After two failed initiatives to create a new music venue in the Rensenpark, the Bargermmer industrial estate seems to be the solution
Translated by Adriana Dancu
Karin Siebring and Harold Imming, the owner of GD Sound professionals, are committed to the creation of the new music venue in South-East Drenthe, reports DVHN.
It is not the first plan for a pop venue to be created in the Drents city, but according to Siebring it is the oldest: “We have been working on our art and music center for four or five years. It will house rehearsal rooms, a professional music studio, workshop rooms for art and culture and a pop hall for 250 visitors. It must become a breeding ground for music and art, for young and old. We also house a motorcycle shop, a barber and tattoo shop. We think this is a great combination.”
Under the name of Art and Music Center Emmen, Siebring and Imming already do a lot for organizations in the local art and music world, such as the Kunstbeweging, Unplug and Play and the Bake Shop. Now, they say, there’s aneed for a pop venue in Emmen.
“Recently formed bands move to Drachten for concerts; we want to offer them a place in Drenthe”
“Now bands that want to give a concert can only go to the Atlas Theater. But that immediately costs a few thousand euros. The Grote Kerk is also possible, but we see that bands are moving to Iduna in Drachten. We want to offer them a place here, in the province of Drenthe,” said Siebring.
There have been more initiatives for a pop venue in Emmen: with the Rensenpark in particular appearing be a popular place for efforts. All initiative have so far failed because the costs turned out to be too high.
“We now want to step into this gap and further develop the plan we already had,” said Siebring, “And all associations are allowed to use our facilities. We really don’t have to do the programming ourselves. We want to work together.”
Siebring is an artist and has her own company Music and Art by Ka. With her partner, who is a sound engineer and runs GD Sound, she works from a building on the Jules Verneweg, on the Bargermeer industrial estate: “We already have a rehearsal room there, where music lessons are also given, and a stage. We now want to expand that. We are therefore looking for a building with enough space.”
Rensenpark not in the ideal place for Art and Music Center Emmen
The two never focused on the Rensenpark: “You have all kinds of problems there: lack of parking, noise nuisance for the residents around it. The industrial estate is a much better place,” says Siebring.
The initiators of Podium X (a failed venture) recently announced that they are looking for another site, possibly an industrial estate. Will there then be two pop halls? “That will not happen,” says Siebring. “It’s up to the municipality to choose which plan will be put into practice. But we will continue with our activities anyway, without a pop hall if necessary.”’
What the costs will look like is not yet known exactly. In any case, Siebring wants to buy a property and not rent it. She wants to approach the municipality and province for a one-off financial contribution and an annual subsidy: “We don’t know exactly how much yet, but it is not going into the hundreds of euros. And if possible, we will support ourselves. That would be the best.”
The municipality of Emmen is not yet able to give a substantive response to the plan. Siebring announced that Alderman Robert Kleine indicated during a conversation with the two in 2019 that new initiatives in the field of culture and pop music are welcome and that the municipality wants to contribute ideas to the implementation. According to the municipality, we are waiting for a draft plan.
The article source can be found here.
