Nijmegen Empire
Two Stars – This is Kwata’s latest play, Metamorfosen, which premiered on Saturday. But also the last, because twenty years later the curtain fell on the Nijmegen theater troupe. With this, Gelderland and Zeeland will soon be the only province without a professional youth theatre.
There were mixed feelings during last week’s dress rehearsal, says Jose Hussarts, artistic director of Kwatta: “Yes, we’re nearing the end of time. We made it so you can laugh at it too, but there’s so much in it that also symbolizes the end of Kwatta.”
world famous
Josee Hussaarts started in 2002 with Theatregroep Kwatta. Kwatta has become a household name in Gelderland and beyond.
In 2006, three old men who did not want to die were chosen to perform at the international show of the Youth Theater. In 2014, the performance won a Victor Award. Jaber is touring all over the world, including China, the United States, Ireland and Great Britain. In short, no doubt about the cutters’ functional qualities.
house of paper
But the Culture Council recently issued negative advice about government support for the coming years. Kwata went through a difficult period at the time of the application, and the Supervisory Board considered that the organization was still financially unstable in the recovery phase at that time. As a result, other forms of support have disappeared. Josee Hussaarts: “It really collapsed like a house of cards in that sense. First the empire disappeared, then the county and then the municipality.”
Kwata Youth Theater Will End
a little pain
“Yes, it hurts a little bit,” Leandert de Rieder replied to the downfall of Kwata. The actor, known from films and series Mees Kees, praised the Kwatta Youth Theater: “The things I can play here are always very fun, but it’s about something.”
‘Shame!’
This brings to an end 45 years of professional youth theater in Gelderland, which began in 1976 with Teneeter and continued in 2002 as Kwatta. Besides the province of Zeeland, Gelderland is now the only province in the Netherlands that no longer has a professional youth theatre. Josee Hussaarts: “I think it’s a shame! Teneeter was simply the first professional youth theater in the Netherlands. So it is the cradle of the entire youth theater.”
In the last years
Josie once again browses through posters from recent years and looks at photos of the actors involved, including Ilse Warringa, who is nationally famous for her role in mother lice† Hussarts: “I’ve always hoped that I could pass on kwata to the next generation of makers. I think it’s very sad that it didn’t happen because Nijmegen is a great place to make a theater for young people. There is a big audience. This audience will miss kwata, but I will also miss that audience in Nijmegen.” “.
