Pictures taken during Welcom to The Village (Heleen Haijtema and Ilva Stoelwinder).
the courage to chase our dreams
2018 Leeuwarden, in partnership with Friesland, is the European Capital of Culture 2018. This year will be our opportunity to stand out from the crowd, to boldly and proudly follow our dreams. With LeeuwardenFriesland 2018 we will use the rapidly changing world around us to emerge stronger together. How will we celebrate modern Frisian life whilst at the same time leaving behind a healthy planet for generations to come? And how can we involve neighbouring countries? All will be revealed in 2018.
courage, dreams and diversity
Giving it our all Courage, dreams and diversity. That is what we stand for. It is the common theme running through all the projects, festivals, cultural routes, concerts and events in 2018. With all these cultural initiatives we are planning to pull up our sleeves and work on issues which deserve our attention. Examples include clean drinking water, a multi-cultural society, sustainable innovation and tackling poverty. Events will not only take place in Friesland’s historic capital, but also in the rugged, sumptuous countryside. It’s just an hour and a half drive from Amsterdam, the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site and the province’s four awe-inspiring National Parks.
anyone can play a part
Iepen mienskip is for everyone In all its projects, Leeuwarden-Friesland 2018 is displaying iepen mienskip (a sense of open community). Ours is a self-assured and involved community that listens to and considers everyone’s ideas and potential, as well as our challenges. Remember that the adventure in 2018 is there for everyone. For you and your neighbour, for the baker around the corner and the volunteer in the library. 2018 is a joint effort: by coming together, we will see that we are actually facing the same challenges for the future, irrespective of our backgrounds. That is why we are keen to reach as broad an audience as possible. We have every chance of success, because in 2018 we are expecting at least four million visits. Let us welcome them and invite them to share our Frisian dreams and solutions.
be part of it? yes!
Join in! 2018 has begun and you are invited to join in! Now is the time to stand up and take part in a project. You could also set up your own pioneering initiative. Be bold: fortune favours the brave. Keen to find out how to stand out from the crowd? Then follow us on social media or visit us at the Information Centre in De Blokhuispoort in Leeuwarden to find out more.
2018.nl and friesland.nl /2018LWD @LWD2018 Newsletter: www.2018.nl/nieuwsbrief (in Dutch)
a programme in development
sta op en doe mee aan een project of zet zelf een vooruitstrevende actie op
The finalised programme for LeeuwardenFriesland 2018 will be announced in the autumn of 2017. In advance of that exciting moment we are thrilled to give you a glimpse of what lies in store for you.
Leeuwarden
Opening of European Capital of Culture From 27th to 29th January all eyes will be on Leeuwarden. This is when the ‘Year of the Capital’ will be launched with a huge opening spectacle. Mystery and surprise will take centre stage in a fabulous programme of site-specific theatre, community art and music.
Leeuwarden
Mata Hari and Escher Exhibitions The female spy from Leeuwarden, who was shot by the French, still appeals to the imagination of many. It made her the most famous exotic dancer in the world. From October 2017, a century after her death, an international exhibition in the Fries Museum of her personal belongings and letters will show us Mata Hari’s hidden side. In 2018 the Museum will also host an international exhibition about M.C. Escher. The Leeuwardenborn graphic designer became the most popular artist of the 20th century. Reproductions of his work can be found in millions of homes all over the world.
Wadden Sea
Sense of Place: art in the landscape Sense of Place will combine art and the Wadden coast; from major artworks on the dykes to geometric wind works of marram grass. All of this will take place in the heart of the natural expanse of the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the aim of enriching this wonderful coastal landscape.
Friesland/Groningen
Farm of the World An abandoned smallholding emerges as a lively producer of bouquets, ceramics, food, dye plants and more; welcome to the world of De Kreake in the lovely little village of Húns. Farm of the World shows us they possibilities of a small country farm, and aims to be an inspiration to others. Leeuwarden will also host Claudy Jongstra’s (the creative imagination behind this project) award-winning Chelsea Flower Show garden.
Eleven historical cities, Friesland
11Fountains In the spring eleven impressive fountains will be unveiled in the eleven Frisian cities. What is unique is that the top international artists who have designed these fountains have drawn inspiration during the design process from the residents and historical background of each city. This will make contemporary art one of the top tourist attractions in Friesland beyond 2018.
Sneek
At the Watergate At the Watergate is the Frisian edition of the impressive bi-annual European Youth Music Festival. Around seven thousand musical talents from virtually every European country will play on stages in the historical centre of the Watergate city and along its quays.
Leeuwarden
Explore the North and Welcome to the Village Explore the North is the ultimate multifaceted arts festival of Leeuwarden. With many performances in special locations. The ingredients are music, literature, visual arts, theatre, experiments and participation projects. For three days in July, Welcome to the Village is the most beautiful and progressive village in Europe. With an extensive program of dozens of bands, theater, chefs and designers the Villagers hit you in the heart and head.
Harlingen
Tall Ship Races & The Sea The Sea The international literary festival The Sea! The Sea! will have the most glorious stage imaginable: the event, held over several days, will take to the waves during the Tall Ship Races. In Harlingen, in and around the Wadden Sea, imposing giants of sail will moor up, with cargoes of literature and poetry on board.
Friesland
The Journey The Journey is a “mienskip” programme that addresses issues within the (Frisian) society, now and in the future. Artists and local residents works together and devise artistic solutions to social issues. The Journey is coming to life all over Europe as a result of the many performances, lectures and workshops.
Leeuwarden
Royal de Luxe street theatre company The French street theatre company Royal de Luxe is coming to The Netherlands for the first time, bringing their iconic giants to Leeuwarden. Puppets so huge that for a while they will dominate the skyline, amazing hundreds of thousands of visitors with an unpresedented free street performance. The emotion and drama of Royal de Luxe will be, for many, the pinnacle of the city’s year as Capital of Culture.
Friesland
Land van Taal - Lân fan Taal (the Country of Language) Language is so much more than a page of written words, and this will be proved by the broad programme. Lân fan Taal. With pavilions hosting a language exhibition and De Talentuin (The Language Garden), performances at the foot of the famous Oldehove church tower every evening, and a language caravan touring theatre throughout the province, Lân fan Taal will be open all year round.
Leeuwarden
De Stormruiter (The Storm Rider) Around a hundred beautiful Friesian horses play the leading role in the theatre spectacle De Stormruiter. Director Jos Thie has adapted Theodor Storm’s book Der Schimmelreiter into a spectacular equine epic. The world-famous thoroughbred will shine against a background of theatre and music, as well as other breeds of horses.
Feanwâldsterwâl
Iepen Doar(p) Iepen Doar(p) is the ultimate village portrait of Feanwâldsterwâl. All 128 households in the village will be documented in sound and vision. The portraits will be published during the course of 2018 on 128 consecutive days via IepenDoarp.eu and social media. “Iepen Mienskip” was seldom depicted in such a pure way.
Friesland
Under de Toer (Under the Tower) Churches are places full of wonderful stories waiting to be (re) told. In 2018 31 of those stories will come to life in Under de Toer. In addition to a unique theatrical tour of the Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden, thirty events will be held throughout the province, ranging from opera to concerts and from fine art to photography.
Friesland/Malta
LF2018 and Valletta 2018 In 2018 Leeuwarden-Friesland and Valletta will share the title of European Capital of Culture, interlinked by a variety of projects. Examples include the film project Look@Me, the unique Poetic Potatoes project, and various exhibitions. There will also be exchanges between schools.
Friesland
The Colourfield Performance The Colourfield Performance is the collective name for Dirk Hakze’s vast “art in the landscape” projects, in which he collaborates with almost two thousand other artists. He first pursued the idea in 1992 during the Oerol Festival on Terschelling, when at least a hundred panels were painted, which meandered like a colourful river through the dunes.
Discover more 2018.nl #LF2018 street address De Blokhuispoort Blokhuisplein 40 8911 LJ Leeuwarden
mail address Stichting Kulturele HaadstĂŞd 2018 Postbus 2529 8901 AA Leeuwarden Tel: 058 233 8661
Pictures: Heleen Haijtema & Tryntsje Nauta, Ruben van Vliet, Hans Jellema, Heleen Haijtema & Ilva Stoelwinder, Saris & den Engelsman. Other in own management.