Forever European – In Memoriam Arthur Sonnen

DutchCulture is incredibly saddened to hear of the passing away of Arthur Sonnen, whom we remember as a tireless and ever-curious colleague and advocate of the arts and international cultural cooperation. Notably, his love and dedication for the shared European cultural space live on in the connections, work, and memories of all the colleagues he inspired. On behalf of DutchCulture’s predecessor SICA, Arthur played a key role as a founding member of the influential EUNIC Global network, and its local cluster, EUNIC Netherlands, serving on its board as Secretary. He stressed the value of the arts and advocated for stronger connections to Europe and a European identity.

His career in the international performing arts dates back to 1979, when he became theater programmer of the Holland Festival under the then new director Frans de Ruiter. For the festival, he brought performances by Heiner Müller, George Tabori, and Ariane Mnouchkine, among others, to the Netherlands.

In 1986, he initiated the Dutch-Flemish Theater Festival, a festival formula based on the Berlin Theatertreffen, to which the ten most interesting performances from the Netherlands and Flanders were invited annually, and where the state of affairs in the theater could be gathered. Thanks to his efforts, extensive reporting of the jury choices and discussions at the festival took place every year.

Arthur then worked for SICA (Foundation for International Cultural Activities), which later became DutchCulture, and PLETA (Platform European Theater Academies). He also continued to teach dramaturgy at the Maastricht Theater Academy, a role he had held since 1974. He became involved in national debates about arts and art policy, where he continued to emphasize several points of view: the role of theatre in society and the superior performance practice of the Dutch performing arts. He also collaborated with the Boekman Foundation to co-edit the book Identifying with Europe.

Colleagues remember him fondly for his curiosity, his support, and his commitment to the work of DutchCulture long after he worked for the organization in any official capacity - a wandering mentor who never forgot his cheer. A wise and energetic advocate of international cultural collaboration will be missed.