Dynamic arts policy
Arts and culture contribute to the identity
and cohesion of a community. Haarlemmermeer therefore pursues a
dynamic arts policy, taking on the role of initiator, coordinator
and funding body. In 2005, the municipality launched an initiative
to organize a temporary arts project once a year, resulting in
events such as Dropping,
Sound of Haarlemmermeer and Sporen in de
Polder.
Cultural program
Arts education and involvement are stimulated
and supported from the primary school level. Haarlemmermeer offers
diverse facilities for active and passive involvement in the arts.
The Artquake Foundation organizes cultural programs for and with
young people.
Annual events include workshops, an art contest
for various disciplines, a major summer festival, and many other
festivities. The Pier K center for arts and culture caters for
young and old, offering a highly popular program of workshops and
courses in music, dance, visual arts and theater. The center also
caters for individuals and groups with specific artistic
needs.
Diverse rang
Schouwburg De Meerse is a theater and cultural center with a national appeal, attracting performers and visitors from outside the municipality. Leading performers and companies have premiered new works at the theater, which stages music in all its forms, theater, cabaret, and dance. Apart from the 170 professional performances featured annually, the theater also stages dozens of shows by local amateur theater companies and dance schools. Together with the more intimate theater Het Oude Raadhuis, De Meerse welcomes more than 78.000 visitors a year. One notable development is the growing number of festivals held within the municipality, including the annual Meerjazz Festival. The former Floriade exhibition grounds offer an excellent venue for summer dance festivals such as Mysteryland and the Artquake festival.
Museums
Haarlemmermeer’s cultural heritage is on show
at three museums. One of these is De Cruquius, a steam-driven
pumping station built in Neo-Gothic style, boasting the world’s
biggest cylinder. And then there are the Haarlemmermeer Historical
Museum and the War Museum crash, which is devoted to aerial combat
and resistance
during World War II.
Contemporary art
A new center for contemporary art has opened at the Kunstfort (Art Fort) in Vijfhuizen. Which now boasts exhibition spaces, studios, studio homes and a restaurant. There are also a number of art galleries in Haarlemmermeer. For instance, at the Oude Raadhuis. The municipality is also in the process of establishing an exhibition space for contemporary art. Haarlemmermeer regularly commissions sculptures for public spaces giving color to neighborhoods, parks, business locations, and special sites alongside roads. When developing new residential areas and business estates, the municipality sets high design standards for urban planning, and architects are selected with the utmost care. This ensures that current and future generations will feel at home in the municipality.