & Dance. Just now, a room full of somewhat timid secondary school students turned into a churning group of lovers of... 

Read More "Jolanda Spoel seamlessly forges hip-hop and classical together in Melomaniac. And that is quite difficult

New at Festival Circolo: The stage is at least as exciting when you can only hear it.

During Tilburg circus festival Circolo, you can experience it, if you want to, and certainly if you can't help it: audio description. Especially for the blind and visually impaired, the festival offers the services of Komt Het Zien, a company specialising in live description of what is on stage in front of you. Founder Arlette Hanson, is one such... 

Read More "New at Festival Circolo: The stage is at least as exciting when you can only hear it.

'Smash the crystal ball. Empathise with future generations!' - About Digital Decisiveness #2

Perhaps the COVID pandemic did not itself create unprecedented inventions and new things, but unexpected things that were already there suddenly came to the fore. Like podcasts, like online art, like new views on leadership and a different way of looking at the future. Very briefly, this is what you take away from the total of eight hours of... 

Read More "'Smash the crystal ball. Empathise with future generations!' - About Digital Decisiveness #2

Great, scintillating Trojan Wars from National Theatre

Dance and ballet, theatre with gory atrocities and clattering emotions, imaginative lighting, set and costume effects and, above all, enthusiasm bursting forth. HNTjong's 'biggest production ever' with 30 actors for 50 roles is overwhelming. Thanks also to the corona crisis: the National Theatre had to postpone the performance for a year and a half and lift it over two summer holidays, with all the misery... 

Read More "Great, scintillating Trojan Wars from National Theatre

The big question of online gathering: who will show us the way to the bar? #Digitaladventure 1

Een virtueel pistool, dat, wanneer je ermee schiet, geen kogel afvuurt maar een pop-up laat zien met encyclopedische informatie over wat je zojuist onder vuur hebt genomen. Als we daar nu eens de volgende oorlog mee zouden uitvechten. Het is bedacht door de Iraanse kunstenaar Ali Eslami, die gedwongen door de lockdown zijn internationale netwerk inzette voor het ontwikkelen van… 

Read More "The big question of online gathering: who will show us the way to the bar? #Digitaladventure 1

From 'artistic director' to 'deputy artistic director': what is Josef Fuchs' position at the Netherlands Reisopera?

Last Monday, 20 September, the Nederlandse Reisopera presented its programme for the upcoming season. The speaker was Josef Fuchs, who was introduced as the company's new artistic director by its general director a.i. Nina Hiddema. A festive occasion, which caused slight surprise in the small gathering (a few journalists and some colleagues). In an interview (below... 

Read More "From 'artistic director' to 'deputy artistic director': what is Josef Fuchs' position at the Netherlands Reisopera?

Marta Barone's craftsmanship glistens beneath the surface of 'Sunken City'

'It really is the case that at some point the dead come back to look for you, and then you have to have dinner with them.' Italian writer Marta Barone (34), who records these words in her novel Sunken City, experienced this first-hand when she lost her father Leonardo, now a decade ago. Barone grew up at... 

Read More "Marta Barone's craftsmanship glistens beneath the surface of 'Sunken City'

In the grip of mental illness. Jan van Mersbergen wrote a novel about the demise of his family

Als een van beide ouders niet stevig op z’n benen staat, hoe beïnvloedt dat dan een heel gezin? Daarover gaat Een goede moeder, de nieuwe roman van Jan van Mersbergen (50). Het verhaal is gebaseerd op de afgelopen jaren van zijn eigen leven. ‘Het moest geen afrekening worden.’ Avonturenroman Twee jaar geleden zei hij dat hij op zijn vijftigste, als… 

Read More "In the grip of mental illness. Jan van Mersbergen wrote a novel about the demise of his family

Museum association sounds alarm: even strong museums will not get out of the one-and-a-half without support

Last weekend's #unmuteus parades might lead you to believe that, as soon as the weather allows, the cultural world will be out of its misery in less than no time. The tens of thousands who took to the streets are soon populating the halls again, and with a little more water with the beer, and slightly more expensive mints, the night and event industry - which is also there for the... 

Read More "Museum association sounds alarm: even strong museums will not get out of the one-and-a-half without support

Westbeat, Amsterdam's newly built cultural fringe, is perhaps too good.

Art, and certainly avant garde art, thrives on the frayed edges of society. Especially in the second half of the 20th century, industrial heritage and unrenovated urban foam was the place where art could escape the norms of the ruling class. The NDSM wharf in Amsterdam North, Hall 4 or the Submarine Wharf in Rotterdam, Ceramique in Maastricht, Sterrebos in... 

Read More "Westbeat, Amsterdam's newly built cultural fringe, is perhaps too good.

Tobias Kokkelmans starts as director of the Dutch Theatre Festival: 'More exchange between different groups in audiences and creators.'

'As for many people, the theatre festival really does mean something. Like the Fringe, it is impossible to imagine without it. I've been able to make artistic friendships there, I've been able to have arguments there, I've met people who I thought were adversaries who turned out to be comrades-in-arms. Because there are not only performances, there is... 

Read More "Tobias Kokkelmans starts as director of the Dutch Theatre Festival: 'More exchange between different groups in audiences and creators.'

Back to the primal power of magic, through youth theatre. With thanks to Jetse Batelaan.

Plays often end in chaos. An overturned liquor cabinet, a blood blade among royals, we're used to a few things. Jetse Batelaan's latest play, baroque and sharper than he showed before, also ends in beauty, but then that is actually the beginning. Indeed, the ending is sterile and stripped of any life. But that is where the performance begins. The artistic director of... 

Read More "Back to the primal power of magic, through youth theatre. With thanks to Jetse Batelaan.

New private museum in Amsterdam: a rather brazen action, seemingly fuelled by resentment.

'A beautiful gift to the city'- this is how the Hartwig Art Foundation describes on its website the plan to initiate a new art museum on the Zuidas. It is a private initiative by entrepreneur, art collector and philanthropist Rob Defares. The Amsterdam Arts Council has advised positively on the plan, with the municipality deciding on it soon. It sounds promising: an art hall - there will be no... 

Read More "New private museum in Amsterdam: a rather brazen action, seemingly fuelled by resentment.

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