The large windows of Leontien Wiering\u2019s office look out over the Spuiplein. Wiering, who trained as a dancer at a high level, decided to take a different path when she realised reaching the very top wasn\u2019t possible. She chose instead what came naturally to her: organising within the cultural sector.<\/p>\n
Today, she leads Amare, an international stage for music and dance with a diverse programme. The building houses permanent residents such as the Residentie Orkest, Nederlands Dans Theater and the Royal Conservatoire, but Amare also aims to be a \u2018third space\u2019 \u2013 a social place where visitors, passers-by and artists can meet, feel welcome and free to explore.<\/p>\n
![\"Amare](\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/spaansche-hof-1-1-1-1024x683.jpg\")
Director Leontien Wiering: 'I hope we can give Spuiplein the old-fashioned function of village square'<\/p><\/div>\n
Amare is literally a landmark. What is it like to lead in such a striking building in the city centre?<\/h3>\n
\u201cBefore, we were at the Zuiderstrandtheater, where the postman could almost shout to you as he came in. At Amare, it\u2019s completely different. Being part of it from the very start was extraordinary. We had to build everything ourselves: not just bringing staff, residents and visitors in, but also the interior, furniture, curtains, even the paint on the walls. Every detail was our responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur aim has always been to make Amare a cultural home for everyone. At first, it was a bit daunting. The building is beautiful and imposing, and naturally critics were ready with their remarks: \u2018yet another expensive elite project.\u2019 It can feel intimidating, unfamiliar ground that people might not enter spontaneously. That\u2019s why we want it to feel open and welcoming. Everyone is invited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amare runs a programme called \u2018Open Amare\u2019, with free activities on the ground floor. How is that going?<\/h3>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve succeeded in creating daily activity, which I\u2019m very happy about. People are finding their way here. We aim for a balance between events our team considers important for the community and initiatives suggested by the public. Amare hosts celebrations for Ketikoti, marking the abolition of slavery, the Indian festival of lights Divali, Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year, and 150 years of Hindustani migration.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur team also seeks connections with different groups across the city. We invite people to propose events and ask what\u2019s needed. In principle, all ideas are welcome on the ground floor, as long as they engage a community and are not for profit. We currently receive around thirty to forty requests each week. Each idea is followed by a conversation to find the best timing. And yes, sometimes we check someone isn\u2019t just using it to celebrate a private birthday under the guise of an exotic dance event.\u201d<\/p>\n
What should people know about Amare that\u2019s still relatively unknown?<\/h3>\n
\u201cCome to the performances by our conservatoire students. They are world-class, and many concerts are free. On the ground floor, we increasingly showcase interactive art and exhibitions. There\u2019s a city canteen on the third floor and a brasserie facing the Spuiplein, open all day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since September, the Spuiplein has taken on a new look. What are the ambitions for it?<\/h3>\n
\u201cI hope we can restore the Spuiplein to its old role as a village square. Like in New York, where people gather for music, friends and families meet, meals are shared, strangers cross paths, and activists express themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s unique here is that nine major cultural organisations are based on the square, including the Filmhuis, Het Nationale Theater, the Central Library, Amare with its residents, and the Nieuwe Kerk. The Filmhuis plans summer open-air screenings, and Amare will curate programmes in the Nieuwe Kerk \u2013 known as the \u2018fifth hall\u2019 \u2013 offering beautiful chamber concerts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rumours suggest Amare is addressing The Hague\u2019s loss of North Sea Jazz.<\/h3>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s true. I have good news: in March 2026, Amare will host \u2018New Tide\u2019, a new jazz festival. We\u2019re very proud and a little nervous. Amare has established itself in the city, but a new festival starts from scratch. Our vision is to offer a mix of local, national and international talent alongside established artists.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Amare](\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/5x-nieuwe-hotspots-houbolt-1024x1024.jpg\")
Candy Dulfer is one of the artists performing at the New Tide Festival in Amare on 6 and 7 March. \u00a9 Hilde Harshagen<\/p><\/div>\n
Amare also aims to present unique and innovative performances. Can you give an example?<\/h3>\n
\u201cCertainly! In December we present a concert by Ibrahim Maalouf and in March \u2018Romeo & Julia\u2019 by Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. In June, the company \u00c0 nos combats will stage a stunning performance between a dancer and a boxer, reimagining the legendary 1974 fight \u2018The Rumble in the Jungle\u2019 between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. The performance takes place on the Spuiplein, or in the Danstheater if it rains. Around sixty amateurs join as part of the audience, making the tension of the fight palpable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Do people still say Amare is elitist?<\/h3>\n
\u201cThere will always be such comments about art. But things are changing. Initially, enthusiasm had to come mainly from our team. Today, a wide range of people tell me they love Amare. More and more residents of The Hague, who can be quite critical, say the city now has something to be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n
www.amare.nl<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The large windows in Leontien Wiering\u2019s office offer a view over Spuiplein.\u00a0The director of Amare has a background in dance, having performed at a high level, but when she admitted to herself that she wasn\u2019t going to make it to the top, she decided to do what had always come naturally to her: organising within the cultural sector. At Amare, she heads up an international performing arts venue\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":35452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[148],"tags":[2272,2708,2710,734,2499,2707],"opmaak":[2548],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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