About Theatre of Remembrance
Theater Na de Dam
Right after the national remembrance of the death of the Second World War on the 4th of May, 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 125 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 20) 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 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 27th young people throughout Europe strengthen the significance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day through theatrical commemoration performances. This year there will be performances in Turin, Prague, Warsaw, Brussels, Goleniow, Nitra and Amsterdam as part of the manifestation Theatre of Remembrance, initiated by Theater Na de Dam.
This year marks the 6th edition of Theatre of Remembrance. In the past years there have been projects in Berlin, Brussels, Warsaw, Prague, Kopenhagen, Kaunas, Turin, Budapest, Lviv, Goleniow and Bratislava. Read more about Theatre of remembrance in the past here.