This year the Limburg Festival celebrates its 40th edition with a special program. In the past 39 years, the festival has had to reinvent itself several times.
We look back, together with artistic director Jan Klompen.
Limburg Festival
The Limburg Festival was founded in 1983 by Jan van den Berg from borrowed land. That year, only four theater companies played at the main location in Geleen. The street theater was free to attend every year. More than 40 acts and companies are now programmed. “We went from street theater to theater on location, we went from everything free to partly paid and from ten days to five days of festival,” says Klompen. Without a provincial subsidy, Limburg Festival decided to collaborate with sponsors and municipalities.
No subsidy
Twelve years ago, the Province of Limburg decided that the festival did not meet the quality requirements set for cultural events. As a result, the Limburg Festival lost its subsidy. “But actually that’s the best thing that could have happened,” says the artistic director. The event had to reinvent itself and looked for a different form. This was reinforced by the departure of founder Jan van den Berg, the driving force behind the festival’, according to Klompen.
Ultimately, the organization found its home base in Central Limburg and decided to focus solely on that region. “There is already quite a lot in South Limburg, such as Cultura Nova. But here in Central Limburg it was very sparse in that regard, until we got there.” Many visitors from Gelderland and Brabant also come to the festival.
Theater in nature
“The difference between theater on location and theater on location is that with the latter you have to build a theater yourself for the act that is coming. We cannot afford that, especially if it plays at different locations. With theater on location, we book a performance and are looking for a location that is already suitable, where an entire production does not have to be set up.” At Limburg festival it is mostly about theater in nature. Street theater is still part of the festival’s programme, but it is free to visit.
According to the artistic director, Oerol Festival on Terschelling, one of the largest location theater festivals in Europe, was a great inspiration for the event for years.
Professionalization
The festival therefore mainly runs on volunteers, which means that personnel costs are minimal. “I am the only full-time paid employee,” says Klompen. “This festival stands or falls with a strong volunteer core. People who are enthusiastic, who have a heart for it. They do it for the t-shirt they receive.” And that has become less and less obvious, especially in recent years, according to the director. The organization is now also looking at attracting more professional and paid employees. Klompen still sees the organization as vulnerable and shaky. They remain dependent on a handful of enthusiastic employees.
anniversary
This year the festival is organizing an anniversary edition with, among other things, theatre, music, puppetry, poetry and also walking and cycling tours where various performances can be visited. “And especially for this year we have a kind of crossover opening in the church of Leveroym where all disciplines come together.” There will also be a book with anecdotes and a lot of archive material about the festival, compiled by reviewer Jos Prop. He followed the festival from the start.
Limburg Festival will take place this year from 24 to 28 August.