81 years of freedom. On Tuesday we will go out en masse to celebrate. At the Baggelhuizerplas in Assen they are already busy setting up the liberation festival. Yesterday there was a heath fire raging just a few hundred meters away. Then the question arises: how does the organization deal with this?
There are protocols for all kinds of scenarios, organizer Sander Ten Bosch explains. “We are prepared for many risks in our safety plans. We have scripts for that. We can also respond to this wildfire that occurred last night. Together with the security services that we work closely with. But we are prepared for it. In fact, we have described all the things you don’t want at the front.”
If it concerns a wildfire, people will be led away or kept on the festival site. “In principle, the festival can continue as usual if the wind direction is right. Then the emergency services, the fire brigade, are busy so that it is brought under control. Depending on the signal from the fire brigade about what we can and cannot do, we have to guide people home via a different route.”
Nevertheless, Ten Bosch estimates that there is little chance that a wildfire will rage at the Baggelhuizerplas on Tuesday. “I have a good relationship with the weather services, so I have ensured that it will rain for a while this coming weekend. That will take the pressure off a bit. I also like that, because it is very dusty here. A small shower would be very welcome.” There are no concerns about, for example, butts being thrown in the grass. In addition, they have fire extinguishers throughout the site, Ten Bosch explains. “It is almost impossible that we will get a fire here. Of course on a stage, of course on a food stand, but from cigarettes, you have to do your best.”
A lot has also been said in recent years about the sustainability of the festival. Is such a free festival still possible? Can artists still be hired for the budget that can be allocated? Ten Bosch, who comes from the festival world himself, says that many festivals are under tension. “When I see how many festivals cannot go ahead at the moment, that is quite a lot. Fortunately, we have very good subsidies from the Province of Drenthe, the municipality of Assen and sponsors. Yes, of course it is under pressure and of course we have to look at the budget and we have to adjust. But fortunately we can still do it. And that is nice too, because it is a free festival.”
So 81 years of freedom will be celebrated again next Tuesday. The site in Assen is now being built up. Dozens of people are busy preparing as much as possible. We will continue to work hard all weekend.
At the same time, there are many trouble spots in the world; such as the wars in the Middle East, Ukraine and South Sudan. “You have a different attitude because you know that many people cannot experience freedom. That is of course terrible. Wherever it is in the world. It is too much to mention where everything is going wrong in the world at the moment. But even in daily life it is not self-evident that you can feel free. That is why we must continue to do this together. To this end, we have set up a wonderful program together.”
Tuesday May 5 is a day where not everyone is free this year. This was the case last year and the festival in Assen attracted around 40,000 visitors. This year, Ten Bosch hopes for 30,000 people to come to see artists such as Chef’Special, Rolf Sanchez and Ellen ten Damme & Noordpoolorkest.
