The building is recognizable, but has been given a fresh ‘TDI touch’. “Here in the theater café we adjusted the colors and made our own faces on the wall,” says Tichelaar proudly. “And what I like so much about one of the training rooms: when the light in the old elephant stable is on, you can look into it from the inside. That fits perfectly with the idea of the Rensenpark, the feeling of the old zoo is still alive here.”
While the children rehearse a piece of theater, it is clear that the energy is contagious. 11-year-old Thirsa van Zandvoort, one of the students, is beaming. “It turned out very beautiful,” she says. “In theater lessons you can be yourself, but also someone else. You don’t have to think about problems, you play someone else, but still be yourself.”
The expansion to Emmen was a logical step for Garage TDI. “In Assen we noticed that we were short of space,” Tichelaar explains. “Here we can use more rehearsal spaces and also set up new collaborations.”
The interest is great. “As soon as registrations opened during the summer holidays, the registrations flooded in,” he says. “We still receive registrations every day. That is so nice. Ultimately, we not only want to give lessons here, but also create performances and projects together with the community. A lot is possible.”