The Rotterdam Youth Theater Hofplein has received the ELJA Foundation Award. The ELJA Foundation announced this at a meeting in Amsterdam on Thursday afternoon.
This new biennial art and culture prize, which carries a monetary prize of 75,000 euros, is intended for organizations and individuals who make a difference for children and young people in the field of art. In addition to the Hofplein Youth Theater, the Aslan Music Center in Amsterdam and the Hiphophuis in Rotterdam were also nominated. These institutions receive a sum of 12,500 euros.
The ELJA Foundation is a new charity organization founded by Els Blokker-Verwer, the 77-year-old widow of businessman Jaap Blokker. The foundation’s mission, in the words of its founder, is to support cultural projects “that make an important contribution to the development of children and young people and the exploration of their talents.” Els Blokker transferred 15 million euros to the foundation last year
The Hofplein Youth Theater was founded in 1985 and actively involves around 17,500 children and young people in theater, dance and music every year. According to the jury report, Hofplein is an “empowerment machine” where participants discover something “that they carry with them for the rest of their lives and that builds self-confidence.”
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