On Friday, August 25, at 8 p.m., the visual theater festival Cultura Nova 2023 opens in Heerlen with the Dutch premiere of TAWA, a breathtaking performance on the Burg. van Grunsvenplein by the renowned company Gratte Ciel. Following this, at 9 p.m., the French theater company Mécanique Vivante will take the audience through the city towards the Raadhuisplein via an enchanting musical parade for The Sirens’ Song’, specially created on the occasion of the festive unveiling of the new City Office and Town Hall in Heerlen. The audience will be treated to this unique performance combination twice – on Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26. This is an appropriate kickoff for ten beautiful festival days. One in which theater, art, architecture and community merge together until Sunday, September 3.
A connection with the past and the future
During Cultura Nova’s opening performance, Gratte Ciel takes the audience on an unforgettable journey through the power of human rituals. TAWA is an aerial ritual that depicts the dialogue between humans and the forces of nature, inspired by ancient myths and rituals from different cultures. In this stunning mix of live music, singing and breathtaking high-altitude acrobatics, an explosion of colors is unleashed over Heerlen. Performed for the first time in the Netherlands, TAWA will enchant the audience and leave a deep impression, celebrating the connection between culture and city in a unique way.
A musical parade of sirens
After the breathtaking performance of Gratte Ciel, the festivities continue with The Sirens’ Song, performed by the French theater company Mécanique Vivante. A musical polyphonic orchestra of seven sirens, live in concert with Limburg singers Fenna Ograjensek and Lien Haegeman, will enchant the city with their melodies. Like modern-day Pied Pipers of Hamelin, they will march through the streets of Heerlen from Burgemeester van Grunsvenplein on glorified locomotives, accompanied by the special instrument “sirénium” and the majestic call of a foghorn that sets off the famous flying chainsaw. This musical parade culminates in a grand finale on the Raadhuisplein, where the festive opening of Heerlen’s beautifully renovated Council House and new City Office takes place.
A home in and for the city
The new City Office, designed by renowned architect Francine Houben of Mecanoo, is a tribute to Heerlen and its optimism. Respecting the historic Town Hall by Peutz, Houben has designed an elegant building that will enliven the center of Heerlen. The building exudes hope, connection and progress, embodying the shared spirit of the city. During the weekend of Friday, Aug. 25, Saturday, Aug. 26 and Sunday, Aug. 27, several activities will take place as part of the opening of the City Office and Council House, including exhibitions, a symposium and a book launch. The full program will be communicated on the website of the Municipality of Heerlen.
“The (re)opening of the City Office and Council House marks a milestone in Heerlen’s cultural spring, honoring old traditions and taking new steps. TAWA and The Sirens’ Song contribute to these rites de passage, where art and architecture merge to create a deep connection between past, present and future. These enchanting performances celebrate not only the city’s heritage, but also its hopeful evolution into a bright future, full of cultural flourishing and communal celebration.”