STAGE OPENING NIGHT

During STAGE on the opening day, the work of young actors and dancers takes centre stage. Familiar faces from Noorderlingen and Meeuw will be performing at the Kunstwerf. At the Grand Theatre, you can enjoy a triple bill dance, three shorter performances in a row, each with its own colour and style.

The day will end with the festival opening at SPOT Stadsschouwburg. Just like last year, the programme in the theatre will be designed by young people themselves, in collaboration with the festival team. Expect speeches (including from Lets Gro), performances and a fresh look at the future. A select group from MBO Artiest (Noorderpoort) will perform An Ovation For Hope, created by Gregory Caers together with Ryan van der Elst and a group of about fifteen theatre and design students especially for Jonge Harten.

An Ovation For Hope

Every day, we are inundated with bad news. So much is going wrong in the world, and we are bombarded with it time and time again through every possible channel. It influences how we view the world – and each other. Can we still see the beautiful things? Have we secretly become prejudiced? And why does it seem so much easier to imagine a doomsday scenario than a story with a hopeful ending?

In An Ovation For Hope, 15 young people go in search of that hope. They examine our daily observations and take to the streets in search of stories that show that we, as human beings, are not always the worst.

It will be a physical and visual performance, in which you may recognise yourself, your neighbour or your colleague in the stories that unfold. And who knows, afterwards you may walk back into the city with a spring in your step and a spark of hope.