Lieke Benders will be the new artistic director of Cultura Nova. She succeeds Fiedel van der Hijden, who will be the festival’s artistic director for the last time this year. Benders, who also heads the Maastricht company Hoge Fronten, is delighted with her assignment. “As a maker, I have got to know the festival from the inside over the past twelve years. During that period, a mutual bond of trust was created, which is characteristic of all artistic partners, volunteers, audiences and the city with which Festival Cultura Nova establishes connections. I look forward to further expanding those relationships from October onwards.”
Benders (1980) grew up in Sittard, studied at the Drama Academy in Maastricht and lives in Heerlen. She feels a strong connection with the region. As a maker, she consciously chose not to settle in the Randstad, but to anchor her work in South Limburg. Since 2010, she has been the general director of Hoge Fronten (Maastricht), a visual theatre company that produces performances for adults and children on location and in the theatre. She continues to combine her position as general director and director with her new position at Cultura Nova.
“Cultura Nova is a nationally leading performing arts festival that offers an interesting perspective from the periphery. It is accessible to a broad and diverse audience. The programming challenges to dialogue and encounters, both regionally and internationally. Working for Cultura Nova is a wonderful opportunity to combine my passion for the performing arts with my social commitment.”
Benders has a broad interest in the artistic and policy fields. She often works together with institutions and individuals from other cultural disciplines as well as outside the cultural sector. This has previously resulted in special productions such as theatrical city walks, silence projects and international exchanges with foreign makers. She has also coached young people during their first steps as makers, for example at Kumulus, Zuyd University and VIA ZUID.
Supervisory Board Chair Astrid Boeijen is happy with the new artistic director. “She impresses us with her fresh vision and approach to talent and current affairs, with attention for the tradition of the festival. In Benders, we have found an artistic leader who will further build up and strengthen the festival as a connector. We are proud to have found an artistic director who combines vision and experience with a strong connection to the region.
Benders will take up his position as artistic director of Cultura Nova on 1 October 2022 and, together with business director and managing director Rocco Malherbe, will start preparations for the festival in 2023.