Resonanz

Opera, urban dance, theatre, live music and urban sports come together to create something new.

That is RESONANZ. We bring classical culture to the streets and street culture to the stage. In this way, we create space for new artists, new audiences and new energy in the Dutch-German border region.

RESONANZ officially launched on 1 June 2026. At its core are five partners: Maaspoort, D’Haus Junges Schauspiel, Nieuwe Helden Next Level, House of Movement and Viva Classic Live. Together, we are building a single shared platform for creativity. Not a project run from a single organisation, but a vibrant, cross-border cultural network.

Pillar 1: Talent development

RESONANZ gives young creators space to develop further. They get access to coaching, master classes, international exchange, practical experience and professional stages. This includes a lot of attention to talent that does not naturally fit within the existing theatre or training routes.

One of the first routes is the Viva Classic Vocal Contest 2026, with the semi-final on 22 June at Deutsche Oper am Rhein and the final with orchestra on 30 August in Domani Venlo. In addition, new pathways are emerging for urban makers, choreographers, performers and creative professionals who want to deepen their practice.

Pillar 2: Co-creation and experimentation

In RESONANZ, it is not just about performing, but above all about making together. Open Spaces are being created in four cities: accessible places where makers can rehearse, try, fail, start again and meet each other. At Maaspoort, this ties in with the further development of BACKSTAGE.

In addition, crossover labs are an important part of the programme. Here, makers from different worlds work together on new material. Think opera with urban dance, theatre with breaking or live music with urban sports. The results are presented to audiences on both sides of the border.

Pillar 3: Major productions

The development within RESONANZ culminates in three major cross-border co-productions.

The first year of the project will focus on ‘Urban meets Opera ’. The flagship production is *Samurai X*, inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s *Seven Samurai*. The production brings together urban dance, martial arts, live music and opera in a large-scale theatrical production under the artistic direction of Takao Baba and Mischa Tangian. The premiere will take place on 26 September 2026 in Düsseldorf. In May 2027, the production will come to Venlo.

In the second year of the project, ‘Opera meets Urban’, the programme moves beyond the theatre. Through a tour of indoor and outdoor skateparks in the border region, classical vocal talent and urban crews will be actively involved in the production.

In the third year of the project, ‘Urban Opera’ will emerge: a new hybrid form building on three years of research, encounters and collaboration. Through this, Resonanz aims to reach new audiences, ranging from urban communities to lovers of the classical performing arts.

Pillar 4: Storytelling and knowledge-sharing

RESONANZ is not just about creating, but also about telling, sharing and passing on. The stories, creators and artistic developments within the programme are translated into contemporary forms of storytelling, such as video formats, online platforms and new narrative forms.

In addition, RESONANZ invests in knowledge-sharing and networking. Through meetings, symposia and exchanges between creators, cultural institutions, urban communities, educational bodies and social partners, the knowledge gained is actively shared. In this way, the impact of RESONANZ can continue to be felt in the border region even after the programme has ended.

"Cross-pollination creates a new cultural language that connects creators, institutions and audiences." Leon Thommassen, director-director Maaspoort

The people behind RESONANZ

RESONANZ exists because five key partners from Limburg and North Rhine-Westphalia have joined forces. Not in a meeting room, but in practice, on stages and in rehearsal rooms on both sides of the border.

Maaspoort is the lead organisation and driving force. Venlo’s cultural centre believes in one thing: it can be done here. That conviction drives RESONANZ forward. Maaspoort opens its doors, brings the parties together and ensures that creators are given the space they need to really take a chance.

D’Haus Junges Schauspiel Düsseldorf knows better than anyone how to create theatre for a new generation of audiences. With their experience in theatre for young audiences, social themes and interdisciplinary projects, they bring a solid theatrical foundation to RESONANZ.

House of Movement from Mönchengladbach is at the heart of the urban dance scene. Through battles, training sessions, community events and talent development, they know exactly where new talent is emerging and what young creators need to continue to grow.

Nieuwe Helden Next Level from Roermond works with young people and emerging artists on theatre and participatory projects that are closely connected to society. They forge links with young communities, bring stories from the region to the fore, and showcase artists who do not always find their way onto the stage via the traditional route.

Viva Classic Live from Venlo takes classical music out of the concert hall and puts young vocal talent in the spotlight. Founder Sef Thissen sums up the initiative: “Opera doesn’t just belong in theatres. With Resonanz, we’re bringing art onto the streets and showing that classical and urban music give each other wings.”

This is supported by a strong group of associate partners: Street Culture Venlo, Urbanatix, Theater de Oranjerie, Opera Zuid, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, tanzhaus nrw, Via Zuid and ZAV Künstlervermittlung Köln. Together, they provide additional expertise, performance venues, networks and development opportunities – from urban sports to opera, and from talent development to international exchange. In this way, RESONANZ emerges not as a single project run by a single organisation, but as a movement of partners who, together, create space for young artists, new forms of expression and audiences on both sides of the border.

Resonanz is made possible in part by the Interreg VI-A Germany-Netherlands programme, co-funded by the European Union, the Province of Limburg and the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Interested? Got an idea? A common ground? Email Sikko Cleveringa, RESONANZ project leader, at s.cleveringa@maaspoort.nl. He’d be happy to brainstorm with you.