Goodness! Is it September already? I remember how nervous I was when I walked into the Jonge Harten office for the very first time. And now I’m carrying the same dark red rucksack – although now slightly worn – on my way to the festival’s second edition as a director.
The team works like a well-oiled machine
We’ve been working hard, and we’re ready to go (well, just about, anyway)! The path leading up to the second festival is different from the first year. Last year was all about getting to know the festival, meeting new people and deciding on which direction to take; this year we’re actually on our way. The team functions more and more as a well oiled machine. It’s wonderful to see how people embrace Jonge Harten, and how ideas are being formed when colleagues put their teeth into something. The ‘new’ Jonge Harten has not gone unnoticed, as we’ve received positive feedback from various people in the last couple of months, and that makes us proud!
The second edition feels like writing a sequel to a bestseller
Not that it’s easy, mind you. We were very proud of last year’s festival, but there is always room for improvement. We have lots of new ideas that we want to put into practice. You might think that we are more confident now, and that we know what we’re doing – which we do of course – but it also feels like writing a sequel to a bestseller. That’s what I think it feels like anyway, as I have never actually written a book, but many writers seem to go blank after having published a cracking debut. Nerves and doubt strike hard when writing a second book. Will it be a success a second time round? These situations often lead to the well-known writers-block.
We never play things safe
Things aren’t that bad of course, but we’re always nervous when it comes to setting up a festival. Because successes achieved in the past are no guarantee for the future. We want you to know what you can expect from Jonge Harten en we want you to be able to recognize it instantly. At the same time we want to continue to challenge you. We want to do other things than we’ve done in previous years. We want to discover new forms of discomfort and to find new ways to embrace our own discomforts and make everyone feel welcome. That’s why we never play things safe. This sometimes leads to doubts and discussions within the team, which is a good thing, and should not be avoided. But I must admit that it can also ben nerve-racking too.
Keep you posted!
In the run up to the festival our programmer Heering and I will be writing a number of blogs, so that you can join us on our path towards Jonge Harten 2019. I can’t wait to share things with you!
Choose your battles