New Island Festival of Arts Concludes

New Island Festival, the international arts festival that inhabited Governors Island this month, concluded its engagement on Sunday. Highlights included visits by Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, who spoke at the closing ceremony, HRH Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima, who attended the first week, and a performance by Armin van Buuren, the internationally acclaimed Dutch DJ.

More than 50,000 visitors came to Governors Island during the weekends of the New Island Festival. Visitors saw site-specific performances, explored and relaxed at The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, a 400-foot long table which acted as the centerpiece of the festival. Over 8000 tickets were sold to events including Orfeo, La Voix Humaine directed by Ivo van Hove, Under Construction by De Jongens, and Braakland. The Archeological Dig, which continues on the island through October 11, also brought crowds of curious audiences. Other shows and artists at the festival included well known artists and groups like Robert Wilson's Watermill Center and Dansgroep Amsterdam, it also featured lesser known artists like Jacob Rens and His Cow, and Iris Hond and her Flying Piano. The festival also marked the first time that Governors Island was open to the public at night.

Henk Scholten, Managing Director, said "We were thrilled to be able to bring something unique and new to New York. Both locals and tourists were attracted to the unusual setting and discovered the scores of Dutch and International Artists who contributed to the festival's special atmosphere."

American critics and journalists weighed in as well. The New York Times said that the NIF's Silent Disco was "an idea of startling brilliance." The Times also called choreographer Anouk Van Dijk's Shot "a hurtling, propulsive piece for four excellent dancers, and The Village Voice called La Voix Humaine, "a spare, raw, enormously effecting production...brought to incisive life by Halina Reijn." The New York Press called it "A magical evening with quirky performers, a 400-foot table packed with people gobbling up mashed potatoes, plenty of Heiniken and a cow lazing about. Yep, just your typical Sunday night in the city. Except it wasn't...The creative generosity of the Dutch performers and their friends seemed to know no bounds."

Many American theatre programmers visited the festival and attended a symposium last week where they discussed the challenges and rewards of bringing Dutch theatre to international audiences through programs like New Island Festival. The most asked question of the day was, "Will this happen again next year?" Henk Scholten said, "We would love to return, and look forward to pursuing the idea with partners."

The New Island Festival was created by Joop Mulder (Oerol Festival), Terts Brinkhoff (Boulevard of Broken Dreams/the Parade), Henk Scholten (Theater Instituut Nederland), and David Binder.

The New Island Festival combined works that have previously been featured in the world-renowned Dutch "Oerol" and "De Parade" festivals, providing opportunities for artists to create site-specific works on the island. All of Governors Island was utilized: the waterfront promenade, historic homes, barracks and open green spaces.

The New Island Festival was 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.

Co-presenters were The Joyce Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Performance Space 122, St. Anne's Warehouse, Dance New Amsterdam, The Figment Festival, HERE Arts Center and The Under The Radar Festival. Amstel Light, Heineken, ING, Time Out New York and TheaterMania.com were the official sponsors of the festival.

New Island Festival was made possible by NY400, Oerol Festival, Mobile Arts, Theater Instituut Nederland, City of Amsterdam, Flanders House, 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.

For more information visit www.NewIslandFestival.com