May I Come In
Residents of The Hague’s Rivierenbuurt quarter have seen their surroundings change rapidly in recent years. Besides the high-rise residential blocks that have shot up all around, the municipality has also invested in the neighbourhood’s quality of life and social cohesion. Once listed as one of the Netherlands’ most challenging neighbourhoods, Rivierenbuurt has now transformed into a lively quarter in the centre of The Hague.
Amare’s arrival in this area makes for a major change. And not just for the occupants of Amare, but for local residents as well. Naturally, we want to make sure that everyone gets off on the right foot. That is why we will be visiting the neighbourhood to get acquainted with our neighbours as part of our project May I Come In.
How well do you know your neighbours?
“With the project May I Come In, we are focusing on encounters between residents and the people who work in that enormous building on Spuiplein,” Anthony Heidweiller explains. According to the initiator, Amare aims to serve as a shared living room for the whole of The Hague, but that is easier said than done. In order to make Amare into a place where everyone feels at home, the theatre and its partners will need to connect with the city and its people. To meet with each other, inspire each other, discover each other’s needs and learn about each other’s backgrounds. “That’s why we have set up the project Mag ik binnenkomen, or May I Come In, where we visit the people living around Amare,” Anthony says.
“The family I visited didn’t have much of a picture yet as to all that’s going to happen in Amare and the organisations that will be setting up shop there. We had a great chat for about half an hour and I’m sure that we’ll be seeing them again in Amare.”
- Lucienne, Royal Conservatoire
Talking leads to mutual understanding
It’s nothing new for theatre to be labelled as a white, elitist affair. However much we used to represent a monoculture in the past, it is now more important than ever that we open ourselves up to the outside world, hold up a mirror to society and engage with the multicultural city. Through discussions between the residents of Amare and the residents of The Hague, we can learn from each other, inspire each other, and gradually come to better understand each other.
Setting out into the Rivierenbuurt
Join Our Movement!
Would you like to take part in Mag ik binnenkomen? You’re more than welcome! The project is intended for the staff and students of Amare, Residentie Orkest, Nederlands Dans Theater and the Royal Conservatoire, and residents of The Hague’s Rivierenbuurt quarter. Once a month, a small group from Amare sets out to meet with local citizens. Naturally, these meetings take place in accordance with all of the RIVM’s corona rules.
To sign up, send an email with your name, telephone number and address details to binnenkomen@amare.nl. We will then contact you as soon as possible to provide more information and set a date.
You can also send any questions you may have to the same email address.
What other participants have said
“I went in with an open mind, and the conversations I had really showed me that the people of Rivierenbuurt are mainly very excited about Amare. People really appreciate these visits.” - Benjamin, executive secretary at Amare
“If it had just been up to me I probably wouldn’t have, but doing it as part of Amare, I was positively surprised by this project and the great chats I had with people. The only pity is that I was only able to enjoy one aria from the student of the Royal Conservatoire!” - Gijs, sound technician at Amare
“At first, I felt like I was meeting my new next-door neighbours for the first time. But at the end, I thought: we’ll definitely see them again in Amare.” - Margreet, event coordinator and relationship manager at NDT