About the Theatre of Remembrance
Theatre of Remembrance throughout Europe
On January 27th, young people throughout Europe strengthen the significance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day through theatrical commemoration performances. In January 2025 there will be performances in Turin, Budapest, Berlin, Bratislava, Prague, Warsaw, Goleniów, Helsingør, and Amsterdam as part of the manifestation Theatre of Remembrance, a project initiated by our parent organisation, Theater Na de Dam.
This year marks the 6th edition of Theatre of Remembrance. In the past years there have been projects in Berlin, Brussels, Warsaw, Prague, Kopenhagen, Kaunas, Turin, Budapest, Lviv, Goleniów, and Bratislava. You can read more about previous editions of the Theatre of Remembrance under the ‘Past editions’ section.
How it Started
Theatre of Remembrance is an initiative of the Dutch organisation Theater Na de Dam. On the 4th of May, The Netherlands commemorate the Second World War all over the country, with the largest (and televised) commemoration being on De Dam in Amsterdam. Right after this, theatres all over the country open their doors for audiences to broaden and deepen the commemoration via simultaneously presented theatre performances of all sorts.
Theater Na de Dam started with seven performances in 2010 in Amsterdam and last year on the 4th of May, over 140 performances took place all over the Netherlands. Both established theatre companies and artists as well as the more fringe and local theatre groups participate in this theatrical manifestation.
Youngster Projects
An important part of Theater Na de Dam are the youngster projects. On the 4th of May (and sometimes on the 5th and 6th as well), youngsters ages 12-20 perform in theatre projects across the country.These projects are small in size and production but big and deep in impact. They start a couple of months before the 4th of May when the youngsters meet and speak to elderly people (or their family members) who were young during the Second World War. Together with historical information about the performance location or city, these stories form the inspiration for the theatre performance that the young people make together with a professional theatre-maker in the weeks after that. Not only the history, but also how this history reflects on today’s life and society is part of the performance.
Since 2018, Theater Na de Dam has initiated an international version of these youngster projects, with projects all over Europe to be performed on International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27). This project is called Theatre of Remembrance, and has grown bigger and bigger ever since the start. The edition of January 2025 counts 10 projects in 8 different countries.
In 2023 we created a video about best practices regarding these youngster projects. This video was made to inspire the creators of these projects.
The Theatre of Remembrance is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
