Mimbre and Daryl and Co at Lieve Vrouwekerkhof © Frits Weener

Spoffin 2023: this was the festival!

 27-08-2023

Anyone who found themselves in the city center of Amersfoort during the last weekend of August couldn't ignore it: Spoffin was back! With a special and diverse program full of artists from the Netherlands and abroad, the thirteenth edition of the festival for street- and location theater in Amersfoort was a success. In between the showers, the best circus companies, most impressive dancers, funniest slapstick acts and much more presented themselves at various locations in and around the city. Over the entire weekend, Spoffin 2023 attracted approximately 30,000 visitors. 

Artistic director Alfred Konijnenbelt looks back on a successful Spoffin 2023. More than 25 acts from the Netherlands and abroad made their appearance at the thirteenth edition of Spoffin. Across the entire line of the weekend, several favorite acts came along, both among the public and at Konijnenbelt itself. ,,What I really enjoyed is the performance of Mimbre and Daryl & Co, there was so much positivity in it! But so many beautiful things have come along. Small, intimate performances, but also large ones that you couldn't ignore. The Teatro Necessario performance was an absolute audience favourite, as was Mr. Mustache. I am also very happy with the two co-productions that were shown, by Jori Hermsen and Theater Gajes and by Estrella Smith. Both performances were created in collaboration with Spoffin, and we are very proud of that.”

Italy as focus country 

Every year Spoffin chooses a focus country, and this year the focus is on the land of pizza, pasta and good wine, but also of fantastic street theatre: Italy! This year Italy was chosen as the focus country because the country has undergone enormous development in the field of street and location theater in recent years. Spoffin reaped the benefits of this this year in the form of performances by Italian acts such as Teatro Necessario, Mr. Mustache, Cecilia Rosso and Circo in Rotta. “Italian street theater can be very classic, but also very modern. We were able to show that breadth at Spoffin this year.”

VKZ Spoffin OFF Award 

The VKZ Spoffin OFF Award was also presented again this year. The Dutch dance company Collectief DansBlok won the VKZ Spoffin OFF Award 2023 on the Sunday of the thirteenth edition of Spoffin. The act received the award from festival director and artistic director Alfred Konijnenbelt and with it a cash prize of € 2,500 for creating a new performance. “I think it's great to see that Collectief DansBlok came out as the winner,” says Konijnenbelt. ,,FRAME is not an unambiguous, easy representation. The fact that this is the favorite says something beautiful about our audience.”

Spoffin 2024 

Spoffin 2023 has only just ended, but the plans for the next edition are already ready. On August 23, 24 and 25, 2024, the festival will take over the city center of Amersfoort again. That year the focus is on the Baltic States and Konijnenbelt is already busy programming artists from that country. “A lot of modern street theatre, especially dance and circus theatre, comes from the Baltic States. That promises to be a special program.”

Keep an eye on Spoffin's website and social media for more information about the next edition.

 Spoffin

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Mimbre and Daryl and Co at Lieve Vrouwekerkhof © Frits Weener

Spoffin 2023: this was the festival!

 27-08-2023

Anyone who found themselves in the city center of Amersfoort during the last weekend of August couldn't ignore it: Spoffin was back! With a special and diverse program full of artists from the Netherlands and abroad, the thirteenth edition of the festival for street- and location theater in Amersfoort was a success. In between the showers, the best circus companies, most impressive dancers, funniest slapstick acts and much more presented themselves at various locations in and around the city. Over the entire weekend, Spoffin 2023 attracted approximately 30,000 visitors. 

Artistic director Alfred Konijnenbelt looks back on a successful Spoffin 2023. More than 25 acts from the Netherlands and abroad made their appearance at the thirteenth edition of Spoffin. Across the entire line of the weekend, several favorite acts came along, both among the public and at Konijnenbelt itself. ,,What I really enjoyed is the performance of Mimbre and Daryl & Co, there was so much positivity in it! But so many beautiful things have come along. Small, intimate performances, but also large ones that you couldn't ignore. The Teatro Necessario performance was an absolute audience favourite, as was Mr. Mustache. I am also very happy with the two co-productions that were shown, by Jori Hermsen and Theater Gajes and by Estrella Smith. Both performances were created in collaboration with Spoffin, and we are very proud of that.”

Italy as focus country 

Every year Spoffin chooses a focus country, and this year the focus is on the land of pizza, pasta and good wine, but also of fantastic street theatre: Italy! This year Italy was chosen as the focus country because the country has undergone enormous development in the field of street and location theater in recent years. Spoffin reaped the benefits of this this year in the form of performances by Italian acts such as Teatro Necessario, Mr. Mustache, Cecilia Rosso and Circo in Rotta. “Italian street theater can be very classic, but also very modern. We were able to show that breadth at Spoffin this year.”

VKZ Spoffin OFF Award 

The VKZ Spoffin OFF Award was also presented again this year. The Dutch dance company Collectief DansBlok won the VKZ Spoffin OFF Award 2023 on the Sunday of the thirteenth edition of Spoffin. The act received the award from festival director and artistic director Alfred Konijnenbelt and with it a cash prize of € 2,500 for creating a new performance. “I think it's great to see that Collectief DansBlok came out as the winner,” says Konijnenbelt. ,,FRAME is not an unambiguous, easy representation. The fact that this is the favorite says something beautiful about our audience.”

Spoffin 2024 

Spoffin 2023 has only just ended, but the plans for the next edition are already ready. On August 23, 24 and 25, 2024, the festival will take over the city center of Amersfoort again. That year the focus is on the Baltic States and Konijnenbelt is already busy programming artists from that country. “A lot of modern street theatre, especially dance and circus theatre, comes from the Baltic States. That promises to be a special program.”

Keep an eye on Spoffin's website and social media for more information about the next edition.

 
 

Browse back