OORSMEER (earsmear) turns the world of music upside down. The adventurous international music festival for kids mixes, shakes and treats young music lovers to a tasty (non-alcoholic) cocktail. You can pick the ingredients of your portion of OORSMEER yourself. The result is in your hands! It’s up to you to mix and match activities. It’s the perfect way to discover things that you didn’t even know existed.
OORSMEER has selected the best national and international artists. Apart from various concerts and plays, you’ll also be able to enjoy sound installations and workshops, so music will be flowing through the building’s every vein. One thing is for sure: OORSMEER is addictive.
How it started
In 1995, Wouter Van Looy joined forces with Vooruit Arts Centre and presented a programme that was custom-made for the labyrinth-like building.
Since then, OORSMEER has been synonymous with a new and renewing music festival for children. It’s a festival that researches and explores new possibilities constantly. OORSMEER has become a diverse festival that offers a great variety of genres, styles, musical traditions and presentation forms.
OORSMEER is always looking for the best way to present something to a young audience. The broad programme, which includes plays, concerts, installations, workshops and performances, encourages children and grown-ups to discover and enjoy music in a different way.
At Vooruit
The exploration will not only be musical; you’ll be able to wander the Vooruit halls and corridors freely during the festival. Musical curiosity will lead you to the basement of the theatre, to the dressing rooms or to the rehearsal studios, or to other places you would normally never set foot in. Together with the kids, parents and grandparents can explore the building, discover installations, listen to a concert or take part in a workshop. This makes up the charm of the festival and also breaks down barriers.
On top of that, OORSMEER is a stimulating partner for composers, ensembles and musicians for the creation of new work for a young audience. For example, the festival has worked with talented improvisation artists such as Tom Cora, Han Benninck and Ernst Reijsegger, created plays with fabulous vocalists such as Phil Minton and Iva Bittova, presented installations by Hans van Koolwijck, Pierre Bastin, boutique vizique and STEIM and offered a stage to brilliant classical ensembles such as Champ d’Action, Oxalys ensemble, Calefax and deFilharmonie.
Apart from the annual collaboration with Vooruit, OORSMEER also works with HETPALEIS|Antwerpen, Cultuurcentrum Hasselt and the Flanders Opera in Ghent.
In the meantime, the unique concept of the festival has come under the attention of several international event organisers. Up until now, Zonzo Compagnie has worked with: Zürcher Theater Spektakel|Zürich, Schlachthaus Theater|Bern, YO! Opera Festival|Utrecht, Opéra de Lille|Rijsel, festival ETCETERA| Amersfoort, Vrede van Utrecht| Utrecht, Orchester Musikkollegium|Winterthur and Le Quai d’Angers| Angers.
Zonzo Compagnie in association with Vooruit Arts Centre and Transparant Muziektheater.
