After two weeks full of special encounters, touching words, impressive moves, small learning moments - or, on the contrary, great ones - and hilarious moments of laughter, it's over. Delft Fringe Festival, the festival for new performing artists, announced the audience winner at the closing on Sunday evening, June 9: Dystopia with the performance Vague News. Tamara Griffioen, artistic director of the festival: “They know how to make use of the performance location like no other and let the space enhance their performance.” Dystopia: We hoped for it tremendously, but didn't expect it. We are really overwhelmed. The next year is going to be very exciting, but also very cool!”
Relationships with another
Griffioen: ‘This 13th edition showed how the new makers all reflect on today's society. Through dance, theatre, words and music, they told about topics such as abortion, immigration, gender, orientation, identity and climate. They also put a lot of focus on relationships. This generation is working on this a lot: How do you form relationships with each other? Why do you grow apart? How do you say goodbye to each other? You see a lot of autobiographical work, based on personal experiences combined with solid research.’
Vague News
The winning performance, Vague News by Dystopia, is perfectly in line with this development in the performing arts. This collective, consisting of actors Fleur Mennega, Mathijs Demper and production manager Myrthe Ligtenberg, shows how the internet, Google and AI affect human relationships. What is really the truth? Sometimes it is clear who is telling the truth. But you never know for sure. How does this affect your reality, who can you trust, how does it encourage polarisation? They show this and more in a mix of zapp cabaret and soft science fiction.
Makers release what should
What this edition also showed is that up-and-coming talent is breaking with the existing rules in the performing arts. Griffioen: ‘Today's creators are letting go of what should be.’ This year, for instance, the genre ‘performance’ was on the festival programme for the first time. ‘Makers no longer let themselves be defined - or limited - to just music or dance or cabaret, but look at how they really want to tell their story.’ Roel Funcken, festival director: ‘Despite the tightness in the cultural sector, they are still influential and regularly create social and intellectual shifts we can be proud of.’
Delft Chamber Music Award
Besides the audience award, the Delft Chamber Music Award was also traditionally presented. This year, this jury prize for young musical talent went to Resonance Quartet with the performance Mixtures. Fien Duijnmayer, business manager Delft Chamber Music Festival: ‘Because this quartet challenges the audience to listen blindfolded while the musicians move through space, you discover a different way of listening. The company can be seen at the Delft Chamber Music Festival 2025 next year.
About Delft Fringe Festival
Delft Fringe Festival helps today's creators continue to tell their stories through an annual performing arts festival and additional annual programming. Including a large free public event in December, in cooperation with Museum Prinsenhof Delft. But also by mentoring makers in the Delft Fringe MakersLab. The festival thus brings together new makers and audiences at unexpected locations, using the city of Delft as a stage.
Edition 2025: 27 May to 8 June
Put it in your diary: the opening of the 14th edition of Delft Fringe Festival will take place on Tuesday 27 May 2025, at 19.30, in Theater de Veste. Ticket sales for the opening will start on 12 June 2024.
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