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All about politics, policy, society and how those things relate to culture and art.

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... 

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Jam-packed opening weekend of Festival Circolo - Audiences' ears and eyes are in short supply during first weekend of Netherlands' biggest circus festival

After two years of dreaming and planning, today is finally the day: Festival Circolo - the largest circus festival in the Netherlands - is back! From 22 to Sunday 31 October, Tilburg's Leijpark will transform into an oasis full of spectacle, acrobatics and humour. Framed by the beautiful autumnal colours of the park, visitors will be treated to modern circus of international top level.... 

Read More "Jam-packed opening weekend of Festival Circolo - Audiences' ears and eyes are in short supply during first weekend of Netherlands' biggest circus festival

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.

Forever a little uprooted. New novel Jesús Carrasco is a portrait of contemporary Spain

Terug naar huis, de nieuwe roman van de Spaanse schrijver Jesús Carrasco (49) is naast een portret van een familie en twee generaties, ook een portret van Spanje zelf.  ‘De huidige literatuur geeft sociale groepen een stem die ze eerder niet hadden.’ Drie jaar werk en twee complete romans belandden in de prullenbak voordat Jesús Carrasco zijn nieuwe roman Terug… 

Read More "Forever a little uprooted. New novel Jesús Carrasco is a portrait of contemporary Spain

'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... 

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Hawar Tawfiq composes Bosch Requiem 2021 - To be heard exclusively during November Music 2021 and in Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ

Geen standaard dodenmis, maar een lofzang op het leven. De Iraaks-Nederlandse componist Hawar Tawfiq componeert in opdracht van festival November Music en Ammodo Fonds een gloednieuwe Bosch Requiem waarin hij kiest voor een heel eigen muzikale benadering. Met zijn Requiem des fleurs et des nuages voegt Tawfiq zich in het rijtje met eerdere Bosch Requiem-componisten als Kate Moore, Calliope Tsoupaki en Seung-Won… 

Read More "Hawar Tawfiq composes Bosch Requiem 2021 - To be heard exclusively during November Music 2021 and in Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ

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... 

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CALL: Are you an independent entrepreneurial artist in Amsterdam and have you been (or are you) affected by the consequences of the corona crisis? Then the UvA is looking for you!

A request came in from the University of Amsterdam. After all, they like to get in touch with independent artists. Only from Amsterdam, admittedly, but still. We share the main part of the request here. Research on self-employed artists in times of crisis The corona crisis has (had) a major impact on self-employed artists. The University of Amsterdam is investigating the impact of the corona crisis on... 

Read More "CALL: Are you an independent entrepreneurial artist in Amsterdam and have you been (or are you) affected by the consequences of the corona crisis? Then the UvA is looking for you!

​De grote vraag van online samenkomen: wie wijst ons de weg naar de bar? #Digitaledaadkracht 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 "​De grote vraag van online samenkomen: wie wijst ons de weg naar de bar? #Digitaledaadkracht 1

No.10 of the Van Warmerdams: great pleasure, until you start dreaming of it

With Orkater, I grew into theatre as a student. In the house here is the DVD box with Alex van Warmerdam's first seven delightful films, which I still watch back regularly, now together with the youngest generation learning and enjoying. Then daily the spines of his curious books smile at me, such as the fine collection of poetry 'I created the world'.... 

Read More "No.10 of the Van Warmerdams: great pleasure, until you start dreaming of it

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?

Monique Hendriks wins NK Poetry Slam 2021

Jury and audience unanimous on new Dutch Poetry Slam Champion Monique Hendriks has become Dutch Poetry Slam Champion 2021. After preliminary rounds across the country, eleven poetry slammers faced each other in the final on Friday evening 24 September, during the International Literature Festival Utrecht. Monique Hendriks took on Lucas Kloosterboer in the final battle and captured the national... 

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Mahat Arab wins ILFU Storytelling Competition 2021: Out of 723 entries, his spoken word recording 'Part-time fathers' was voted best story

Mahat Arab (born 1996) is the winner of the second edition of ILFU's Storytelling Competition. He won with a spoken word recording titled 'Part-time fathers'. During festival day Exploring Stories, he received the grand prize of five thousand euros, from the hands of ILFU's organisation. More than 700 people participated in the ILFU Stories Competition; 723 stories were entered in five categories. Apart from Mahat... 

Read More "Mahat Arab wins ILFU Storytelling Competition 2021: Out of 723 entries, his spoken word recording 'Part-time fathers' was voted best story

Watching Toer van Schayk's 7th Symphony during a pandemic does wonders for your spirits

Hope for liberation during a dark period of war threat and political oppression; a masterpiece by Beethoven sublimely expressed in dance by Toer van Schayk. Everything gets into an uproar Creating an abstract and layered classical ballet for a large ensemble of a top company to a Beethoven symphony: few can do it and Toer is one of them. His ballet stems... 

Read More "Watching Toer van Schayk's 7th Symphony during a pandemic does wonders for your spirits

Night-time silence walk with Schiphol hatred to close Holland Festival 2021

Admittedly, I was never a fan, but how I hated those planes last night. I was walking through a dark, nocturnal forest between Lage Vuursche and Hilversum. Where, in the silence, I could have listened extra carefully to creaking twigs, shuffling insects, whispering trees and the occasional owl, I heard above all how happy we all are that after corona we have another... 

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Plein Theatre and The Market Theatre present FOODCHAINZ: A culinary evening and theatre performance about our food chain.

FOODCHAINZ is een intermediaal project en avondvullend programma bestaande uit een tomatendiner met speciale gasten uit de voedselketen, de expositie HARVEST FROM THE HOOD, de audiotour Van Boer tot Bord en de theatervoorstelling FOODCHAINZ! Te zien op 7, 8, 9, 14 en 15 oktober in Plein Theater in Amsterdam Oost! Tickets zijn inclusief diner en bonusprogrammering en zijn beschikbaar op… 

Read More "Plein Theatre and The Market Theatre present FOODCHAINZ: A culinary evening and theatre performance about our food chain.

Olivia Colman, Olga Zuiderhoek and Anna Bonaiuto read Elena Ferrante's Belle van Zuylen lecture - Opening night literary festival ILFU dedicated to women's freedom

The Belle van Zuylen lecture at this year's ILFU literature festival will be written by Italian success author Elena Ferrante and spoken in three languages by Anna Bonaiuto, Olivia Colman and Olga Zuiderhoek. Ferrante herself never appears in public and has kept her true identity a secret for 30 years. Her lecture is titled "A tangle of written words" and promises to follow on from... 

Read More "Olivia Colman, Olga Zuiderhoek and Anna Bonaiuto read Elena Ferrante's Belle van Zuylen lecture - Opening night literary festival ILFU dedicated to women's freedom

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