What Amare stands for
As art and culture are increasingly a topic of social and political debate, we find it important to describe what Amare stands for and how we work.
Amare is an international house of music and dance. For all generations. It is the cultural heart of The Hague, connected with the whole world, offering a rich and diverse programme. Amare connects and inspires people with music and dance from all cultures, with enthusiasm, inclusiveness and personal encounter as our goal.
Personal encounter is of vital importance. Today we not only face concerns about polarisation and inequality, but are also confronted by fierce conflict areas around the world, such as Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and Congo, claiming countless innocent victims. Just like many inhabitants of The Hague, this does not leave the Amare community unmoved.
That is why we wish to offer programmes that address relevant issues and encourage dialogue and encounter. By engaging in that dialogue as Amare, we learn and develop every day.
We devote attention to important celebrations and commemorations, such as Keti Koti, Remembrance and Liberation Day (4 and 5 May), Srefidensi Dey, Day of Peace, and IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia.
In our programme component Actualiteit, Gesprek en Samenleving (Topical issues, Dialogue and Society), we work with partners like Lux Academy and Leiden University’s Studium Generale to address topical themes and to stimulate the exchange of different views.
We have no say in what performing artists and makers do or say on our stage and beyond. Within the limits of the law, they are free to tell their story in whatever way they choose. Just as the performer and maker are free to determine their content and form, we as Amare are free to determine our programming. Applying a long-term and comprehensive perspective, our goal is a many-voiced and relevant programme, based on choices made in careful consultation with both our resident companies (Nederlands Dans Theater, Residentie Orkest and Royal Conservatoire) and external partners.
At Amare we continually seek a safe synergy between artists and visitors, residents and users. Both within the building and in the direct surroundings, we are a house where art, culture and society meet.
To encourage and facilitate this encounter, Amare is open daily from early in the morning to late at night. Everyone can walk in to enjoy the building, to dance, to have a drink or something to eat, or for spontaneous and scheduled activities and meetups. Amare is a meeting spot for all of The Hague, in an ambiance of diversity and respectful dialogue.