Tweetakt Festival

ADVENTUROUS TWEETAKT FESTIVAL This year’s annual arts festival, featuring a whole range of theatre, dance and musical performances (many suitable for non-Dutch speakers!), visual art and interactive installations, kicks off in late March in Utrecht. The heart of the festival is on Neude square, where two temporary theatres will be erected, while various performances aimed at young and old will be dotted around the city. From mid-April, the Tweetakt Festival moves to the area in and around Fort Ruigenhoek, just outside town. Here you will see massive sculptures, interactive installations and video art, all made by renowned artists and budding young talent. > 27 March to 12 April, Utrecht city centre & from 29 March to 14 June, Fort Ruigenhoek tweetakt.nl/en

Tip!

8.2 Accompanied by seven young dancers, choreographer Radouan Mriziga focuses on everything that goes to make rap unique: the rhythm, the flow, the statements and the gestures. They cover the entire history of rap, from the grand masters of the last century through to Kendrick Lamar.

Tweetakt Festival

Tip!

TWO TEMPORARY THEATRES WILL BE ERECTED ON NEUDE SQUARE

AS LONG AS WE ARE PLAYING This production by kabinet k revolves around playing. Play as an inexhaustible source of impulses. Play in which the rules manifest themselves in the hands of the people who make, observe, change, steer, manipulate or ignore them. Play as a source of pleasure and harmony, as well as conflict and power.

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MIA KERMIS

Close to Stefanie Claes’ house in Antwerp, there’s a trapdoor for foundlings, a place where you can leave your baby without anyone knowing. Amazed and fascinated by this place, Stefanie tries to understand what happens here. This ode to all the foundlings that have ever lived, and to imagination and curiosity about our origins, is the result of her quest.

Festivals & Events

Mirjam Ravier

CHEERS CAFÉ THEATER FESTIVAL For four days in March, the bars in Utrecht are transformed into minitheatres where nothing is what it seems. Be prepared to be astounded as budding theatre-makers put on intimate shows while you sit at the bar unsuspectingly sipping your drink. Eleven performances are suitable for non-Dutch speakers, so you can put together your own theatrical pub crawl from the wide range of performances and immerse yourself in dance, music theatre, spoken word, circus, stories and everything in between. For example, check out the experimental dance by Mirjam Ravier in Cousina (Damstraat 2), a krump theatre show by Freedom City in Hofman Café (Janskerkhof 17A) or the female power struggle of Serioos Collectief in Gastmaal Café (Griftstraat 2). > 5 to 8 March, various venues cafetheaterfestival.nl

NEW HOTSPOT LIBRARY NEUDE On 13 March, the doors

of the brand-new central library of Utrecht will open its doors in the former post office on Neude

square. The two weeks after the opening will be brimming with all kinds of activities for young and old: go to the smallest post office to send a letter to your secret crush, be surprised by dancers, musicians and actors who will give unexpected performances, watch a film about the renovation of the historical building and lots more. > from 13 March, Central Library Neude bibliotheekutrecht.nl/english

HIP, HIP HOORAH KING’S DAY On 27 April, the Netherlands celebrates the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. In Utrecht, we mark the occasion with free markets and events all around the city. Don’t forget to eat a special orange cream slice from HEMA (Steenweg 59), like many Dutch people do. > 27 April, various locations koningsdag030.com

CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF THE KING WITH A SPECIAL ORANGE CREAM SLICE FROM HEMA 23 Mar/Apr 2020 — MAG Utrecht

JAPANESE SPRING UTRECHT TERRACE FESTIVAL Is there a better way to open the terrace season than a festival? The organisers of the Utrecht Terrace Festival don’t seem to think so. For three whole days, everything will revolve around Japan, the country that turns pink with cherry blossom every spring. So that means drinks and nibbles Japanese-style: sake, sushi, teppanyaki to name but a few. > 27 to 29 March, Janskerkhof terrassenfestivalutrecht.nl

INDUSTRIAL VIBE WERKSPOOR FESTIVAL They used to build machines in the Werkspoorkathedraal and the industrial vibe is still very much in evidence. It is now a popular events venue and on Easter weekend, the Werkspoor Festival will be held in this historic factory hall. There will be pop-up kitchens, food trucks and friendly portable bars, music from Utrecht-based artists and a programme of special activities for children. > 10 to 13 April, Werkspoorkathedraal werkspoorfestival.nl