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screengrab broadcast throne speech 2023

Nice paragraph on culture in the speech from the throne. And good news for the library.

"A good example of how the government wants to encourage that power from the bottom up is through culture. Culture confronts, inspires and bridges contradictions. From festival grounds to concert halls, and from museums to music schools. That is why the cabinet continues to promote the enjoyment of culture, for instance with the Culture Card for young people. The cabinet also wants the public library in as many... 

Read More "Nice paragraph on culture in the speech from the throne. And good news for the library.
Urmie Square by Johan Horst

Urmie Plein wins Colombina for her role in I Say Sorry Anyway 

At the Gala of Dutch Theatre on Sunday 17 September, it was announced that Urmie Plein has won the Colombina for her role in Ik zeg toch sorry. The Colombina is a theatre award given annually to the actress who, in the opinion of the Dutch Theatre jury, has performed the most impressive female contributing role. The jury about... 

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Theatre Maas and Tobias Kokkelmans at ITA, screenshot television broadcast Mon 18 Sept 2023

The flash marriage between theatre and television could hardly be any shorter. Or could it?

15 minutes of television. Theatre Maas, who used to be called Cornald, has managed to get Dutch theatre's biggest party back on kind of prime time television. On Monday 18 September, we saw his recap of this gala of Dutch theatre, which included awards, snippets of speeches and elated actors. I wondered if we could... 

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MATZER Theatre Productions enters new theatre season with new corporate identity

MATZER Theatre Productions kicks off the new theatre season with a completely new corporate identity and website. The new identity reflects the company's development over the past four years. Since its founding in 2007, MATZER, under the direction of Madeleine Matzer, has been creating theatre performances that are characterised by their stratification, social commitment and musicality. From Nobody is Waiting for You in 2018, current events will get... 

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Agreement collective labour agreement for theatre and dance 2024

Amsterdam, 12 September 2023 - The collective labour agreement for theatre and dance has been declared approved by both NAPK and Kunstenbond supporters. The collective agreement agreed on a general salary increase of 5% plus a flat-rate increase of €150. This salary increase means an average pay rise of 9.44%. On 6 July last, the Arts Union... 

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Refresh Amsterdam campaign image

Second edition Refresh Amsterdam shows work by 20 artists around war and conflict

Art manifestation on urban culture with work by contemporary makers From 7 October 2023 to 25 February 2024, the second edition of Refresh Amsterdam will take place at the Amsterdam Museum aan de Amstel and at various locations around the city. Refresh Amsterdam is a biennial event on Amsterdam's urban culture with work by contemporary makers. The theme of this edition is... 

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Utrecht authors Koos, Mari and Urai receive C.C.S. Cronestipendia 2023

Falun Ellie Koos, Arja Mari and Max Urai will receive a C.C.S. Cronestipendium this year. This is a grant from the municipality of Utrecht for promising Utrecht authors. They will each receive 3,000 euros to enable their next publication. "A number of submissions stood out immediately because of the surprising addition the authors make to current Dutch fiction: in narrative voice,... 

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Follow Van Gogh's footsteps in Drenthe.

On 11 September 1883, Vincent van Gogh disembarked at Hoogeveen train station. Away from The Hague's urbanisation and back to nature. The painter spends months in the area around Hoogeveen, Nieuw-Amsterdam/Veenoord and goes to Zweeloo for a day. He uses his period in Drenthe to unwind and experiment with themes, colours and... 

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Jameszoo, photo by Marcel Veldman

'Blind' for non-existent soloist and ensemble Asko|Schönberg, Slagwerk Den Haag & Jameszoo: Premiere 4 Oct, tour until 9 Nov

Jameszoo wanted to disappear from his music. That failed completely, he tells himself. But what a glorious failure. He developed an instrument that is not only self-playing, but also improvises and communicates with musicians playing live. They let the non-existent soloist challenge them to unpredictable musical playing. Electroacoustic wrestling Asko|Schönberg and Slagwerk Den Haag enter into a collaboration ... 

Read More "'Blind' for non-existent soloist and ensemble Asko|Schönberg, Slagwerk Den Haag & Jameszoo: Premiere 4 Oct, tour until 9 Nov
Babs Gons, Photo by Anneleen Louwes

Poet Laureate Babs Gons on tour with 1,000 poets

On Sunday 24 September, Babs Gons will be installed as Poet Laureate in Utrecht. This is also the starting signal for a two-week tour of Gons through the Netherlands and Flanders, together with a thousand other poets. The poetry caravan '1000 Dichters' will travel by tour bus to a different city every day, returning to Utrecht on 7 October..... 

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cover Friesland My Love by Oeds Westerhof.

One region, one love: Oeds Westerhof's political declaration of love

In Zutphen, I attended Jeroen den Herder's congenial small-scale cello festival. There, two young Portuguese students gave a lecture/recital on their research project on the music of the fado singer and composer José Zeca Afonso, an important voice in the 1974 Portuguese Revolution. At home, I looked up that music. It turned out to be the perfect background when reading "Friesland, my... 

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Floris Kortie on Podium Klassiek's new webpage

Floris Kortie deserves every support in his Podium Klassiek solo.

On Sunday 10 September, Podium Klassiek opened the season in a very stripped-down version. Floris Kortie was all alone. In the world of public broadcasting and classical music, where things are usually fixed three years in advance, something was up. I felt an end approaching. Podium Witteman had become a fixture here at home.... 

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Fair Practice Awards for November Music and Black Pencil show how much there is still to be gained

Of course, we can continue to complain about the poor treatment of our artists, we can also approach it with a positive slant. That must have been the consideration of composers' interest group Nieuw Geneco when establishing the 'Fair Practice Awards'. On Friday 8 September, they were presented for the fourth time at Utrecht's TivoliVredenburg: prizes for commissioners who for once... 

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Eric De Vroedt in State of the Theatre: 'We have to question the system we ourselves are part of.'

The hardest part of going back to work after the summer holidays are the holiday stories from colleagues. Or from yourself. That fantastic view, that unique campsite, that beautiful beach, that restaurant where you got the best food in the world for no money, that indigenous people you visited first with your tour bus. That moment of climate embarrassment that you had a few more... 

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Where does the Dutch cultural sector stand on 22 November? A first inventory

The Netherlands is a country of culture. Not an art country. Because the word 'art' appears in almost none of the election manifestos we have to choose from on 22 November. Only the VVD talks about 'art in depots'. It does talk about culture all the time. About whether we shouldn't once again start making a rock-hard distinction between art and culture,... 

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Salman Rushdie - Photo: Rachel Eliza Griffiths

Salman Rushdie speaks at ILFU

Salman Rushdie will give his first interview in the Netherlands on 30 September during the ILFU (International Literature Festival Utrecht) after the attempt on his life last year. Journalist Chris Keulemans and writer Abdelkader Benali will speak to Rushdie at TivoliVredenburg via a livestream connection about his new novel Victoria City and his extensive body of work. Rushdie last appeared live on stage in 2018 

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Gaudi at Fabrique de lumiere. Screenshot cut-out broadcast WNL

Broadcaster Wakker Nederland on art: make a damned effort yourself. 

'While many regional museums are struggling, commercial museums are popping up like mushrooms.' Omroep Wakker Nederland, since we associate 'awake' with 'woke', preferring to be known as broadcaster 'we' the Netherlands, had to do something with 'art'. The opening lines of the first broadcast of 'de Stand van Nederland', their 'research programme', were an instant hit, so were the images: the museum association in the ball pit of a... 

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Dutch version Theatre Green Book in the works

The VPT (Vereniging voor Podiumtechnologie), VSCD (Vereniging van Schouwburg- en Concertgebouwirecties) and NAPK (Nederlandse Associatie voor Podiumkunsten) are joining forces to publish a Dutch version of the Theatre Green Book. The reference work is being used in more and more countries within Europe to structurally shape the achievement of sustainability goals. In our sector, too, the... 

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PR image Yara's Wedding by HALIE

Asko|Schönberg opens season with full programme at home and abroad

Concerts and performances September 2023 Opening Gaudeamus Festival 2023 - 6 September This evening, Asko|Schönberg's programme is dedicated to transverse minds, composers who know how to break free from conventions and expectations. They play with our perception of time, challenge us to embrace microtonal intervals and integrate non-musical sounds into their dramaturgy. Music from... 

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Amersfoort Court

IN PERSPECTIVE 17: BEFORE Amersfoort was by the sea (Is it better for a municipality to stop embarking on large-scale new construction or renovation projects of art institutions?).

Still Amersfoort by the Sea is not a reality. Sea level rise is taking a bit longer to materialise. In the meantime, then, the city is still just centrally located in the country, with the largest national hub for train traffic, an average population profile, a historic city centre, a unique training programme for carillonneurs, as well as the 'music factory' in the Veerensmederij and the art gallery KAdE...., which scores well in reviews. 

Read More "IN PERSPECTIVE 17: BEFORE Amersfoort was by the sea (Is it better for a municipality to stop embarking on large-scale new construction or renovation projects of art institutions?).

How can local culture reach a high level against the odds?

A major musical theatre performance, an adapted classical play, an opera and a painting festival. The small municipality of Noordwijk - like that other coastal municipality of Bergen - offers an abundance of culture. All four events rely heavily on talent, subsidies and donations, volunteers, pragmatic thrift. And good weather. Noordwijk aan Zee has been a more than average municipality for centuries. Famous Dutchmen... 

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The entrance of theatre Kikker. PR image Theatre Kikker

One more time at Theatre Kikker - Relive theatrical highlights during Kikker Kiest

Kikker Kiest the best theatre of today Utrecht - From Tuesday 12 to Thursday 21 September, Theater Kikker will open the new theatre season with Kikker Kiest. The best performances of the past season return to the theatre on the Ganzenmarkt in Utrecht. A mix of important performances that enrich your view of the world. Themes such as strength and vulnerability, domestic violence,... 

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Impressive collectives adorn Festival Circolo 2023 programme

The Netherlands' largest contemporary circus festival with more than 100 performances to Tilburg Open mouths, squeezed bottoms and squinted eyes. From 13 to 22 October 2023, Festival Circolo descends on Tilburg for emotion, daredevilry and groundbreaking performances. The largest contemporary circus festival in the Netherlands will feature more than 100 performances for ten days at the cutting edge of... 

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In #Zomergasten 2023#6, Alida Dors asked the best questions. 

In #Zomergasten 2023#6 guest, Alida Dors, asked the best questions. 

The counter stood at 8 minutes and 45 seconds when it went wrong. Pretty fast for a three-hour interview programme like Zomergasten, but Theo Maassen grabbed the record with verve. His guest Alida Dors, the woman who, as a self-taught dancer, grew into a forewoman of Dutch hip-hop culture, and who is now tasked with managing the mismanaged... 

Read More "In #Zomergasten 2023#6 guest, Alida Dors, asked the best questions. 
Theaterplatz Weimar with Günther Ücker's Steinmal, where the AfD holds fascist rallies on Mondays.

Journal Kunstfest Weimar #3: When remembering becomes a problem.

Water is very good at covering things up. Sixty kilometres south of Weimar is a huge reservoir, about which the locals know little more than that the hydroelectric plant supplies power to houses and the steelworks, a few kilometres away. At least one village has also disappeared, and artist cum experimental radio maker Sandra Rücker found out that her... 

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