HEEZE - 'Closer to Brabant' is the theme of Brabantsedag 2024. The theme refers both to Brabant poets and poems and to "the typical Brabant feeling. Poet Zoë van de Kerkhof expressed this aptly during the evening in her 'Ode to the Brabantsedag', written especially for the 65th edition.
The Brabant feeling of yesteryear
For "Closer to Brabant," the sixteen wagon groups will use a work by a poet from Brabant as inspiration. The poem must not come from contemporary poetry, but must have been published at least fifty years ago by a poet born in the Duchy of Brabant. It is up to the chariot groups to be moved by such a poem and translate it into a spectacle that is catchy, poetic and stimulating for the spectator. And above all: the feeling of historic Brabant must be conveyed. The theater parade on August 25, 2024 will bring the audience even closer to Brabant.
Stimulating the imagination
Brabant has a rich history in poetry. To make the selection process a little easier, the groups can draw from a specially compiled collection of poems. Frank van Lierop, head of the Theme Committee, explains the theme choice: "Certainly poems have contributed to the preservation of art and culture. Traditions, religious prayers, political beliefs; it was all recorded in poetry form. In addition, poems allow you to convey emotions, ideas and experiences in a concise way that stimulates the imagination. And let that be something that the wagon builders and actors of the Brabantsedag can do like no other. We are convinced that it will be another fantastic parade!"
Ode to the Brabantsedag
Zoë van de Kerkhof, born in Someren and now, among other things, City Poet of Leiden, may also recently call herself "Best City Poet of the Netherlands. She read her 'Ode to the Brabantsedag' during the theme presentation. The poem, full of references to the typical Brabant (day) feeling, will be published later.
Logo and podcast also bring you closer
For the second year in a row, Matty Jorissen and Wijnand Driessen signed on to design the logo. From June 2024, that theme image will be seen everywhere in Heeze and beyond. The Paradepraat podcast also brings you closer to the Brabantsedag. Paradepraat started last year and is already popular among fans at home and abroad. The new podcast season was kicked off live during the theme presentation by one of the hosts, Maarten van der Velden.
