By Renny Ramakers

I am writing this blog while working on the last preparations for Pioneers of Change. These last moments are as usual full of tensions. We have disagreements with the graphic designers, who think that we are making too many changes in the texts, with the risk of destroying their precise design. They are right, with so many parties involved in the process and people on holidays, changes after changes came.

We will try to get our signage system placed on the island without disturbing their rules and regulations. We want a huge bill board, shouting: LAND! It should be the first thing you see when arriving by boat.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed… We asked the designer of the VIP room, which is furnished with Droog pieces,  to change his beautiful design. The balloons he envisioned hanging from the ceiling turned out to be not a good idea because we just heard from one of our team members that she is allergic to latex. Yesterday we rejected the designer’s alternative, again very charming, but not environmentally sound. We feel we are driving him crazy, but we are convinced that he will come with another beautiful solution.

We are negotiating with New York catering companies because we have the feeling that they are overcharging us. We have to arrange extra toilets because we expect 700 people to attend our VIP opening. Security rules oblige us to fence our space during the opening and have the audience checked for their age. Now we have to design wristbands that they can wear as proof of being over 21. That’s all because we are serving delicious cocktails.

Our two sweet interns, we call them Tom & Jerry,  are stuffing the invitations in the envelopes while watching a movie.  I hope that can be sent out today because they proceed very slowly. Tomorrow the last shipment will leave the country and the team will fly over next week, surely to what will be an exciting event.

And at the other side of the ocean our New York team is busy having the houses cleaned and preparing all electrical matters. Sixty different second hand chairs for the Open Talks house are waiting to be painted. We really did not want to ship a lot of stuff and rely as much as possible on old furniture to be found in New York. I was a bit worried about being able to find so many of them. But our New York producer did!
Our New York team also found 15 elderly people, eager to serve food and drinks in our Go Slow house, A tough job to spot elderly people living in elderly people’s homes that actually look like elderly people are supposed to look and not like those botoxed and facelifted old girls so common in the U.S.  But we have got them! And they will serve you slowly but attentively.

It’s no wonder two weeks time before the event, that the moment is full of scary excitement, when bringing together so many parties and bridging two continents. I can’t wait to be on Governors Island, to see the results and to hear all the reactions of the visitors.

About the author
Renny Ramakers conceived and curated Pioneers of Change, and is art critic and co-founder and director of Droog, the conceptual design company which was set up in 1993. She organizes design exhibitions, is member of the jury of various design prizes and is giving lectures and workshops worldwide. Ramakers took part in governmental advisory boards, amongst others as a member of the Council of Culture (1995-2001). As an art critic, Ramakers wrote for international magazines, books and catalogues and published several books under her own name.

ALSO READ: Pioneers of Change: A Sneak Preview

By Terts Brinkhoff

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams is the heart of the New Island Festival, where people get together, eat, drink, and from there on find their way to all the performances and exhibits the festival has to offer. At night we return to the boulevard to party, dance, dream.

No dreams without broken dreams.

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams is shaped after the encampment the Dutch pioneers built here on Governors Island four hundred years ago. To them, this was the new island.

Now, the New Island returns. With us, everybody can be a pioneer, is a pioneer, and will be treated like one.

Chef André Amaro serves typical Dutch food on an enormous 400 foot long table, together with Miss Rockaway Armada from New York. In the afternoon, there are performances for kids; in the evening there are ten short performances by young and adventurous dance companies, a highly exclusive opera/dinner experience of the Veenfabriek, Iris de Hond on her Flying Grand, and virtual art by PIPS:lab.

Everything takes place around, and even on top of the giant table. Around ten o’ clock, the music- and dance program kicks off with pop diva Ellen ten Damme,  the legendary Living Jukebox, and the Silent Disco, the most unusual dance party you’ve ever seen.

The Newest Island of New York, virtually undiscovered.
For all those pioneers out there: come discover the ‘nieuw’ New York with us!

About the author
New Island Festival comes to New York under the artistic leadership of Terts Brinkhoff(1952) , together with Joop Mulder (Oerol Festival). Terts Brinkhoff is the creator of the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, which he founded in 1984, and has since grown into one of the most important arts festivals in Europe. In 1990, he renamed the festival Parade. Today, it is the only traveling theatre and music festival in the world. Terts dropped out of vocational school and bought a tractor in 1973.  He began organizing mobile arts events wherever there was space.  A few years later, he bought a circus tent and before long, he was on the road, pulling performances with him.

ALSO READ: ‘NEW ISLAND FESTIVAL: A SNEAK PREVIEW’