The theatre company, Afslag Eindhoven, will return to the Genneper Hoeve next summer with the performance, Stallerhof.
Last summer, this piece about a farmer was performed 13 times in the Eindhoven organic farm’s cowshed. Because of the great interest, Stallerhof will return. There are now eight performances planned for the summer months in 2020.
Meanwhile, 2,000 visitors saw the performance in Eindhoven. The performance is about a family in which a farmhand abuses an intellectually disabled daughter. The story was written in 1971 by playwright, Franz Xaver Kroetz. He came to Eindhoven last summer to see the performance.
Next year, the city of Eindhoven’s celebrates its centenary anniversary. And the Municipality has great plans.
It has been almost 100 years since the villages of Eindhoven, Gestel, Stratum, Woensel, Strijp, and Tongelre amalgamated to form the present-day Eindhoven. Since then, Eindhoven has been growing rapidly and continues to do so. Of all the Dutch cities that have more than 200,000 inhabitants, Eindhoven has expanded the fastest.
Mayor John Jorritsma, “Eindhoven is large and small all at once.”
According to Eindhoven’s Mayor, John Jorritsma, the city’s centenary is something to truly celebrate. “This single municipality was formed as a result of Philips’ growth spurt. A hundred years ago, it needed a lot of workforce and space. A united city could offer that.”
Large and small at the same time
“Now, 100 years later, Eindhoven has a strong domestic and international presence. The villages that made up Eindhoven as a whole have, however, kept their individual identities. We are, therefore, simultaneously, a small-scale and international player.”
“Philips is on its way to becoming the largest company in the world. Philips is still a major household name. It, has, however, expanded into the areas of knowledge, technology, and design,” says Jorritsma in a press release issued by the City Council.
The Municipality of Eindhoven will kick off the anniversary year on 6 January with the Kick-Off 1920-2020. This event takes place in DOMUSDELA/Mariënhage. It replaces two other events – the traditional New Year’s concert in the Muziekgebouw and the municipal New Year’s reception in the City Hall. It will be a low-key cultural meeting aimed at all inhabitants of the city.
In 2020, the City Council wants to focus on promoting social togetherness and solidarity. It is, therefore, wants to partner with Eindhoven’s social and cultural institutions. They are calling on all these kinds of associations, groups, and even individuals to organise initiatives that celebrate the city’s solidarity.
‘Honour, celebrate, create’
This, under the banner, ‘Eer gisteren – Vier vandaag – Maak morgen’ (‘Honour the past – celebrate the present – create the future). People can go to eindhoven1920-2020.nl for more information. There are already several events posted, for example, the Gennerper Parken Lopen, on 5 January.
Other events include “A Night On The Town” in the Muziekgebouw. This gala concert by the Royal Harmonico Phileutonia. The villages and the city are portrayed through music, hip hop, images, photos, and films.
The PSV supporters’ association and the Eindhoven Centre for Art and Culture – better known as the CKE – also celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2020. The Marathon Eindhoven wants to organise a Ringloop, where participants start and finish at their own district.
Trees as a live celebration
A Tilia or Linden tree. Photo credit: Wikipedia
The Municipality is also planning to plant a large number of tilia, or linden, trees in every district. The trees are intended as tangible reminders of the Eindhoven’s 100th anniversary. The City Council is looking at how these specially-pruned trees can be planted at six ‘central and historically important locations’.
“These trees, planted in a central place, will be of symbolic value,” says an Eindhoven civil servant. “In the past, these were places of, for example, wedding ceremonies and birth celebrations. Places where people gathered. At the same time, this project contributes to the further greening of the city.”
The Parade Theatre Festival is coming to Eindhoven from Friday, 29 May. The organisers hope to add some theatre to this innovative city.
Earlier, it was reported that there were serious plans for the travelling festival to come to Eindhoven as well. Those plans are, now, definite. They are, in fact, kicking off their summer tour in this town. The theatre festival will be in Eindhoven for ten days, from 29 May to 7 June.
There will be more than 25 performances in tents on the Parktheater’s lawn. The theatre festival is already being held in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague. Eindhoven is the fifth city in the country to be included in The Parade’s tour.
‘Adding a little theatre to the city’
“Eindhoven is a fascinating city for technology and design”, Eefje Colsen, one of the organisers, says. “In this way, we can add a little more theatre to the city”. The predecessor of the theatre festival was called Boulevard of Broken Dreams. It came to Eindhoven more than 30 years ago. According to Eefje, there are still many people in Eindhoven who remember this.
“There will be, among other things, eight little theatres on the field, restaurants, a bar, and a floating windmill”, Colsen says. The organisers do not only want to collaborate with the Parktheater; they want to work with students from the Design Academy Eindhoven too.
The Parade is the only travelling theatre festival in the world. It is an event that totals about 80 performances in the area of dance, theatre, and music. Each afternoon there is an extensive programme for children of all ages too. It is called the KidParade. It has theatre shows and activities just for children.
Visitors can enter the grounds for free for the first hour, after that they have to pay €8.50. Children up to the age of 12 can attend the festival free of charge. Tickets for individual shows can be bought online or on the day. Performances that are suitable for non-Dutch-speakers are indicated with an LNP logo (Language No Problem). The organisers expect about 1,000 visitors a day.
Helmond Museum is looking for 450 people named Lucas or Lukas. The search is part of a project to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the death of Lucas Gassel, a painter from Helmond.
Gassel painted during the sixteenth century, a time known as Brabant’s Golden Age. Helmond museum recently purchased a painting by Gaasel entitled ‘Landschap met het offer van Abraham’ (‘Landscape with the sacrifice of Abraham’). The painting cost 100,000 euros.
The museum will organise an extensive exhibition of Gassel’s paintings. The idea of a ‘Lucas/Lukas Day’ was proposed in order to attract more visitors.
The organisers hope to take a large group photo of all 450 people named Lucas or Lukas on 19 April. There will also be music from a troubadour named Lucas Florent, and a medieval themed party at the castle.
This new strain of the Coronavirus has people on edge. We could use a little happiness, don’t you think?
The sixth edition of the Dutch Happiness Week (DHW) will take place from Saturday,14 to Sunday, 22 March. This year it is not only about present happiness, but it also touches on future happiness. It will make ample connection with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
These goals of are designed to ‘make the world a better place’, and form the thread running through the DHW’s 2020 programme. Fontys Hogescholen and Parktheater have organised more than 70 activities for this week. These will take place in partnership with several other companies and institutions. New partners this year include the Catharina Hospital, the Jumbo supermarket chain Jumbo, and Autisme Brabant.
Lots of happy activities
There will be all sorts of events for old and young. On Friday, 20 March, Jumbo will treat children to a master class in the Parktheater. It will be led by Clara den Boer, the brains behind the ‘Lucky Suitcase’. This is a teaching package that is already used by many primary schools. The full programme and more information about the DHW can be found here.
The Eindhoven Library is also offering activities around the DHW. They have three events in English. On Wednesday, 15 March, at 14:30, people can come and hear ‘A woman’s voice’. Maaike van Steenis, will perform selected texts by female poets and word artists. The chosen texts highlight women and being a woman in different ways.
On the same day, Maaike ter Haar will present ‘Greek Goddesses: Hera’ at 15:30. She will help women recognize archetypes and share experiences. She wants to inspire women in the life paths they create.
Find your way
Then on the last day of the DHW, at 13:30, the library will have a talk about how to ‘Discover your ways to happiness in a foreign land’. The speaker will use poems and dance to describe her journey in the Netherlands, and how it showed her a way to learn new skills and nurture some of her own.
There are also the Geluksplekken (Happy places). This is a collaboration between the DHW organizers and Happiness Ambassador, Leo Bormans. Eindhoven residents nominated several ‘Happy Places’ in the city. They are ‘mirrors and windows’ of happiness, places for reflection, and action in our search for ‘attainable happiness’.
Leo Bormans is the author of international bestsellers such as ‘The World Book of Happiness’. There are tips for happiness on the signboards at these venues. These are based on large-scale research done by the University of Leuven into the effect of positive interventions. These places are part of an international network.
In light of the coronavirus crisis, the organisers behind GLOW have announced plans to take a different approach this year.
GLOW, a multimedia light festival, is one of Eindhoven’s most popular it events. It attracts more than 750,000 visitors each year. This coming autumn will mark the festival’s fifteenth anniversary.
Although it is not yet clear which coronavirus regulations may still be in place in autumn, organisers do not expect GLOW to be able to take place in its usual format. This is mostly due to the large crowds that it attracts.
The organisers are thinking of alternative ways to conduct the festival that abides by social distancing regulations. They are considering projecting light shows into the air, as well as mobile artworks which drive past residential areas.
Organisers want to focus on exhibitions to unite people in Eindhoven. Having people shine a line outside their homes to illuminate Eindhoven at the same moment has been considered.
Whilst there are no final plans yet, organisers hope to make a decision by June. The festival will take place from 7 to 14 November.
On Thursday, a life-size replica of the world-famous De Nachtwacht (The Night Watch) will be unveiled at the Vitalis Wilgenhof nursing home.
The replica of one of the Netherlands’ most famous paintings is being brought to Eindhoven. That is thanks to a collaboration between the Rijksmuseum and Philips. That is according to the Vitalis care group.
The Night Watch is a 1642 masterpiece by Rembrandt van Rijn. The replica, which is 4 x 5m, will remain in Eindhoven for five weeks. It will change location every week.
‘A way to enjoy something beautiful’
The project fits in well with the care group’s attitude to art and culture. “We see the arrival of ‘De Nachtwacht’ as a means to think a little more freely,” says a Vitalis spokesperson. “It’s a way for the elderly to stay connected, to make and enjoy something beautiful.”
“Art and culture is a vitamin for the mind. It’s not only a means of development and meaningful contact. It also allows for meaning and pleasure.”
The initiative came about because the corona crisis makes it difficult for senior citizens to visit museums. The Rijksmuseum, therefore, wants to accommodate this group. The life-size ‘The Night Watch’ is a print of a very high-resolution photograph, taken of the masterpiece earlier this year.
The organisers of the yearly Lampegatse (Eindhoven) Carnaval are contemplating whether the event will take place next year. “We are trying to think of a safe alternative, however the current limitations make it challenging.”
A celebration where all tables are positioned to maintain adequate distancing? Should it move online? Alternatively, Carnaval is postponed to summer in the hopes of a vaccine by that time. Tim de Zeeuw thinks aloud about the possibilities for the event to take place within the next six months. He is chairman of the Carnaval association d’Hoane and an organiser of Elluf Elluf, an event signalling the kick-off of the Carnaval season in Eindhoven.
The problems
“We haven’t made a decision yet, but the eleventh of the eleventh is fast approaching. We have to guarantee safety. We’re considering alternatives, tables spaced to maintain distancing. That presents it’s own challenges, especially when alcohol is involved,” explains De Zeeuw. The event in February also poses a problem. Before the main event, a smaller event at the Stadspaviljoen takes place. Usually with an estimated 800 people in attendance and 18 bands performing. It entails a lot of singing, dancing and drinking. Not exactly corona-proof. I don’t know how we’re going to organise it. Everything that makes a celebration fun is becoming more difficult to organise.”
Time pressure
Ivo Soetens, the chairman of the Eindhoven Carnaval Federation, is also concerned. If Carnaval can take place, how would it happen? His organisation is amongst others responsible for events in the main tent on Market Square, the parade and the Federation Ball, where the new city prince is announced. “Preferably, one would wait as long as possible to know what you’re in for. The anti-corona virus measures are still changing and the Regional Safety organisation (Veiligheidsregio Zuid-Oost Brabant) hasn’t made a decision regarding Carnaval yet. Unfortunately, we can’t wait too long as everyone involved must start with preparations.”
Agenda
The Eindhoven municipality reports that Carnaval is on the agenda at Regional Safety. It’s unclear when a decision will be made. Soetens: “It depends on the event, how many considerations are involved in the organisation. For the large-scale events, we certainly need to know by the middle of September.”
If necessary, postpone to summer
It still is very uncertain. Behind the scenes many meetings are scheduled, also amongst the federations and the municipality. Soetens and De Zeeuw are convinced that Carnaval will be celebrated next year. Even if it’s on a smaller scale that usual. “History shows that Carnaval often happens spontaneously. During the war, Carnaval was also celebrated,” says Soetens. De Zeeuw: “If necessary, we could postpone it to summer in the hope that a vaccine becomes available in the winter or spring.
The Effenaar is to be renovated. With this, the music venue wants to better connect with the city centre and give more space to the visitors.
The building has been in Eindhoven for 16 years now. “In all those years, it’s never undergone any major renovation”, director Jos Feijen says. “It’s time to transform this extraordinary building into a public-friendly, pandemic-safe, 21st-century building.”
Financing for the renovation has been completed. That was done in consultation with the Municipality of Eindhoven and collaboration with Bavaria. The first phase will be begun in the summer.
Changes
“We’re adding balconies to the main hall. That’s so the audience will have more space. The restaurant will be made more attractive, functional and audience-friendly.”
“We’re expanding and renovating the toilet areas. And more logical audience routes will be created throughout the building”, an Effenaar representative says.
There will also be a new cloakroom system. It will be in the form of a spacious locker room. Visitors can soon reserve one of these online.
Second phase
The second phase will begin in mid-2022. The restaurant entrance will be moved to the front of the building. It will also be expanded to include a spacious terrace. The main hall’s 1,300-person capacity will remain the same.
Monique List, Eindhoven’s councillor for culture, is pleased with the development. “In these special times, we continue to work together with the cultural sector to create a lively Eindhoven. It’s great that the Effenaar and Bavaria are investing in this renovation to use the building optimally and safely,” she says.
50th anniversary
The building renovation coincides with the music venue’s 50th anniversary. The Effenaar says its large hall and restaurant will be closed during the remodelling. However, shows will be held in the small hall and at other locations in the city.
“In September, we’ll kick off our 50th anniversary with a special opening program, in a building that’s ready for the future”, an Effenaar spokesperson concludes.
The dance festival “Smitske” at Evoluon will go ahead. The Eindhoven comedian Gerrie Smits, an organiser of the dance event, has found a location for his own one-day festival. The festival will take place outside the Evoluon. The first act, DJ La Fuente, has also been confirmed.
Permission from city hall
Smits launched the idea of the so-called Smitske Festival at the beginning of August, planned for Saturday 16 October. The Eindhoven city hall gave permission for around 750 visitors to attend the event. It was decided that the event would go ahead if all 750 tickets had been sold by Sunday 15 August.
Start of “Smitske”
“It actually started as a joke to give my performance in Heeze more publicity”, says the comedian from Eindhoven and avid festival-goer.
“We had just been told by the government that only 750 people were allowed at a festival. Most organisations then decided to cancel their festivals. I was really disappointed because I had tickets for two festivals in the region.” He sees his Smitske Festival as a kind of cool counterpart, “And to show what is still possible during the corona crisis”.
Festival to continue for good
DJ La Fuente has agreed to perform at the festival. Gerrie Smits has also confirmed the location as the Evoluon. “As a true Eindhoven inhabitant, you can only be proud to be allowed to organise a festival in this iconic building”, says Smits.
The cost of a ticket is around 15 euros. Even though they couldn’t reach the target of selling 750 tickets, the organisers have decided to go ahead with the festival since the ticket sales look promising.
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