Since its inception in 2014, Dutch International Tango Week has developed step by step from a small-scale initiative to a festival with international appeal and a solid artistic profile. Business leader Frank Perquin looks back on a process in which vision, experimentation and further development have always gone hand in hand. “What we have done since 2014 is to keep refocusing on what we want to be,” he says. “In the beginning it was mainly searching for the right form: how do you connect international excellence to a local context, and at the same time build something that can grow sustainably? That search was never quite complete, but we did find a clear direction.”
This direction is visible in the combination of top international musicians, talent development and an increasingly wide audience reach. Whereas in the early years the festival was still surveyable and experimental in nature, it has now grown into a multifaceted program in which Dutch musicians actively collaborate with international names and are given space for their own projects and new productions. “An important starting point has always been that we don’t just want to be a stage for established names,” Perquin says. “We also want to be a place where new generations can develop, where you make music together that you might not otherwise make. That is essential for the future of Argentine tango in the Netherlands.”
In addition to artistic development, the social role of the festival also plays an increasingly important role. Tangoweek explicitly aims to offer a program that is relevant and accessible to the widest possible audience. “We aim for the festival to mean something to everyone,” Perquin explains. “Whether you’re a dancer or a music lover, young or old, seasoned or just curious. There should always be an entrance. Argentine tango is emotional and direct, and that makes it eminently an art form that can connect people, regardless of background or experience.”
That accessibility is reflected, among other things, in free concerts and activities in public spaces, where music is literally brought into the city. “The moment when someone happens to stop and is touched by a performance, that is of great value,” Perquin said. “That’s when you see that music is doing its job, without barriers.” In doing so, the growth of the festival has never been only in size, but mainly in depth. The balance between artistic ambition and human scale remains a major concern. “Growth doesn’t just mean getting bigger,” he says. “It’s also about quality, cohesion and staying true to your core.”
Within that development, collaboration plays a key role. Musicians meet during the festival and often build on joint projects afterward. “That is perhaps one of the most beautiful effects,” says Perquin. “That you’re not just putting together a program, but enabling connections that continue to work.” Looking back over the past few years, he sees mostly an organic process in which, step by step, a distinct identity has emerged. “We didn’t suddenly become a big festival,” he says. “It was built up from choices, encounters and experiences. And that is precisely what makes it strong.” For the future, the ambition remains focused on further deepening and broadening. “Ultimately, it’s about what music does to people,” Perquin concludes. “If we manage to create a program that touches people and invites them to come together, then we are doing what we need to do.”
