More than 200 in 2022, more than 300 in 2023 and this year we received no less than 410 applications for our festival! From all those applications, our programme team once again selected the most appealing, stimulating and adventurous productions, in virtually all genres, and this time to be seen at no fewer than 31 beautiful and surprising locations in Delft, including the impressive Nieuwe Kerk as a first. And all these performances can be visited not only individually, but also again in special combinations and even led by well-known influencers. So seize the opportunity and come and meet the theatre makers, choreographers, musicians, cabaret artists and performers of the future!
As a festival team, we naturally take this explosive growth in the number of applications as a great compliment. After all, it says a lot about the increasing brand awareness and good reputation of our festival. But unfortunately it is also a sign of the times, because at the same time it speaks of an enormous necessity: young makers have great difficulty finding enough places to play in our country. So much so that even makers who are more advanced in their development are knocking on our door these days. This regularly puts us in a difficult position, because as a festival we want to offer young, starting makers a stage. And then we choose - this year - to honour only 28 out of 410 applications. This is because, as a small organisation, we realise very well: if you want to be there for a hundred makers, you will be there for none. So that is not what we want, we want to give every maker who is at our festival the attention and guidance he, she or they deserve!
Hundred-man choir in an aquarium
For our programme team - consisting of Tamara Griffioen and Sabine Krol - this selection is always a huge job. We obviously pay attention to quality, originality and innovation, but there must also be a good balance between the various art disciplines and we want to give makers from all over the Netherlands a chance. This year, we even had applications from India and New Zealand. Great, of course, but we are really there for the Dutch or creators working in the Netherlands. And well, sometimes we just have to be realistic: a maker who wants to perform a hundred people in a choir in an aquarium on stage, we unfortunately cannot facilitate within our possibilities.
So this year we ended up with a shortlist of around 60 applications, and for us the main question is: what 'learning question' do you have as a maker, what do you hope the festival will bring you and what next step do you want to take in your development? If someone just wants to complete a tour, our festival, in our opinion, is not the most appropriate place.
"The number of self-taught talents has also continued to increase again, much to our delight"
With an iced coffee in hand
The number of genres of the final chosen productions has increased again this year: cabaret, dance, family theatre, physical theatre, small art, live acts, music, musical theatre, performance art, theatre and also performances by creators who prefer not to be labelled. The number of self-taught talents has also continued to grow again; a group we are particularly keen to make room for.
Key themes this year include immigration and integration, gender identity, inner chaos, loneliness, love, masculinity and feminism, climate issues and greenwashing. Together, that probably sounds like a heavy list, but as every year, emotion, wonder, reflection, entertainment and hilarity often go hand in hand during our festival. Besides: how special is it to get to know what is on the minds of a young generation of makers in an accessible way?
Our performances last, deliberately, a maximum of half an hour and mostly take place in informal settings. At some locations, you can even sit down on a bench with an iced coffee in your hand and afterwards, if you like, you can always talk to the maker(s). So be tempted to try a genre outside your comfort zone. If it turns out not to be to your taste, at least you will have discovered a special new location!
"Let yourself be tempted to try a genre outside your comfort zone."
From living room to Nieuwe Kerk
This year, as mentioned, there are no fewer than 31. From familiar locations such as De Sigarenfabriek, De Rietveld Boerderij, Museum Prinsenhof and Royal Delft to new venues such as De Waag, Huis van Delft, Galerie Artline, Kunsthuis Deik, the special offices of Advier and Octatube, the Cornelius Musius School, various living rooms in people's homes and the 'royal' Nieuwe Kerk on the Markt. Our Canal Tours are also back, where you visit three performances by boat on weekend days. You can take our TukTuks back and forth between a number of locations for free. And we are also continuing our daily Fringe Tours led by inspired influencers, where this year you can go out with, among others, government architect Francesco Veenstra, theatre duo LUDIQUE (winner of the Delft Fringe Audience Award 2016) and influencer Fleur Overgaag and her father Willem, owner of the Delft theatre impresario of the same name.
I hope that when you read through this festival magazine, you will experience the same enthusiasm that we feel as a festival team and that we will therefore be able to greet you once or more during our festival between 28 May and 9 June. If, after reading it, you still don't know exactly where you want to go: from 28 May onwards, our festival pavilion, the Pink Rabbit, will be back at the Market Square, where our staff will be happy to advise you.
Roel Beeftink-Funcken
Directeur Delft Fringe Festival
Foto: Roel Beeftink-Funcken. Fotograaf: Alyssa van Heyst
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