zondag 2 oktober 2011
There and back again sequel
So. A number of months have passed by. I have been too pre-occupied with my work in the festival industry to focus on my other activities, such as NOLA, blog reports et cetera.
However, the eagle has landed. I have gathered the energy and time to focus on what's important: the internship we talked about due next year. A few things have changed in my status however.
However, the eagle has landed. I have gathered the energy and time to focus on what's important: the internship we talked about due next year. A few things have changed in my status however.
After careful consideration, I decided to quit my school program. It appeared too inflexible to serve my needs as adult professional already working in the field. Virtually no exams, and only group assignments made it too hard for me to combine school life with work and are at the basis of said inflexibility. The educational program was created to serve teens and post-teens on their way to become professionals in the field of art and economics, whereas I am already in that field and working hard to be able to pay for my education at all. Having not been able to finish some of the group assignments due to my work schedule eventually jeopardized the option of going abroad for my internship, since most of the work can only be done during the period in which it was originally given, and internships are only allowed after having passed those assignments.
However, I would still like to become a intern at the CAC, even more now than ever. So the question rises if it is possible to do just that independently, and id so, how to arrange for the appropriate forms et cetera to obtain a visa. From what I have learned so far, I would need the CAC to back me up when I apply for the forms needed to come over for more than 18 weeks.
So far I have contacted the CAC to see how they can help. Further more, I have contacted a visa mediation organization to help me deal with the paperwork and the system. Apart from that, I am in the process of writing a curriculum, including long-term goals. I have contacted my first grade tutor to coach me toward the NOLA experience.
And the there is work. Since I am not going to school anymore, I am looking for a job, not only to sustain my needs, but also to be physically able to go to NOLA. This is actually getting prudent.
So there you have it. The next step toward my future self.
dinsdag 17 mei 2011
Babastiki speelt een Snippet in de Coffee Company
speelt een Snippet in de Coffee Company
Een aangrijpend kort stuk over een generatie op zoek naar iets om echt te voelen. Over jonge schrijvers zonder grote issues, behalve dan een chronisch gebrek aan leed en euforie.
Publiek kan zowel gedachten als dialogen live en op Facebook volgen.
Gedachten, teksten en dialogen: Flarden tekst met jou erin
Data: 10, 11 en 12 juni
Tijd: 21.00 uur (duur 30 minuten)
Prijs: 5 euro
Locatie: Coffee Company (Vismarkt 4) Utrecht
Kaartverkoop in de Coffee Company, reserveren via babastiki.nl
Tekst en regie: Guiot C. Duermeijer
Spel: Annette Hildebrand, Barbara Klaaysen en Jan Willem Koen
Beeld: Margrethe Beelen i.s.m. Reinout van Schie
Techniek: Paul van der Zouwe
Productie: Pelle Groot
Met dank aan:
Sophie Kassies, Femke Bax, Kristien Sonnevijlle en Critical Mass
Mogelijk gemaakt door Elise Mathilde Fonds en K. F. Hein Fonds
Heb je facebook, neem je laptop of smartphone meeen lees de teksten als ze geschreven worden.
donderdag 5 mei 2011
... And back again
May 5
Since there were bunches of people staying over in NOLA because of Jazzfest, Helen had a hard time housing me. She got me in at various friends' places ranging from awesome huge squat-like houses on the brink of the French Quarter up to the cutest little cottage in Bywater. For which I am very grateful. I hereby extend my thanks to all that have had me over. I hope I wasn't too much of a nuisance.
However, getting to actual work took me ages. I always need a day to acclimatize, and when you unexpectedly move every other day, all the energy goes into silently settling with your new host trying to be of as little discomfort to them as possible.
After my initial stay at Helen's place, she moved me to her friend Ramona. She lives with her wonderful dog Sam and an amazing 6-piece drumkit on the edge of the French quarter, the most fun part of all of NOLA. Ramona works as a nurse in a IC unit at a hospital, working 13 hr shifts a day. It was here that I figured I'd get to work and arrange some meetings with theatre oriented organisations.
I opened my laptop and... NOTHING HAPPENED!!! Screen was completely dead. I had it in my hand
luggage so no throwing had been involved at any airport. It took me two days to open up my computer and turn it inside out, disconnect and reconnect everything that I could find, only to find out that nothing had changed. Wat a jip.
So there I was. The weekend kicked in and I had only had one scheduled appointment, at the Contemporary Art Center (more about that wonderful organization later).
I did, however, have a lot of nighttime fun with Helen playing gigs, we went to this pizza speak easy (was it Luke's place?), where people had built a genuine Italian pizza oven and were serving to anyone that liked to attend. They had a traditional jazzband over (the name escapes me now; I will fill that in as I get back), penguin jokes, Helen playing drums as an encore, it was brilliant!
On friday night, we went into town with a bunch of Helen's friends to see her play at a awesome club namd One Eyed Jack's. The place looked like a 1900's whorehouse, with red velvet and woodwork everywhere, just awesome. The band Helen played with that night was called the New Orleans Bingo Show. Brilliant! Raw southern garage rock backed up by a horn section and a string section, topped off with three '20's cabaret figures visually adding to the show. Right in the middle of the set, they played bingo with the audience. The winner got put up on stage and squirted over with confetti and what not. Great show, despite the aweful sound.
Later that night, it was off to the Blue Moon club to see Mark Sutherland and friends perform this brilliant space jazz oddyssey. Also this name I will get back on asap.
So much for all the fun.
The reason that I had looked up the CAC (mainly concidered a exhibition room) was because they also have a inbound theater hall seating two hundred people, but MORE IMPORTANTLY they have a financial department that covers more cultural institutions and activities than the CAC alone. And that appeals to me, since my mission is to learn to be inventive in implementing means of existence for cultural enterprizes on a greater scale and see my future self in a role as advisor in that direction.
 |
| Gillet solo May 5th |
As I am currently attending a solo show by Helen Gillet, vocals, cello and loops, tears jump in my eyes. It feels like I am finally opening up after a winter of numbness. Gillet truely is extra-ordinary.
Since my laptop died on me upon arrival, I haven't really been able to write reports about my trip to New Orleans, LA (NOLA) just yet. I am currently typing on my iPhone, which isn't all that. So it will be as brief as I can possibly make it, and I will fill in all the fun gaps later.
So, when I arrived and got picked up by Helen Gillet, I got caught in her killer schedule. My backpack was left behind at Chicago's O'Hare airport. It took them like twenty eight hours to get that sorted and delivered to Helen's house.
 |
| Sam da Dawg |
After my initial stay at Helen's place, she moved me to her friend Ramona. She lives with her wonderful dog Sam and an amazing 6-piece drumkit on the edge of the French quarter, the most fun part of all of NOLA. Ramona works as a nurse in a IC unit at a hospital, working 13 hr shifts a day. It was here that I figured I'd get to work and arrange some meetings with theatre oriented organisations.
I opened my laptop and... NOTHING HAPPENED!!! Screen was completely dead. I had it in my hand
 |
| Idle attempt to fix my Macbook |
So there I was. The weekend kicked in and I had only had one scheduled appointment, at the Contemporary Art Center (more about that wonderful organization later).
 |
| Pizza Speak easy |
 |
| The New Orleans Bingo Show |
 |
| One of the stages at Festival International @ Lafayette, LA |
Later that night, it was off to the Blue Moon club to see Mark Sutherland and friends perform this brilliant space jazz oddyssey. Also this name I will get back on asap.
The next day, it was off to Lafayette, a town some 2,5 hrs west of NOLA, for another Bingo Show gig.
Almost as good, again with terrible sound. We had hotel rooms there, so I enjoyed the local festival there. It's called Festival International and it is a street fest, much like the season opening festivals in the Netherlands (UITfestivals).
 |
| Wazozo, May 1st |
Back in NOLA, we're talking Sunday now, Helen had an all nighter at a theater club called the Allways Lounge. Kicking off with her chancon ensemble Wazozo, she followed up with two brilliant improvisational acts. One with cello, loops and two extra voices, also looped, and the other with a full band, with two brilliantly climaxing sax players (among which was Mark Sutherland. That man is amazing!!).
So much for all the fun.
My main reason to be in New Orleans was to see if I could find an internship. See previous entrys on that subject. I managed to get two appointments, one with the Fringe festival and the other with the Contemporary Arts Center (hereafter CAC). Due to a loss in the family of my contact with the Fringe, that appointment had to be postponed indefinately. The other meeting was with Glenn Gruber and
Christine Dunaway from the CAC.  |
| Contemporary Arts Center |
The reason that I had looked up the CAC (mainly concidered a exhibition room) was because they also have a inbound theater hall seating two hundred people, but MORE IMPORTANTLY they have a financial department that covers more cultural institutions and activities than the CAC alone. And that appeals to me, since my mission is to learn to be inventive in implementing means of existence for cultural enterprizes on a greater scale and see my future self in a role as advisor in that direction.
On their part, the CAC were very pleased to learn that I have so far mastered production and technician roles and am familiar with marketing principles and crunching numbers. So there might both be a internship and a means of existence in there to sustain my stay. This means that my goal has been accomplished: I have found a place willing to collaborate in my mission by granting me a custom made internship.
 |
| NOLA Voodoo doll depicting Goddess to help me get the upper hand |
Sadly, this is my last night in New Orleans. I have found what I am looking for in more than one way. I found rest after a jumpy, exciting but exhausting week. I opened up emotionally, and I have found an organization that is willing to coöperate with me, where I can fulfill my internship and get to know the American way of financing the Arts.
So there you have it. Thanks to all your donations, I have accomplished the first part of my dream to mould my future self.
It is comforting to know that I will probably be back in NOLA for a longer stay, next year.
This city really got to me.
zondag 24 april 2011
New Orleans only two days ahead
The deadline for my flight is nigh. I am excited, as well as a little stressed out. Too much to do still, too little time. I am currently working on my portfolio, my English CV, and packing my stuff. But it's Easter too, so there's a family brunch planned for tomorrow.
Ricky Hendriksen gave me the idea the other night to compose a portfolio, to have something to show what I have been working on up until now. It will consist of interesting things like my festival merchandiser period for Thanks Merchandising, my touring days with bands such as Within Temptation, Orphanage and the likes, my production job for the Dutch Insomnio ensemble, my various festival coordination gigs, but also what I do when I'm not at work, my days playing drums in Necrotaph, and, of course, my going back to college. So this is going to take a day.
Oh - I went to this Katzenjammer gig in Tivoli, Utrecht the other day, mindblowing band. Four wild Scandinavian women going at it playing all sorts of instruments ranging from balalaika and banjo to glockenspiel and wastebin. Check out this song right here to get the Janis Joplin chills!
Ricky Hendriksen gave me the idea the other night to compose a portfolio, to have something to show what I have been working on up until now. It will consist of interesting things like my festival merchandiser period for Thanks Merchandising, my touring days with bands such as Within Temptation, Orphanage and the likes, my production job for the Dutch Insomnio ensemble, my various festival coordination gigs, but also what I do when I'm not at work, my days playing drums in Necrotaph, and, of course, my going back to college. So this is going to take a day.
Oh - I went to this Katzenjammer gig in Tivoli, Utrecht the other day, mindblowing band. Four wild Scandinavian women going at it playing all sorts of instruments ranging from balalaika and banjo to glockenspiel and wastebin. Check out this song right here to get the Janis Joplin chills!
vrijdag 15 april 2011
Traditions of cultural governance and financing.
As a college student in art and economics, I am interested in traditions of finance in an ever-changing socio-political environment. The Netherlands (and perhaps all of Europe) have been a haven for cultural exploration in the sense that so much of what has occurred in the post-WWII decades have been government funded. This situation is rapidly transitioning due to the change in political climate, which has switched from social to market-based, liberal views.
Most government funds in the arts have been, or will be by this year, withdrawn, without the implementation of a different tradition of funding on a greater scale, like community-based, or crowd-based funding.
This means that smaller, perhaps more experimental organisations, but also educational initiatives and cultural parties for various (ethnic and non-ethnic) groups of younger members of society, will have a very slim chance of survival. Organisations large enough to have an inbound marketing department will, in spite of having difficult times ahead, survive at the cost of the smaller businesses. Furthermore, on the whole, risks will be avoided, creating a loss of jobs and many other unforeseen consequences. Costly programs, for example, that do not generate a short term economic gain, such as educational arts programs will be dropped. Previous 'befriended' organizations will now regard one another with suspicion.
Most government funds in the arts have been, or will be by this year, withdrawn, without the implementation of a different tradition of funding on a greater scale, like community-based, or crowd-based funding.
This means that smaller, perhaps more experimental organisations, but also educational initiatives and cultural parties for various (ethnic and non-ethnic) groups of younger members of society, will have a very slim chance of survival. Organisations large enough to have an inbound marketing department will, in spite of having difficult times ahead, survive at the cost of the smaller businesses. Furthermore, on the whole, risks will be avoided, creating a loss of jobs and many other unforeseen consequences. Costly programs, for example, that do not generate a short term economic gain, such as educational arts programs will be dropped. Previous 'befriended' organizations will now regard one another with suspicion.
In the long run, audiences will diminish due to the lack of educational initiatives. A person does not value a discipline in art without getting acquainted with the proper codes and history of that art form.
In other parts of the world, where a tradition of government-based funding does not exist, they have a different tradition in collecting money for the cultural industry. The United States, for instance, has a community-based system, with churches, commercial businesses, corporations and philanthropists taking up the role of fundraisers for purposes of welfare, cultural activities (of a religious, social, artistic nature, or otherwise). There is much to be learned from this way of thinking in a declining social political climate. This is a paradigm that differs from our European way of thinking.
There is much to be learned in this field. Not only: ‘How do they do it?’, but also, and maybe more prudently, ‘How do we get a majority of the population to change their paradigm?’, from paying taxes for the cultural industry (among others) to a more philanthropic way of thinking. How can we create a social platform of peoples, corporations and other potential groups on a scale large enough to generate funding for the existing cultural industry?
For this purpose, I went looking for a region in the United States that has a thriving cultural industry (despite America’s current dismal socioeconomic situation) and I came to the conclusion that New Orleans not only has such, but also that New Orleans is situated in a poorer region that has just encountered two major crises in the past ten years. So it is interesting to see how the community at large copes with these circumstances and how it affects the cultural field.
As a professional, taking work booking interesting acts in a variety of places, I am also a location manager for various cross-media festivals throughout the Netherlands, as well as having done various other production-related activities, such as stage management.
In the past I have worked with bands such as Within Temptation and the like, contemporary ensembles, underground initiatives, merchandise companies, venues, as well as pop-, rock-, classical-, jazz- and theater festivals. I did pre-production for many of these initiatives and I booked acts for some. I have been a sound tech, theater tech, runner, backliner, merchandiser, and tour manager.
As a person I am very dedicated to the people I surround myself with. I concern myself with other people's wellbeing, but even more with my own and their integrity on the whole. I am process-minded and philosophical: I reflect a lot. The thing that makes me tick is people’s ambitions, their enthusiasm in achieving goals. It stirs me up and that propels me constantly to my own next level.
I am confident that I can achieve just about anything, as long as I feel that I am monitored without (or with suspension of) judgment, yet I remain open to suggestions and coaching from others. I have the same work approach towards others…allowing others to work according to their own style, yet offering suggestions where appropriate. I also work well in a stressful environment, and can remain calm in stressful situations. I can be that person that inspires you to get the best result out of your personality, your existence. I never judge. I am relaxed. The more stressful the situation, the more tranquility I radiate.
Having worked for rock bands, contemporary ensembles, festivals and theatre productions over the past 18 years (I am 35 years of age), I can say I have, production-wise, seen and done a lot, and it is time to move on. My focus now lies on my education, and I only use my skills to maintain a basic income to support my studies. My goal is to transcend from the typical stage manager type that I have become (a true stage manager can be easily spotted by his peers some three hundred yards away) to a conceptual advisor, a connector between key individuals and organisations from different worlds in the arts industry.
In other parts of the world, where a tradition of government-based funding does not exist, they have a different tradition in collecting money for the cultural industry. The United States, for instance, has a community-based system, with churches, commercial businesses, corporations and philanthropists taking up the role of fundraisers for purposes of welfare, cultural activities (of a religious, social, artistic nature, or otherwise). There is much to be learned from this way of thinking in a declining social political climate. This is a paradigm that differs from our European way of thinking.
There is much to be learned in this field. Not only: ‘How do they do it?’, but also, and maybe more prudently, ‘How do we get a majority of the population to change their paradigm?’, from paying taxes for the cultural industry (among others) to a more philanthropic way of thinking. How can we create a social platform of peoples, corporations and other potential groups on a scale large enough to generate funding for the existing cultural industry?
For this purpose, I went looking for a region in the United States that has a thriving cultural industry (despite America’s current dismal socioeconomic situation) and I came to the conclusion that New Orleans not only has such, but also that New Orleans is situated in a poorer region that has just encountered two major crises in the past ten years. So it is interesting to see how the community at large copes with these circumstances and how it affects the cultural field.
As a professional, taking work booking interesting acts in a variety of places, I am also a location manager for various cross-media festivals throughout the Netherlands, as well as having done various other production-related activities, such as stage management.
In the past I have worked with bands such as Within Temptation and the like, contemporary ensembles, underground initiatives, merchandise companies, venues, as well as pop-, rock-, classical-, jazz- and theater festivals. I did pre-production for many of these initiatives and I booked acts for some. I have been a sound tech, theater tech, runner, backliner, merchandiser, and tour manager.
As a person I am very dedicated to the people I surround myself with. I concern myself with other people's wellbeing, but even more with my own and their integrity on the whole. I am process-minded and philosophical: I reflect a lot. The thing that makes me tick is people’s ambitions, their enthusiasm in achieving goals. It stirs me up and that propels me constantly to my own next level.
I am confident that I can achieve just about anything, as long as I feel that I am monitored without (or with suspension of) judgment, yet I remain open to suggestions and coaching from others. I have the same work approach towards others…allowing others to work according to their own style, yet offering suggestions where appropriate. I also work well in a stressful environment, and can remain calm in stressful situations. I can be that person that inspires you to get the best result out of your personality, your existence. I never judge. I am relaxed. The more stressful the situation, the more tranquility I radiate.
Having worked for rock bands, contemporary ensembles, festivals and theatre productions over the past 18 years (I am 35 years of age), I can say I have, production-wise, seen and done a lot, and it is time to move on. My focus now lies on my education, and I only use my skills to maintain a basic income to support my studies. My goal is to transcend from the typical stage manager type that I have become (a true stage manager can be easily spotted by his peers some three hundred yards away) to a conceptual advisor, a connector between key individuals and organisations from different worlds in the arts industry.
dinsdag 12 april 2011
Abonneren op:
Posts (Atom)