Theater Na de Dam (NL)

Right after the national remembrance of the death of the Second World War on the 4th of May, Dutch theatres open their doors for audience to broaden and deepen the commemoration via simultaneously presented theatre-performances of all sorts.

Theater Na de Dam started with seven performances in 2010 in Amsterdam and last year on the 4th of May, over 160 performances took place all over the Netherlands. All the established theatre companies and artists participate, but also the more fringe theatre groups and locations. The public television company broadcasts one part of our program live, all newspapers write about it and even those who are not connected with this specific history – for example immigrants and their children – now have a way to connect to this so important history.

Theater Na de Dam and youngsters

Also young people (aged around 12 till 22) perform that evening in theatre projects across neighbourhoods in cities. These projects are small in size and production but big and deep in impact. These projects start a couple of weeks before the 4th of May when young people meet and speak to (family of) elderly people who were young during the Second World War. We only have a few years left in which these people can tell their stories. These stories, together with historical information about a city and a location, form the inspiration for the theatre performance that the young people make together with a professional theatre-maker in the weeks after that. Not only the history, but also how this history reflects on today’s life and society is part of the performance.

In 2023 we created a video about best practices regarding these youngsters projects. This video was made to inspire the creators of these projects.

Theatre of Remembrance throughout Europe

On January 27^th young people throughout Europe strengthen the significance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day through theatrical commemoration performances. In 2025 and 2026 there will be performances in Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, Berlin, Torup, Turin, Warsaw, Goleniow, Hooghalen en Amsterdam as part of the manifestation Theatre of Remembrance, initiated by Theater Na de Dam.

In the past years there have been projects in Berlin, Brussels, Warsaw, Prague, Kopenhagen, Kaunas, Turin, Budapest, Lviv, Goleniow, Nitra and Bratislava. Read more about Theatre of remembrance in the past here.

Future plans

In the autumn of 2025, Theatre of Remembrance submitted a new funding application to the European Commission for the period 2026–2028. In this next phase, we hope to further expand our European network and continue bringing people together through theatre and remembrance.

Two new partners, one in Austria and one in Spain, are expected to join the project. Together we plan to organize ten performances in nine European countries on January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Around 30 European theatre professionals, 300 young participants and 100 elderly witnesses or relatives will take part, with an audience of about 3,000 people.

Alongside the performances, we will organize masterclasses for young people and conversations with audiences after the shows. By bringing together generations, stories and theatre-makers from across Europe, Theatre of Remembrance continues to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive and connect it to the world we live in today.