With the addition of the art form ‘language’, De Betovering keeps inspiring and challenging children

Fans of De Betovering know that theatre, music, visual arts, dance, and film have long been staples of the festival. This autumn break, a new art form joins the line-up: language. It’s a conscious choice to spark curiosity among children — and an important addition for the city now that the literary children’s festival Boekids has left The Hague. In the festival program, you’ll find performances by children’s book authors, spoken word acts, storytelling sessions, and creative poetry workshops. The full festival program is now online.

Festival director Miriam Duiker explains why: “Language helps children think, learn, and connect. It allows them to express themselves better and understand the world around them. Like other art forms, literature stimulates imagination and creativity — and that’s exactly what De Betovering strives for.”

Collaboration

To develop this new program line, De Betovering looked for new partners in The Hague. “We started conversations with Qissa, since our organizations share the mission of giving a stage to a diverse range of creators and their stories. With this program, we want to encourage the sharing of stories. We’re also collaborating again with fellow festival Writers Unlimited this year. Author Nancy Bosmans will read from The Girl with the Seeds in Her Hair at Vrouwenbuurtlab in Laak,” says festival programmer Suzanne Prosman.

Huis van Gedichten will host multiple poetry workshops at the new festival venue GR8. The Dutch Caribbean Book Club invited Ida Does and Milouska Meulens to give readings at De Vaillant. Of course, Huis van het Boek, The Hague Public Libraries, and the Haags Hip Hop Centrum are also back on board.

Children’s Books

Children’s books have always been a great source of inspiration for youth theatre, and the festival week is a perfect extension of Kinderboekenweek (Children’s Book Week). This year’s festival includes performances based on beloved books such as The Little Prince, The Knight Without a Bum, Just the Way You Are, I’ll Stay (If That’s Okay), Princess Arabella: The Musical, and Bat Mouse.

Program Now Online

During the autumn break, De Betovering once again takes over the entire city — with over 400 activities for children aged 0–12.
From today, you can explore all performances, workshops, and activities at www.debetovering.nl.