The theater spectacle Het Pauperparadijs may still be performed this summer. That became clear this morning during the meeting of the Provincial Council. Deputy Hans Kuipers said in answer to questions from States member Anry Kleine Deters (D66) that an ecological consultancy is investigating whether the performance series can still continue.
Last Friday, the organization announced that the third series of performances in Veenhuizen cannot take place due to the nitrogen policy.
‘Absurd consequences of unclear policy’
In 2016 and 2017, the performance was also played in the courtyard of the Prison Museum. It was a huge success. After Het Pauperparadijs was moved to the Carré theater in Amsterdam in 2018, the performance about the Society of Benevolence would return to Veenhuizen in the summer of 2020. However, the coronavirus threw a spanner in the works. That happened again last year and that is why the theater spectacle was now on the program for this summer.
Because the Prison Museum is located close to the Natura 2000 area, events that take place there are no longer allowed to emit nitrogen due to the tightened nitrogen policy. “Of course we emit almost nothing, but slightly more than zero. Especially due to traffic from visitors,” said director Tom de Ket last Friday. In the case of nitrogen emissions, it is not possible to obtain the necessary environmental permit for the theater performance. De Ket: “These are the absurd consequences of an unclear nitrogen policy that we are now confronted with.”
‘Good in conversation’
GroenLinks deputy Kuipers said in the States this morning that he was surprised by the organization’s decision to pull the plug. The organization had not informed the province about this, so it had to hear about it in the media. The Pauperparadijs is seen as one of the showpieces of cultural Drenthe in recent years and is therefore important for the province.
Yesterday, the province and the makers of the performance had a meeting. The outcome is that it is now being investigated whether there are still possibilities to continue the performance series. There is also consultation with the municipality of Noordenveld, which, if the environmental permit is issued, must still issue an event permit. “We are in good talks, but I cannot anticipate the results,” said Kuipers.
planning problem
“I am optimistic that we are in talks,” said producer Wolter Lommerde. But he emphasizes that it is far from certain that things will work out, because there is still a lot to be arranged and time is of the essence. “We are running into problems with our planning. Everything now has to be restarted after the cancellation.”