English

Mutesounds is a festival for the deaf, the hard of hearing and the hearing. Since its inception as a graduation project back in 2007, it has grown to become a unique event in the Netherlands.

Mutesounds is more than just a beat. The festival stirs all the senses by translating the emotion of music through various mediums such as a vibrating floor, music sign interpreters who interpret spoken words and lyrics, dancers, interactive installations, beautiful light shows and video projections. The organization is always looking for new and innovative ways to translate and interpret music.

In addition, Mutesounds wants to surprise its visitors with a diverse and original line-up comprising nationally and internationally renowned DJs, bands, and live acts. That is why, year after year, Mutesounds proves to be an unrivalled and unforgettable experience.

MuteSounds started as a graduation project by four Bachelor of Social Work students at the University for Applied Sciences in The Hague. The students had been contemplating the idea of organizing an event specifically for the deaf and hard of hearing, when in 2007 they came across Fonds 1818’s so-called ‘Lenteprijs’. They jotted down their ideas, submitted them and won first prize. The first step had been taken. The organization set out to recruit enthusiastic deaf and hard of hearing youngsters who could function as a sounding board for their ideas and help to further develop their plans. The first very successful edition of Mutesounds took place in August of 2007. Since then a new edition is organized every year.

In 2009 Mutesounds became an official foundation. Its goal is still to bring together the deaf, hard of hearing and hearing and to stimulate interaction and communication. Meanwhile the festival has grown to become a valuable institution and The Hague has been able to add a wonderful festival to its repertoire.

In addition to the musical program the other activities and forms of entertainment are what makes Mutesounds Festival into a complete festival where visitors can enjoy themselves all day. On and around De Pier the diverse program will allow visitors to create, meet, experience, learn, have fun and express themselves.

We are still working hard at our timetable. More information will be added soon!

FESTIVAL: Saturday october 28th
13.00 – 22.00 Day program with workshops, shows, music, theatre and much much more
22.00 – 03.00 Big party

We will keep you posted!

On Saturday October 28th during the day a special kids program is organized. For hours, children can dance, jump, learn and experience. Bouncy castles, making music, a mini-workshop in sign language… Mutesounds has put that and much more on the agenda.

The program is made fully accessible to kids who are deaf and hard of hearing. Interpreters will be present at all times to interpret any spoken text. They can also assist in communication amongst the little visitors themselves. But for kids it usually does not matter what language you speak. They can communicate in many different ways and during the day this will be stimulated and facilitated.

Theater provides an important visual aspect for a deaf and hard of hearing audience. There will be surprising and interactive performances that will amaze the audience and which will translates emotions in unique and innovative ways. In addition, energetic dancers will encourage the audience to move and be responsible for constant novel experiences throughout the night. You can also find unexpected entertainment such as stilt walkers, impromptu acts amongst the dancing audience and other entertainment at the six indoor locations.

At Mutesounds we do our best to let our visitors experience the festival to the utmost. We try to stimulate all the senses. This includes:

Music sign interpreters: Spoken text is interpreted visually through sign language and the emotions conveyed by the music and the rhythm are translated into dance and movement. Thus the deaf and hard of hearing audience members can understand the song, the text and the music and can experience the emotions.

Visual Jockey: The VJ will convey the emotions contained in the music through imagery. This is very important for an audience that is deaf or hard of hearing. This way they can also visually experience the music’s ambiance through the VJ’s work.

Interactive installations: The audience can try out the various installations, stimulating all of the different senses.

Smell: Smell contributes to a sense of relaxation, can make one feel more active or energetic, or can trigger other emotions which can add to the total experience.

Taste: Small snacks will tickle the taste buds during MuteSounds and again add an extra dimension and emotion to the festival experience.

At Mutesounds you also actively participate in workshops where you can learn, discover, share and exhibit. What about a sign language workshop where you will get to know your favorite drink? Discover your artistic talents. Join forces and put together an exhibition or add a new element to the festival setting.

This year Mutesounds will change location to De Pier in The Hague, Scheveningen! This means increased visibility for the festival, as De Pier has many recurring visitors and  is an accessible and attractive location for people from a diverse range of target groups.

De Pier in Scheveningen is a newly renovated location, on the beautiful beach of Scheveningen. It’s a huge building that stretches out over the water. Inside you can find a lot of small restaurants, bars, stores and entertainment.

And 14 & 15 october it’s ours!

By car
De Pier is reachable by following the signs voor Scheveningen-Strand or Scheveningen on the A4, A12, A13 or A44/N44 highways towards The Hague.

Parking
Once you’ve arrived you can follow the signs towards these parking garages: Zwarte Pad, Kushaus, Nieuwe Parklaan en Scheveningen Bad.
It’s also possible to park alongside the roads. When you decide to park alingside the road make sure you check the rules and costs. The time and costs for parking may vary.

Public transport
You can take tram 1 and 9, or bus 22 from Den Haag Central Station and Station Hollands Spoor. Take the Kurhaus stop and it’s only a few minutes walk to De Pier. Public transport towards Scheveningen runs from 07.00 in the morning till midnight.

By bike
It’s about a twenty minute bike ride from The Hague Central Station to De Pier. One very big advantage is you don’t have to worry about parking or parking costs. If you’re not from The Hague you can rent an OV-fiets. The rental place is located underneath the Central Station.

Accessibility for the less valid
Alongside the boulevard there are multiple parking spots reserved voor the less valid. If you’d like to take public transport, tram 9 and bus 22 are wheelchair accessible.  Because there are no lifts inside De Pier only the ground (and biggest) floor is easily accessible.

In late 2014, Mutesounds founding members Maks Oosterbaan and Meike Asselbergs officially handed over the organization to Alan Bredenhorst of 125Procent. Alan Bredenhorst had been a board member at the Mutesounds foundation for a few years and has now traded his position with that of Meike and Maks.

125Procent is an innovative project- and communications agency with a passion for socio-cultural subjects. 125Procent combines these subjects with creativity, quality and a professional approach. 125Procent always delivers ‘projects with an added value’, both for the client and for society.

Do you have any questions or suggestions? You can reach us by filling in the contact sheet below, or send us an email at info@mutesounds.nl.