Verre binding celebrates the summer: ‘Everything in Arnhem is dancing and moving’

A cinema, a tea house, a stage, a bar, two creative workshops and a playground where old Dutch games can be played, it’s unbelievable how much festival fits on one floor. During this summer edition, Ruimtekoers not only collaborates with Rozet, today’s proud host, but also theater group Changing Stories, Collectief Koppig and literature organization Wintertuin participate. The bar is staffed by A Beautiful Mess, the new catering addition on the ground floor.

In the spotlight

Two films are shown there. A documentary about the Nieuwe Arnhemse Meisjes will be screened and the Focus Film Council will present the Palestinian film The Present. The Nieuwe Arnhemse Meisjes blow the visitors off their socks. ‘Great!’ says Rex. ‘We need the arts to put certain themes in the spotlight. Everyone has to see this film!’ The Present is also an impressive story, the film leaves no one untouched and loosens tongues.

A party place

On stage, Mahesh Dutt, in two parts, tells a children’s story: Braun. Children and adults alike listen to the dreamy, summery story in which they befriend starfish and the beach slowly turns into a ‘party place’. Wendela from Scalabor listens to both parts. ‘I’m completely into it. He tells it so beautifully,’ she thinks. Meanwhile, at our own party place on the roof of Rozet, the snacks appear on stage. Falafel, samosa and bitterballen, large bowls full of tasty food walk by.

This is connection

In the tea house, Marian and Jos are beaming. They have just taken their granddaughter to dance class and were then invited by Renée from Ruimtekoers to come and take a look. They are pleasantly surprised by the festival. ‘What I wonder is: why isn’t the place packed here?’ says Jos. ‘In our society, where everything is polarized, connection is really needed. This is connection!’ He looks around at the variety of people, children and adults, who are playing chess and chatting at the tables or have plopped down on the benches. ‘This kind of thing helps. I hope for a snowball effect!’

Intercultural artwork

Connection is also the theme of the creative workshop at the back of the tea house. Together with Collectief Koppig, a lot of large and small visitors are working on a huge ‘intercultural work of art’, in the words of maker Liese. Her colleague Wicher thinks it is more of a ‘Babylonian confusion of tongues’. The giant Excel sheet on which people can leave a print of their self-made stamps, shows that much of what is important cannot be captured in tables. ‘As soon as you start thinking about what connection is, it never really stops,’ says Wicher. ‘Everything is connected. With this work, I just hope to achieve that people understand each other a little better, that’s basically it.’

Not just black and white

On the other side of the tea house, the second half of the participants in the Writing Workshop are waiting to be allowed on stage. Denise Moura of Wintertuin is there to encourage them. Photos, stories and poetry pass by. Poet Dawood is grateful for Wintertuin, Verre binding and for Arnhem, which he speaks about with love. ‘Arnhem is different. Everything in Arnhem is dancing and moving.’ After his performance, he declares: ‘I’m a bit in love with Arnhem.’ He hasn’t performed very often, but it went well, he thinks. Bala has more experience. She was a journalist and student representative in her home country. On stage she says that she writes about other topics now that she is in the Netherlands. ‘Our dream depends on where we live. There are more colours here and not just black and white.’ What does she think of the festival? ‘It’s nice to see so many people happy.’

Crash course salsa

And that’s how it is. The second festival of Verre binding is going smoothly. The sun is shining, the bar is running like clockwork, the buffet is filled with goodies, there are nice words, smiling faces and proud makers. And dancing participants and visitors, because of course there is also music! First, Benjamin and Amber from dance school Watapana give a crash course in salsa. On the dance floor is a sea of people who didn’t know each other, but now dance together. It is a beautiful sight. In the background, the Eusebius shines against the summer evening sky, followed by the two dancers on stage, then the dance floor that is packed with students and in front of it the other visitors who record the whole event on film.

Feet off the floor

After the workshop, DJ Arjan takes over. He plays a mix of Arabic, Dutch and Latin music. Almost all the feet of the festival-goers, from near and far, come off the floor. Also Okko’s. He has read about Verre binding in the Arnhemse Koerier. ‘It said that all Arnhemmers were invited to come and meet the newcomers. It made me curious,’ he says. ‘I’m alone and I can stay at home – I have thousands of books, so I don’t have a problem with that – but I like to take note of the world and I want to show that I’m an Arnhemmer who is involved, because I am too.’

Mission accomplished! On to the next edition!