Holland's New Island Festival Comes To NYC's Governors Island 9/10-13, 9/17-20
By: Gabrielle Sierra Jun. 10, 2009
Direct from Holland, the New Island Festival will set up stakes on New York City's Governors Island from September 10-13 and again from September 17-20. The festival will kick off the fall with concerts, exhilarating DJ sets, provocative theatre, stunning site specific performance and dazzling visual arts, performed by world class Dutch performers. More than 100 artists will perform during the festival.
Portions of the festival will be free to the public. A select number of performances will require paid tickets, which can be purchased in advance or upon arrival on the Island. Visitors can also purchase a festival pass, which will provide them with access to all events for the duration of the festival.
The New Island Festival brings the greatest elements of European outdoor performing arts festivals to Governors Island. It will combine works that have previously been featured in the world-renowned Dutch "Oerol and De Parade Festival" and provide opportunities for artists to create site-specific works on the Island. All of Governors Island will be the stage for the Dutch, who will utilize the waterfront promenade, historic homes, barracks and open green spaces to re-imagine this Island in the middle of New York Harbor.
Highlights of the festival include the return of Director's Ivo van Hove's Toneelgroep Amsterdam (credits include last season's Opening Night at BAM and his acclaimed productions of Hedda Gabler and A Streetcar Named Desire at New York Theatre Workshop); TUIG's Salto Vitale, an enormous site specific outdoor spectacle that has toured summer festivals all over Europe; and the US premiere of Silent Disco - a joyous dance party where all the participants wear headphones. The complete program will be announced in the coming weeks.
Producer David Binder, whose credits range from Broadway's 33 Variations starring Jane Fonda to off-Broadway's edgy hit Fuerza Bruta, said "The Dutch excel at creating unusual work in non-traditional spaces that is innovative, brilliant and just plain fun. New Island Festival will do for the performing arts in The Netherlands what Fuerza Bruta and De la Guarda have done for Argentina. It's going to be a spectacular 10 days of performances and parties."
The New Island Festival is part of NY400, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage from Amsterdam to New York Harbor, and commemorates 400 years of enduring friendship between the Netherlands and the United States. Frans Timmermans, Minister for European Affairs and Cabinet coordinator for NY400, said "New Island Festival will celebrate our common history and strengthen the cultural networks and relationships between New York and the Netherlands." "Governors Island is a home for the arts," said Leslie Koch, President of the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation. "We are so pleased to introduce a new kind of festival to New York City here on Governors Island."
New Island Festival comes to New York under the artistic leadership of Joop Mulder and Terts Brinkhoff. David Binder and Eric Bijleveld are producers, and Henk Scholten is general manager. Co-presenters are New York Theatre Workshop, The Joyce Theater, and The Figment Festival.
Amstel Light, Heineken and Time Out New York are the official sponsors of the festival.
New Island Festival is made possible by NY400, Oerol Festival, Mobile Arts, Netherlands Theatre Institute, City of Amsterdam, The Province of Fryslân, and the Consulate General of The Netherlands in New York.
New Island Festival thanks the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation, Mayor Bloomberg and the City of New York.
TICKETS AND HOURS OF OPERATION
New Island Festival will play Thursday-Sunday on the following schedule:
Thursday & Friday Noon to Midnight
Saturday 10:00 AM to Midnight
Sunday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
A festival pass to this spectacular international event will be just $35 and allows entry to all events for the duration of the festival; single tickets will be available beginning at $5 per event. All performances are in English. The festival will be accessible via a free ferry from southern Manhattan.
The Governors Island Ferry departs from the Battery Maritime Building located adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry terminal is accessible by subway: the 1 to South Ferry, on weekdays the 4 or 5 to Bowling Green, weekdays the W to Whitehall and R on weekends and weekdays to Whitehall.
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