Performances that are rich in images and emotions, inspiring encounters and intensive national and international collaborations that create new dynamics – this is what characterises Theaterfestival Boulevard ’s-Hertogenbosch. Each year in August, the festival presents a wide selection of contemporary performing arts: theatre, dance, musical theatre and interdisciplinary forms of art. The works presented are also supplemented by several projects inspired by and/or with a connection to the city. Boulevard produces or co-produces, gives assignments and presents works in all contexts offered by the festival. An important part of the festival, in addition to the Dutch and international professionals, is our diverse and enthusiastic local audience that - together with us - explores the most interesting, high-quality and contemporary works by performing artists from the Netherlands, Flanders and abroad. We broaden our audience further by an extensive accessibility programme provided during the festival.

 

We prefer to present performances that connect directly with our senses: from large-scale physical and spectacular installations on parking areas to interactive experiences in a museum and ritual contemporary dance on the big stage. Artists such as Dries Verhoeven, Jetse Batelaan, Lotte van den Berg, Boukje Schweigman, Benjamin Verdonck and Miet Warlop create their own dramaturgies; often associative and sometimes psychologically challenging, yet politically and socially engaging. They leave room for the subconscious and engage all our senses.

 

Our goal is to present a diverse programme and to expose the audience to various voices. That's because all together, these performances also tell a bigger story. Our team of curators identifies these narratives at the beginning of the new season. They provide additional depth by side-events and by developing an extensive context programme, including moderated discussions, dinners with the artists and interviews with experts. The programme functions as a meeting point for artists, audiences and the work itself.

 

Working with a number of producers from the Netherlands and Flanders, the festival has achieved multi-year partnerships and co-productions. In addition, each year the most appealing and best international work is chosen to enter a dialogue with the productions from the Low Lands by both established and young producers. The performances in the festival are often textless, accessible for non-Dutch speakers by using surtitles or English spoken. Information about this can be found on each performance page. Boulevard prefers visual and vibrant theatre with focus on the heart and dedication. Performances from previous events can be found in our archive.