Open doors: Concertgebouw works to make culture accessible

Cera is a Leuven-based co-operative that invests in socially engaged projects throughout Belgium. It will put an undisclosed sum in the collaboration and work with the Concertgebouw to develop a programme of socially inclusive events.

This is in line with its mission, but also brings a benefit to its investing members, who will get a discount on tickets. “This collaboration is a good thing for our members, but also for the wider society,” said Cera’s chief executive, Franky Depickere.

Meanwhile, the Concertgebouw will extend its audience, both among Cera’s membership and the groups to be targeted in the collaboration. “Cera and Concertgebouw Bruges are striving for classical music to have a broader social impact, bringing deeper understanding to aficionados and an intense first experience for new, younger visitors,” said Katrien Van Eeckhoutte, general director of the Concertgebouw.

The joint initiative begins with a series of week-long programmes exploring a classical masterpiece from five different centuries. The first, in October, will focus on Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine, followed in November by a week devoted to Benjamin Britten's War Requiem.

Activities alongside each performance will include lectures and listening courses to reveal the stories behind the music. Children with disabilities will get to know the masterpieces through making music themselves, while other side programmes will involve young people and amateur musicians.

Photo, from left: Franky Depickere of Cera and Concertgebouw general manager Katrien Van Eeckhoutte and artistic director Jeroen Vanacker
©Concertgebouw