Bekijk dit filmpje uit ons archief van choreograaf Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, lang geleden opgenomen in de Concertzaal van Felix Meritis.

Bron: onze partner Stichting Shaffy Theater.

Will it ever be possible to define the European Union?

Read here the Indian tale about the men who went to see the elephant, though all of them were blind. Applying the metaphor to the European Union, the tale expresses sincere doubt as to whether it will ever be possible to define the EU.

Jaap Hoeksma, Philosopher of Law, Director of Euroknow and Creator of the Boardgame Eurocracy, claims that the Soul of Europe lies in her common democracy. Published by the Peace Palace Library Blog.

9 November 2015
Allianz Forum, Berlin

“A Soul for Europe” is delighted to announce the Berlin Conference 2015 to take place on 9 November 2015. Please mark the date in your agenda and plan to join us in Berlin for this annual very special gathering!

We look forward to discussing with you
• The challenges of our shared European values and their encounters with authoritarian policies and tendencies of renationalization
• South East Europe and South West Europe as examples for multiethnic, multireligious and multilingual spaces for co-existence
• Cities and their citizens as motors for European integration
• and other topics we are developing in cooperation with you and all our partners.

The discussion will be preceded on 8 November by a conference focusing on right-wing extremism in European cities and strategies to deal with it, and followed by the annual “Europa-Rede” (The State of Europe speech) in the evening, held by Donald Tusk at the invitation of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Robert Bosch Stiftung and Stiftung Zukunft Berlin.

More information on the website of A Soul for Europe.

Donderdag 19 februari 2015
Aanvang: 18.00 uur
Toegang: gratis

Book launch:
Felix Meritis Foundation is, als mede oprichter, bestuurslid én het Amsterdamse secretariaat van A Soul for Europe verheugd dat Europa Verlag Berlin een bundel met teksten van vele leden van A Soul for Europe heeft uitgebracht; o. a. bijdragen van György Konrad, Amsterdam Fellow van Felix; Alicja Gescinska, vriend en regelmatige gast van Felix Meritis; Giusy Chierchia en Daniela Maffeo, Amsterdamse leden van de Strategy Group rond Felix en Steve Austen, Permanent Fellow. De officiële presentatie vindt plaats in Berlijn in het Collegium Hungaricum Berlin.

Kijk voor meer informatie op de website van A Soul for Europe.

Over “Europa eine Seele geben”:
What characterizes Europe apart from institutions and regulations? Committed citizens from 17 European states contributed to the anthology “Europa eine Seele geben” published by A Soul for Europe, which has been co-founded by the anthology’s editor’s Nele Hertling and Volker Hassemer and exists for more than ten years now. The core thesis of the anthology is that Europe can only grow together if we reflect on its cultural values which make Europe so unique, such as freedom, solidarity, free market economy, equality and the rule of law. “To build up Europe means to integrate national history, values systems and the promotion of intercultural dialogue”.

How this central theme of the initiative can be realized will be discussed by the editors with two contributors to the anthology, Fruzsina Szép (Head of Berlin Festival) and Andreas Bock (Senior editor of europtopics). Moderation: Andreas Wang (NDR/ chair NDR/ SZ top nonfiction list).

Regelmatige gasten bij debatten in Felix Meritis nu gebundeld in de Routledge uitgave: Reframing Europe’s Future.

Bezoekers van Felix zullen in de bijdragen van Jaap Hoeksma, Steve Austen en Ferenc Mislevetz veel terugvinden van de workshops in Felix waaraan zij samen of individueel in de loop der jaren hebben deelgenomen. Nu samen met andere auteurs in een zeer lezenswaardige update.

Mocht u in de buurt zijn ga dan even naar de presentatie in het Europees parlement, waar medeauteur Jaap Hoeksma acte de presence zal geven.

U kunt het boek natuurlijk ook bestellen via Routledge of Amazon.

Dinsdag 3 februari
Aanvang: 18.00 uur
Waar: Europees parlement, kamer ASP 1 E – E

Woensdag 14 januari 2015
Aanvang: 17.00 uur
Island Bookstore
Westerstraat 15, Amsterdam

In januari 2015 verschijnt van Dick Pels het essay Van welk Europa houden wij?

Pels geeft een nieuwe impuls aan de Europese idee aan de hand van de formule “overwinning van de sociale angst”. Het probeert Europese kernwaarden als vrijheid, democratie, gelijkheid en diversiteit nieuw leven in te blazen door de populistische kaping ervan serieus te nemen en kritisch te verwerken. Europa heeft wel degelijk een ziel en de rijkdom van de Europese cultuur kan een hefboom zijn om de spoken van het europessimisme te verdrijven.

Het essay zal feestelijk gepresenteerd worden in Island Bookstore in Amsterdam. Journalist en hoogleraar Europese studies Paul Scheffer zal het eerste exemplaar in ontvangst nemen.

Meer informatie:
Uitgeverij Cossee: tel. 020 528 99 11 / email: redactie@cossee.com

Een uitgave van Uitgeverij Cossee i.s.m. Genootschap Felix Meritis/Felix Meritis Foundation.

The one-day discussion entitled Cities for Europe – Freedom. Responsibility. Action was organized in cooperation with Riga 2014, European Capital of Culture, and with the support of Goethe Institute Riga.

Together with representatives of past, present and future European Capitals of Culture, with politicians and civil society actors, we explored the following questions:

– Can Riga be seen as a “model” for an ECoC?
– How can a positive process during an ECoC year be sustained?
– Can the EU have a responsibility after the end of the year?
– How can cities and citizens actively contribute to the European unification process in cooperation with political decision makers?
– What is the role of citizens in the development of democracy and preservation of freedom?

Participants included Māra Lāce, Director of the Latvian National Arts Museum, Ukrainian writer Andrei Kurkov, MEPs Arne Lietz and Inese Vaidere, Henri Malosse, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, as well as Jiři Sulzenko, Programme Director of Plzen 2015 and member of the “A Soul for Europe” Strategy Group.

The discussions were accompanied by a “Marketplace Europe”: Projects and activities from different parts of Europe illustrated how citizens experience and strenghten Europe every day in their cities and regions. Best practice examples can also be found on the “Cities for Europe” website.

Watch the video recording of Forum Riga (in English, Latvian and German) here. For impressions of the conference, please visit the website of A Soul for Europe.

The Strategy Group was set up and its work is made possible with ongoing financial support from the Robert Bosch Stiftung.

Download here the paper The Decisive Deal: A European Resolution on Culture, Values, Democracy and Citizenship

The European House for Culture (EHfC) is organising a roundtable discussion on December 10th 2014 in Brussels, bringing together approximately 50 influential personalities.

The EHfC, as part of the Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe, embarked on a programme for the 2014 European elections called The Decisive Deal: A European Resolution on Culture, Values, Democracy and Citizenship. The participatory process has gathered citizens’ ideas from across Europe and developed them during various events and online during 2012-2013.

This citizen-sourced process finished gathering concepts at the Brussels Conversations 2013 and reached a ‘decisive’ phase in 2014. Developed together with high-level politicians, these proposals and demands were presented as a citizen’s pact to the top candidates to the European elections at the occasion of the Berlin Conference in March 2014. Now that the new Parliament and the new Commission are in place we will work with elected leaders of all parties at local, national and European level and to realize the goal of implementing this Decisive Deal: A European Resolution on Culture, Values, Democracy and Citizenship in the next 5-year political term.

The members of the EHfC and the Brussels Conversations 2014 have an important role to play in this process. In view of a long term planning and concrete action plan to be agreed upon, we ask participants to share their view on the concrete topics, actions and visions for the next 5 years in order to have a decision from the political level (EP & Member states & others) and to be developed further by citizens, individuals including politicians.

The society Felix Meritis (cofounder and manager of the A Soul for Europe initiative) is participating in the proposition and production of the European Resolution for Culture.

Conference and round table discussion
Wednesday 10 December 2014
09:30 – 15.00 hrs
De Munt/La Monnaie, Brussels

The European House for Culture (EHfC) is organising a roundtable discussion in De Munt/La Monnaie bringing together approximately 50 influential personalities in order to realize the goal of implementing The Decisive Deal: A European Resolution on Culture, Values, Democracy and Citizenship in the next 5-year political term.

This programme is set up by the Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe, based on citizens’ ideas gathered from all over Europe during various events and online in 2012-2013. At the Brussels Conversations 2013 those ideas were gathered and subsequently presented as a citizen’s pact to the top candidates of the European elections at the occasion of the Berlin Conference in March 2014. Following the 2014 European elections the main goal is to realize implementation in cooperation with elected leaders of all parties at local, national and European level.

During the Brussels Conversations 2014 participants are supposed to share their views on topics, actions, and visions for the next 5 years in order to agree on concrete action plans and long term planning. The outcomes shall be put on the agenda of the A Soul for Europe Advisory Board and the Berlin Conference Steering Committee. Following up, definitions of concrete topics and actions shall be elaborated and further developed by the ASfE strategy group and the EHfC members and partners in view of the next Berlin Conference in autumn 2015.

Questions to be discussed during the Brussels Conversations are, for instance, what proposals should be presented and what actions should be proposed? The major task is to present clear and concise ideas, questions, and demands to policy makers to ensure that the working document will be regarded as a proposal for resolutions by the European Parliament to eventually inspire action in the European Council and the Member States, as well as on the local level.

The Brussels Conversations 2014 are considered as part of a collaborative work process to European democracy by shaping citizens demands and ideas for the future of the European Union.

The society Felix Meritis (cofounder and manager of the A Soul for Europe initiative) is participating in the proposition and production of the European Resolution for Culture.

Video Records

The international “Riga 2014” forum “Cities for Europe – Freedom. Responsibility. Action.” was held at the Citadel conference centre in Riga on the 11th of November to discuss the inalienable value of freedom and the role of cities and citizens in strengthening the European unification process and democracy. Watch the video record of the forum here.

This year, “Riga 2014” organised the international forum together with the European non-governmental organisation “A Soul for Europe”, with support from the Goethe Institute in Latvia.

Donderdag 20 november (concert)
Aanvang: 20:30
Toegang is gratis. Wij waarderen uw gift na afloop

Foam is weg uit Felix Meritis, het gebouw is verkocht en daartussen is een gat gevallen.

Oud-medewerkers van Felix Meritis hebben daarom het plan opgevat om in deze tussentijd weer leven in het gebouw te brengen. Met medewerking van Rosita Wouda (voormalig zakelijk leider Schönberg Ensemble van Reinbert de Leeuw) zijn een aantal gezelschappen en ensembles bereid gevonden in de Concertzaal te spelen. Dit is de oudste Concertzaal van Nederland, waar keizer Napoléon nog eens te gast was en vanaf het balkon de zaal aanschouwde tijdens ‘zijn’ Keizerlijk Bal (1811).

Het Goldberg Strijktrio is het eerste ensemble dat optreedt in een reeks van vooralsnog drie concerten. Zij brengen de beroemde Goldberg Variaties van J.S. Bach ten gehore.

Viool: Cécile Gouder de Beauregard
Altviool: Anna Magdalena den Herder
Cello: Marcus van den Munckhof

Tot ziens in de Concertzaal!

Zondag 23 november (concert)
Aanvang: 20:30
Toegang: € 14,-
€10 for pre-order and €14 at the door!

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION

The second concert in a new series of concerts in Felix Meritis promises to be a jazzy night featuring Doek. Doek will showcase three ensembles that highlight different aspects of Doek’s music.

Doek aims to develop and present improvisation in all its diversity and these three groups certainly reflect that vision. Wilbert de Joode will play in trio with two of the most active young expats around, Kaja Draksler and Ada Rave. They will perform a completely improvised set. Then John Dikeman, the youngest member of Doek, will perform a solo set. It will be improvised to the extent that he has no idea what he’ll do. Perhaps compositions may pop up, or it may be fully improvised from beginning to end.

The evening will conclude with one of our funkiest ensembles, Available Jelly. Mixing improvisation with original compositions and the occasional standard or folk melody, Available Jelly is guaranteed to get the party started.

Line up:
Kaja Draksler piano, Ada Rave saxophone, Wilbert de Joode bass
John Dikeman saxophone solo
Available Jelly Michael Moore – saxophone, Eric Boeren – cornet, Wolter Wierbos – trombone, Arjen Gorter – bass, Michael Vatcher – drums

Dinsdag 25 november (concert)
Aanvang: 20:30
Toegang: € 20,-

KLIK HIER VOOR TICKETS EN MEER INFORMATIE

Twee jaar na het overlijden van de geestelijk vader van het bekende Canto Ostinato, Simeon ten Holt, voert het jubilerende Cello8ctet Amsterdam de nieuwste versie van dit mysterieuze werk uit.

In 2012 zocht één van de cellisten Simeon ten Holt op in zijn woonplaats in Bergen om hem om toestemming te vragen een bewerking te laten maken voor het octet. De componist was direct enthousiast en gaf zijn fiat. Marijn van Prooijen schreef het arrangement dat in de zomer van 2012 in Bergen in première ging.

De componist vroeg met klem aan het octet om dit arrangement op cd uit te brengen. Aldus geschiedde… Een unieke cd van een zeer bijzonder werk dat nu wordt uitgevoerd in de Concertzaal van Felix Meritis.

• A Soul for Europe: http://www.asoulforeurope.eu/
• The Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University (AMSU): http://www.amsu.edu/en/

Een bewerking van het Felix Meritis Essay Wie in vrede geboren is, mist de oorlog niet: Europa, Vrede, Veiligheid en Burgerschap, een hoopgevende relatie van Steve Austen is opgenomen in een nieuwe bundel over Europa van de Amerikaanse uitgever Routledge en is nu te bestellen bij Amazon via de Amazon website.