Oorkaan brings festive performance to AZCs

After a successful pilot of theatrical participation concerts in asylum seekers' centers (AZCs), Oorkaan brings the production "Four! this fall on location in Utrecht, Arnhem, Maastricht, Heerhugowaard and Grave. Next Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, the 'Oorkaan Ensemble' in Utrecht. Through these concerts without words (language no problem), Oorkaan wants to make a positive contribution to the stay of children in AZCs, where reception is under great pressure.

"We are grateful that we can give children who are in a difficult situation a small moment of lightness and fun here in the Netherlands through music performed by our top musicians of the Oorkaan Ensemble."
- Caecilia Thunnissen, artistic director of Oorkaan

"Oorkaan's performances are a very welcome and joyful diversion. And in our theatrical concerts, language is not a barrier, everything is told with music and movement."
- Floris Kortie, chairman of the Oorkaan Foundation

Participatory Concerts
In preparation for this series of concerts by "Four! has been collaborating with Sounds of Change, an organization specializing in trauma treatment of refugees through music projects. Robbrecht Van Cauwenberghe, bayanist in the Oorkaan Ensemble, explains what happens at a participation concert: "By making music precisely together with the audience as well, a feeling of togetherness is created in which boundaries no longer exist for a moment." Making music together stimulates creativity and awakens the realization that there are always opportunities to build a future. Even if you live in the middle of a war, a destroyed city or in a refugee camp.  

The Oorkaan Ensemble
The concerts are performed by the regular musicians of Oorkaan, the Oorkaan Ensemble. Founded a year ago, this ensemble consists of four young, multi-talented musicians of international excellence:
harpist Michela Zanoni,
clarinetist Michele Mazzini,
bayanist Robbrecht Van Cauwenberghe
percussionist Veysel Dzhesur.
They all trained at Oorkaan to become theatrical performing musicians according to the Oorkaan Method, in which no lyrics are used and performances are therefore suitable for a worldwide audience.

Four (ages 4-104)
Whoop Whoop(s) (co-directed by Caecilia Thunnissen and Yorick Stam) tells the story you can hear from music. Four! is a journey full of Turkish sounds, Mozart and more. And it ends in a party. More information and images can be found here.

Mission Oorkaan
For 20 years, Oorkaan has been the internationally renowned institution in bringing music to young audiences and works from the conviction that every child, regardless of background or situation, should have access to global classical music. Therefore, the desire to set up this concert series for children in AZCs was not complicated and fits perfectly with Oorkaan's vision and mission. After all, it concerns a specific group of children who have fled war or oppression and are staying in AZCs. We also like to see these children in the concert halls and when that is not possible, we look for creative solutions and Oorkaan visits them.

Locations and dates 2022:
October 31 at 16:00 in Utrecht - ZIMIHC theater Zuilen for AZC Utrecht
November 1 at 16:00 in Arnhem - Musis & Stadstheater Arnhem for AZC Arnhem Elderhoeve and AZC Rheden
Nov. 4 at 16:00 in Maastricht - Sint Janskerk for AZC Maastricht
November 7 at 16:00 in Heerhugowaard - Cool art and culture for AZC Heerhugowaard
Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. in Grave - at location of AZC Grave