2019 Performing Arts Market in Seoul(PAMS) Delegates Talks (3):
Interview with Judith Blankenberg, Programmer of the Nooderzon
Performing Arts Festival

Shin-woo Kim (Independent Producer)

Nooderzon, a Performing Arts Festival Representing the Northern Netherlands

The Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival is an international performing arts festival held annually in Groningen, a small city in the Northern Netherlands. It takes place for eleven days in August. Founded in 1991, the Festival celebrated its 29th anniversary this year. The population of Groningen is 200,000 while the Festival’s annual number of visitors is 130,000, making it easy to imagine the city’s atmosphere during the Festival. The Festival’s programmer Judith Blankenberg visited Seoul on the occasion of PAMS and talked about the Festival in detail.

2019 PAMS Delegates Round-Table Talks ⓒKAMS

Interviewer: Shin-woo Kim (Independent Producer)Interviewee: Judith Blankenberg (Netherlands / Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival / Programmer)

Shin-woo Kim: Could you explain how the Festival was launched in 1991?
Judith Blankenberg: At first, the Festival was launched for Groningen’s local residents who were unable to go on summer vacation. Organized around a park called Noorderplantsoen, the event gathered citizens together so they could watch concerts and street performances while eating, drinking and enjoying their weekend. As Mark Yeoman was appointed as the artistic director of the Festival in 2001, the Festival gradually began to change into a contemporary performing arts festival. It took about seven to eight years for the Festival to have today’s look. Things have changed a lot and these days, most of the Festival’s performances take place at downtown theaters but the park still plays an important part. That is because we want to maintain the Festival’s original purpose of bringing everyone together in summer. Indeed, you can still enjoy large concerts, talks, literary programs and emerging local artists’ programs at the park.

Nooderzon Park ⓒNiels Knelis Meijer

Shin-woo Kim: What role are you playing in all this? What made you join the Festival?
Judith Blankenberg: I studied dramaturgy in Utrecht and I started working on programming at the Festival de Keuze in Rotterdam for which Mark Yeoman was working as the artistic director. Since then, I have worked with Mark. Currently, I’m collaborating with him not only for the Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival but also for the annual season of Groningen’s Grand Theatre. Mark is in charge of the Festival’s programming and I’m working on that of the Grand Theatre. In this way, we work together and give each other advice.

Shin-woo Kim: Running a theater’s annual program and festival programming would be quite different.
Judith Blankenberg: They are totally different. In particular, their target audiences are different. The Grand Theatre focuses more on Dutch and Belgian artists and it chooses a theme every month and presents performances unde the given theme. In addition, the Theatre organizes a variety of side events for the local community such as the “Night of Storytelling” and “Cinema Club.” Because those coming to the Theatre prefer performances with which they feel familiar so the Theatre doesn’t attempt experimental programming. In contrast, the Festival is allowed to prepare rather shocking or experimental performances. The Festival has already a long history so it has a wider variety of visitors who actually expect to see something new. In short, the Festival’s programming is much more international.

Nooderzon Teddy’s Last Ride ⓒNiels Knelis Meijer

Shin-woo Kim: How do you work on festival programming?
Judith Blankenberg: The Festival’s core program is composed of performances Mark and I have seen during our research. But we also choose works through other festivals’ colleagues who have cooperated with us for a long time. If they recommend artists or performances, we watch their videos and make choices. That is the case of Korea’s Ambiguous Dance Company we invited this time. We actively communicate with Kampnagel in Hamburg and the Zürcher Theater Spektakel in Zurich to share information on performances.

Shin-woo Kim: What is your focus point of programming?
Judith Blankenberg: I think a lot about “diversity” and “otherness.” We invite very different works from all around the world but we don’t focus on comparing their differences. Rather than that, we are interested in discovering how many things they have in common. In other words, we choose works that show possibility of integration rather than difference.
In the past, our programming also focused on a specific region or country. But today, we don’t choose a specific theme or focus area. It is true that we find common contexts in the process of programming but we don’t share such contexts actively with the audience. We don’t choose a theme because we believe that it is not right to prioritize the programmer’s views or ideas. It is more important to enable performances to meet the audience directly. If a theme is given in advance, the audience would only have a limited understanding of the performances they see.
Despite this, we try to strike a balance regarding the size and intensity of performances. We annually present 25 to 30 performances whose venues differ in sizes and characteristics. For example, a performance could take place in an outdoor tent while another one could be staged at a small black box theater. So we pursue programs that could make use of such diverse spaces. We offer large and heavy works and small and light ones at the same time. Another point we consider important in our programs is the concept of “storytelling.” I don’t mean that performances need certain narrative or narration. My point is that it is important for a work to have its own story the artist wants to tell in any form. That is why we don’t present many performances based on the existing theater works.

Nooderzon WANG Chong ⓒ Pierre Borasci

Shin-woo Kim: It is interesting to hear that while you bring different stories from all around the world, you want visitors to find what they and the works have in common. To do so, it would be necessary to find out how to make the performances harmonize with Groningen.
Judith Blankenberg: That is also a very important point. Our first priority is to select stories that could communicate with Groningen in any form. A case in point is Mining Stories by Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere. The work is about mining in South America. Groningen also used to be a place of large-scale gas mining in the past, leading to earthquakes, which caused damage to many people. Consequently, the two stories have many things in common. In this way, we tend to choose works that could be easily shared in Groningen. Another point we consider is the number of lines. In the case of foreign performances, too many subtitles could be a burden to the audience. So we not only review the content of a work’s text but we also see if there is anything that could be visually interesting to the audience.

Shin-woo Kim: You answer implies that you do care about your audience. I heard that there is a program that enables different age groups to participate in the Festival. Could you provide more details?
Judith Blankenberg: As I mentioned before, the Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival started with the idea that it is a festival that is shared with everyone and that is for everyone. Today, it is a contemporary performing arts festival but we are willing to maintain its original spirit. For example, children’s programs were very small at the beginning but they have become larger and larger and they are run very actively now. Groningen is a city with a very young population so it naturally has many young couples. If they want to come to the theater to watch a performance, they should be able to bring their children. That is why we need children’s programs for these parents who want to see other performances as well. We have an event in which children can make something and offer performances and other special events for them. For instance, we once prepared an event during which small stuffed animals parachuted. As for the elderly, we try to give them easier access to performances rather than planning special programs. For example, on performance days, we provide them with a pickup service from their home to the venue.

Shin-woo Kim: Do you have any other program encouraging more visitors to participate in the Festival?
Judith Blankenberg: We have a package program called “Mystery Route.” The Festival offers about 30 performances every year so if you are not a performing arts expert you may not know what to watch. You are provided with a program book but it could still be difficult to choose the right show for you. The Mistery Route is a customized package of programs selected by the Festival’s organizers. The package encourages visitors to watch performances, trusting their selection. If you buy a Mystery Route ticket, you don’t know what performance you will watch before coming to the theater. In general, the package is composed of performances that can be enjoyed even by those who don’t know much about the performing arts, making the genre more accessible. In addition, each performance is followed by a talk with the artist. A reporter has visited the Festival every year since 2005. The reporter began to take the lead in running a team of moderators for the talks with artists, contributing to invigorating the event. It is a case of involving visitors as the Festival’s staff.

Shin-woo Kim: It seems that you are considering different ways of the Festival’s social contribution.
Judith Blankenberg: There is a certification system called “Green Key.” The system evaluates institutions’ eco-friendliness and sense of responsibility. The Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival received a very high score. To be more specific, Femke Eerland, director of the Festival, is making all-out efforts to ensure the sustainability of the Festival. In fact, a festival is characterized by being temporary so it is difficult to discuss its environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, we do pursue the Festival’s sustainability. For example, we have potable water fountains everywhere at the Festival in an attempt to reduce plastic bottles. The Festival staff’s restaurant uses biodegradable dishes and containers and it also offers vegetarian options. We also have a donation program that enables visitors to buy one more ticket to donate it to society’s vulnerable groups of people. The Festival’s venues all provide wheelchair accessibility. The park’s lighting is fueled by used cooking oil and the Festival’s goods are all recycled products. Our staff members are aware of the Festival’s social responsibility so everyone comes up with relevant ideas and carry them out together. Groningen is such a small city that there are many ways to cooperate with other organizations to make changes.

Shin-woo Kim: The Festival presents a great number of works dealing with different social issues. It would mean that your programs reflect such awareness of your staff to a certain degree.
Judith Blankenberg: That’s right. The Festival’s numerous performances deal with social issues in different ways. For example, they raise issues such as the question of “otherness” I mentioned before, migration and refugees, artificial intelligence, fake news, races, generations, gender and the diversity of sexual identities. At the same time, there are also works that tell very intimate stories like the first love or the first experience as a father. I personally like such a balance.

Shin-woo Kim: I would like to know the secret behind the Festival’s survival of almost 30 years. What does the Festival’s financial structure look like?
Judith Blankenberg: The government and the municipality allocate budget for the Festival. Fortunately, they never interfere in the Festival’s programs and artistic direction. They don’t put political pressure either. Of course, they suggest certain goals at the municipal level such as the number of visitors or shows. After each festival, we need to submit a detailed report. Other than that, the municipality or the government doesn’t care, whatever we prepare for the Festival. The only area subject to political pressure is financial support for overseas artists’ travel. Those from countries that the Netherlands needs for its policy during a certain period or that is on friendly terms tend to benefit from more financial support. Populism and the extreme-right movement are spreading throughout Europe and the Netherlands is not an exception. It is fortunate that we don’t see their impact yet. Our staff members are working together in order not to be influenced by such trends.
To ensure the Festival’s sustainable structure, we closely cooperate with other European festivals organized during the same period. It is not reasonable for overseas artists to come all the way to Europe and to perform only in the Netherlands. So we organize European tours with Kampnagel in Hamburg and the Zürcher Theater Spektakel in Zurich and we share travel expenses with them. A network formed with other festivals would be a symbiotic strategy for each festival to survive for a long time.

Shin-woo Kim: Do you have any future outlook or direction for the Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival?
Judith Blankenberg: Mark Yeoman wants to change the form of the Festival gradually. For example, the Festival had an opening performance until last year. But as an opening performance has become a party for “influential” performing arts people, we decided not to present it from this year. That would be because our performances are for the audience. Many festivals are reflecting on their form and the same is true for us. We now need changes to some elements that have constituted a conventional form. We don’t know our specific direction yet but we keep thinking about it.

Nooderzon Tent ⓒNiels Knelis Meijer