Leeuwarden-Friesland is European Capital of Culture in 2018. Find out which British artists are part of the international programme.
British speakers at the ISPA conference - Off the Beaten Track - 11-15 June 2018
Leeuwarden-Friesland 2018 hosted the ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) congress from 11-15 June 2018. Following the theme Off the Beaten Track the congress discussed the significance of the arts when it comes to the relationship between city & countryside, in a world that is tense with populism, climate change, conflict and massive migration. The congress included an impressive line-up of speakers, including Annete Cobett, Claudia Woolgar, Neil Wallace, Catherine Bottrill, Ben Todd, Abid Hussain and Josette Bushell-Mingo from the UK.
Find out more on the ISPA website.
Jan Carson at the 2018 European Literature Night in Leeuwarden - 15 May 2018
In Bucharest, it is an hour later than in Leeuwarden, Berlin or Prague, where it is an hour later than in London, where it is three hours earlier than in Istanbul - or no, two hours, depending on whether it is summer or winter. It is time for Europe to determine what time it is. On 15 May 2018 a dozen authors from across Europe came together at the European Literature Night in Leeuwarden to discuss this year's theme 'What time is it?'. Find out more about Belfast-based author Jan Carson who spoke the European Literature Night in Leeuwarden.
Tim Etchells’s Art Installation in the new Lân fan Taal building
‘Hear/Höre/Hoor/Hear’, ‘Alphabets’, and ‘To Talk To You’ are the names of the three art installations which the British artist Tim Etchells has created for the new Lân fan Taal building in Leeuwarden, Friesland. Language-related work is particularly relevant for the province of the Netherlands, where Frisian exists alongside the official language of Dutch. The British Council will further support minority languages during the year of Leeuwarden as the European Capital of Culture on European Day of Languages in September 2018. At this event you can become acquainted with Welsh as part of a language speed-dating event held in the same venue as Tim Etchells’ artworks.
Cornelia Parker’s Lions of Workum Fountain
British artist Cornelia Parker plays an important role in one of the main projects at of Leeuwarden European Capital of Culture. The 11Fountains project symbolises the 11 cities of Friesland along the route of 200km iconic ice skating route – which has not taken place since 1997, as winters have not been cold enough. At the European Capital of Culture, an art route has been created instead that features 11 different fountains. Cornelia Parker’s lions remind us of the bearers of Workum’s coat of arms and they were made in cooperation with three Workum companies.
Lucy and Jorge Orta’s 'Peewit' Fountain
Lucy and Jorge Orta’s 'Peewit' Fountain forms part of the same 11Fountains project. These British artists were asked to design and create a new permanent fountain in the Dutch town of Sloten. The name of the fountain refers to the local bird, the 'peewit'. The peewit population in the Netherlands and internationally has been in the decline since the 1990s due to the increase in intensive agriculture.
Language speed dating on the European Day of Languages – 26 September 2018
Ever wanted to get a first gist of what Welsh is all about? Join the European Day of Languages speak-dating event on 26 September in Leeuwarden, where you have a chance to squeeze in as many five-minute introductions to European (minority) languages as you can. Celebrating minority languages forms part of Leeuwarden-Friesland as European Capital of Culture, where nearly 2.6 per cent of the population (or 440,000 people) speak Frisian. With different EU National Institutes of Culture participating, the event will give you the chance to try a large selection of European (minority) languages.