Oerol Festival has grown since 1981 to become the largest site-specific arts festival in Europe – and all this on a small Wadden Sea island in the north of the Netherlands.
Each year, the festival attracts around 50,000 visitors and provides space for both premieres by established groups as well as work by young makers. The diverse programme of approximately 25 site-specific performances, street theatre, music, visual arts, storytelling, talks, and deepening experiences, makes Oerol more than just a festival; it is a breeding ground for site-specific theatre, with the nature and culture of Terschelling as its main protagonist. Street theatre fills the villages with circus and spectacle, the visual arts-programme allows you to discover the island through art installations, and festival hub de Deining is the beating heart of the festival on the North Sea beach.
The name ‘Oerol’ originates from an old Terschelling tradition, where in the spring, livestock grazed ‘oerol’ (meaning ‘everywhere’ in the Terschelling dialect) in the meadows outside the villages. Although the tradition disappeared after the Second World War, the name lives on in the festival.
Dive into our forty-year history
Oerol is facing financial challenges. The organisation is on the verge of throwing in the towel. Joop wanted to announce this to the public on the last day of the festival, but he saw how happy everyone was and asked: ‘Should we stop or should we continue?’. The resounding cheers from the audience led to a continuation, albeit with some bumps along the way.
Once again, the festival was put to the test by financial troubles. Joop announced at the opening that negotiations with the Ministry of Culture and the provincial government of Friesland had come to nothing, and that this was indeed the last edition of Oerol. Disappointed visitors left the island. Fortunately, shortly thereafter a solution was found!
Watch the video here.
Three times is… not the charm! On the final day of Oerol, Joop Mulder once again announced that the survival of the festival was threatened. Despite a record number of visitors (55,000) attending, the organisation was once again in sticky financial straits. The government funding of €180,000 was not sufficient to continue organising the festival in the following years. ‘We need at least €400,000, otherwise it won’t go ahead next year,’ Joop said on the last day of the 23rd Oerol edition. In 2005, the structural support for the festival was expanded, securing the 24th edition.
Oerol secures a stable position in the system and becomes part of the Dutch Basic Cultural Infrastructure (BIS) with modest national structural support.
‘Joop Mulder, Daddy Oerol, had the motto: understand where you are, with the wind in your ears and the salt on your tongue.’
The history and present of the festival are filled with challenges, but the Oerol DNA of our predecessors continues to permeate the organisation. This rich, forty-year history inspires us daily to use art as a catalyst for a better world. We look to the future with enthusiasm, passion, and a healthy anticipation. Always keeping in mind the words of our founder and inspiration, Joop Mulder:
‘If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.’