Dutch version in this hashtag.
Report 1 July: Tilburg World Quiz to kick off T-Parade 2011
Friday night 1 July kicked off the first lustrum of the T-Parade. This collaboration of the World Stage, the House of the World and the T-Parade consisted of a combination of unusual interviews with both immigrant and native Tilburgians, two dazzling performances by the Colourful Mama Choir and a sharp, varied and, above all, cheerful World Quiz, where prizes were not given away without proper knowledge of multicultural Tilburg.
The evening was enthusiastically opened by the Colourful Mamas. Fourteen women ranging in age from 35 to 76 and from all corners of the world sang ‘songs with their own stories’. Paul Spapens, born and raised in the region, journalist, author of The Encyclopaedia of Tilburg and chairman of the Tilburgse Taol Foundation, then outlined a historical picture of Tilburg’s globalisation. Since the mid-20th century, the city has developed at lightning speed into a multicultural society. Between the famous typically Dutch sausage rolls and the exotic peppers, originally grown in the backyards of working-class houses, lies an extensive field of mutual encounters between Tilburgers from all parts of the world.
Tilburg grew into a vibrant place with a variety of languages and religions.After this presentation, it was time for part one of the Tilburg World Quiz. Through enthusiastic interaction by presenters Nathan de Groot and Lukas Meijsen with the keen participants in the room, the quiz soon led to a grand prize, consisting of a basket full of delicacies from different parts of Tilburg. Questions such as ‘How high is West Point’ and ‘When was the MIDI Theatre opened’ were peanuts for the multifarious audience. The subsequent and once again dazzling performance by the Colourful Mamas was the prelude to the break where tasty snacks from different cultures were served.
After the break, Nathan talked to Fara Omarzada and Fernando von Lücken. Fara Omarzada has ‘only’ been in Tilburg for ten years after fleeing Afghanistan, now working as a social worker. Fernando von Lücken, a temporary Tilburger with Argentinian-German roots, has been a psychology student since 2009 and ambassador of Tilburg University. The day Farah and her sister Rita discovered that they could flawlessly pronounce the archetypal Dutch word ‘pencil sharpener’, they realised that their desire to be grounded in the Netherlands had also permeated their language ability.
Part two of the Tilburg World Quiz focused on colourful Tilburg’s knowledge of our world. Participants who had listened carefully to Papens’ story had an edge. A beaming winner again received a basket with a diversity of presents.In a concluding discussion with Paul Spapens, Fara Omarzada, Fernando von Lücken and the audience, it became clear that Tilburg has something unique about itself. The city is playfully and continually taking initiative. Consider, for example, Festival Mundial, grown into an event of allure and for everyone. Tilburg shows the ability to continuously develop new plans through networking and to grow in experiencing this multicoloured city together. In short, Tilburg can look back on a successful opening night of the T-Parade.
Text: Cora Westerink
Photos: Wendy Presser
