Wave of Dutch youth arts in US

A joint effort of Dutch Performing Arts, the CGNY, Eye International, Netherlands Film Fund, Cinekid, Dutch Foundation for Literature, and DutchCulture, the programme aims to stimulate the dissemination and visibility of Dutch youth arts as well as cultural exchange and partnerships with renowned US-based presenters and organisations.

Uniquely Dutch
Dutch youth arts are known for their artistry and high production value while often tackling challenging subjects, ranging from the commercial to the chaotic, the playful to provocative and poetic, the silly to the serious, and everything in between. In the Netherlands, filmmakers, writers and performers take children and their personal experiences seriously. Unafraid to take artistic risks, publicly-funded makers in particular like to go off the beaten path of typical children’s stories and address topical issues head-on. At the same time, Dutch youth arts are characterized by their sense of humor, playfulness and light take on things, and are equally enjoyed by grown-ups. DutchCulture has picked up on the rise of Dutch youth arts internationally and is publishing a series on Culture for Kids, in which we elaborate the history of our playful upbringing. At the Conference International Culture for kids we exchanged ideas on the uniqueness of Dutch youth arts and presented outstanding showcases.

What’s on?
Dutch work will be presented at events and venues such as IPAY Showcase, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Kennedy Center, New York International Children’s Film Festival and Brooklyn Book Festival. Presenters and agencies are invited to attend screenings, readings and performances, meet directors, writers and performers, and discuss opportunities for collaboration and exchange. For more information and the schedule so far, please visit Never Grow Up!