NL-UK film co-productions

The British Film Commissioner and the Netherlands Film Commissioner intend to increase the number of film co-productions involving creatives from both countries. The Dutch Embassy in London had the honour of hosting the film commissioners, as well as dozens of film professionals from the UK and the Netherlands, for a knowledge exchange and networking reception on 9 December 2024. The intention to work even closer together in the future was made official with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.

British Film Commisioner Adrian Wootton OBE (left) and Dutch Film Commissioner Roel Oude Nijhuis (right) with Dutch Ambassador to the UK Paul Huijts (middle). Photo: Luc Schol.

Knowledge exchange between slavery museums

This wasn’t the only exchange between professionals from the cultural sector that the embassy supported in the past few months. Another fruitful meeting between experts from both sides of the North Sea – and also some experts from South and North Carolina in the US – took place at the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool in October. The central question was: how do museums in the UK, the Netherlands and the US tell the story of the history of colonial-era slavery, and the impact of those histories on people and societies today? This is a very pertinent question in all three countries, and a very timely one as well. Because slavery museums in the UK and the Netherlands are in a similar position. In Amsterdam, a new National Museum of Slavery is in an exciting development stage, as it is set to open in 2030; in Liverpool, the International Slavery Museum also has an opportunity to completely rethink the exhibition displays and the narrative of the museum, because the building will be undergoing major redevelopment works from January onwards, and the museum will only reopen in a few years’ time.

Michelle Charters, Head of the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool (left) and Peggy Brandon, in charge of setting up the National Museum of Slavery in Amsterdam (right)

What’s on this winter?

Of course, the culture department at the Dutch Embassy in the UK hasn’t just focused on knowledge exchange. Many artists from the Netherlands have been able to show their work in the UK in 2024, and lots of UK audiences have enjoyed that work. In 2025, the embassy will continue to support Dutch cultural expressions in the UK.

A very brief look ahead:

Visuals arts

Current exhibitions of artists from the Netherlands that will run into 2025 are License to Live by Bruno Zhu at Chisenhale Gallery in London (until 2 February 2025), You Have Seen Nothing Yet by Boris Maas at The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery in Leeds (until 22 February 2025) and Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery in London (until 19 January 2025). Hamiltons Gallery in London, which represents the famous Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf, who died in 2023, currently exhibits Erwin Olaf: Bigger Than Life (until 1 February 2025).

A very exciting group exhibition in 2025, which includes works from at least ten artists from the Netherlands, is A World of Water at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich. In this exhibition, artists reflect on our relationship with the sea, touching on topics ranging from centuries of international shipping trade to increased coastal erosion due to climate change. Some of the contemporary Dutch artists included in this exhibition, from 14 March until 3 August, are Studio Makkink & Bey, Jan Eric Visser, Vibeke Mascini, Anastasia Eggers, Nabuurs&VanDoorn and De Onkruidenier. The exhibition also includes centuries old Dutch maps of trading routes and paintings of the sea by the likes of Jacob van Ruisdael and Hendrick van Anthonissen, on loan from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Later in 2025, there are more incredible exhibitions of Dutch works to look forward to. For instance, a large scale work by a Dutch artist will be part of Folkestone Triennial (but this hasn’t been announced yet, so we won’t say anything else). And Liverpool Biennial 2025  (June to September) will be showing works by many artists who live and work in the Netherlands: Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic, Ana Navas, ChihChung Chang, Jennifer Tee and Mounira Al Sohl.

There is a lot more to say about all these upcoming exhibitions, but we’ll save that for the next newsletter.

Performing Arts

2024’s very last Dutch performances in the UK that have been made possible with support from the Dutch Embassy are Close Act’s I-Puppets at Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party on New Year’s Eve.

In January 2025, there is something pretty special happening in Derry/Londonderry, courtesy of Le Foyer des Artistes. For one night only, 12 Dutch musicians who are specialized in playing 17th century music, on actual 17th century instruments, will join musicians from the UK and Ireland to perform the Midwinter Gala at St Columb’s Hall on 28 January.

Theatre director Eline Arbo and her creative team (all from Amsterdam) are soon coming back to London. They will be bringing their production The Years to the Harold Pinter Theatre in London in January 2025. The Years had a sold out run at The Almeida Theatre in London in 2024. The play now moves to the West End. It is performed – in English – by the same outstanding cast that performed at The Almeida.

Another female director from the Netherlands who is currently in London is Emma Evelein. She is choreographing a new dance piece with the incredible British dance company Rambert. The show will tour the UK (and likely internationally too) from summer 2025.

Speaking of world-class contemporary dance, the brilliant Nederlands Dans Theater is performing at Factory International in Manchester from 19 to 22 February. They will dance Figures in Extinction (part 3), produced by Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite and English playwright Simon McBurney.

Many more projects are in the pipeline for 2025, but again: we’ll save that for later newsletters.

What is your favourite short film produced in the Netherlands in 2024?

The final event we want to mention in this newsletter is the London edition of the Shortcutz Film Festival. The Dutch Centre in London screens a whole range of Dutch shorts (with English subtitles) on 14 January and invites its audience to choose their favourite Dutch short film of the year.

That’s it from us. Happy Holidays!

Best wishes,
The Culture Team at the Dutch Embassy in London

Cultural Counsellor Astrid de Vries, Policy Officer Koen Guiking and Support Officer Trudy Barnes