When I was younger and still living in Overloon, the town where I was born, I mainly used to go out in Nijmegen. But after I turned 18, Eindhoven also started to beckon. In 2001, I moved there to study at the Academie voor Drama, and from that time on I kind of fell in love with the city. After my studies, I moved to Amsterdam to make my breakthrough as an actor, and stayed there for 12 years. Then in 2015, Frank Lammers and I spent 3 months in Eindhoven recording the film ‘Of ik gek ben’. That’s when it really became clear: this is where I want to be. The Brabantine warm-heartedness, the willingness to help each other and to make time for one another, but also the entrepreneurial zeal. Wonderful.
It felt like coming home. I relaxed, my mind started to unfurl and all kinds of ideas began flooding out. The people here are more laid back and open, and the redevelopment of the city has produced an amazing fusion between funky architecture and the raw and industrial. This creates so much dynamism; that really fires my enthusiasm. Eindhoven feels like a city with secrets still to be uncovered. With both attractive and not-so-attractive features. Independent while at the same time searching for a certain foundation, and also perhaps for security. But not afraid to experiment, to fall on its face and then get back up again. A city that challenges you to be the very best that you can be. There are still so many great opportunities here beyond the mainstays of design, knowledge and tech. The cultural dimension should not be forgotten, and I’m passionate about making that my mission. To have a full social life, culture is essential. Eindhoven needs to be even bolder and to dare to commit fully to nurturing this vital facet of city life.
About the campaign
The other Vibes have often tended to focus on the three mainstays, but I wanted to do something from on my own experience. Therefore, I wrote a text and asked Björn van der Doelen to narrate it and create the music to go with it. It’s a journey from sunrise to sunset, about coming home, contemplation, and longing. Shaped and inspired by the people, the emotion, and the experience of this unique city. It has many layers, which hopefully will touch people on a deeper, visceral level.
