ALL SOULS DAY EVERYWHERE

‘Art to commemorate

All Souls Day Everywhere – 2005-2016

Sooner or later everyone has to deal with the mystery of death. When we have to deal with loss, we realize that we had witnessed an special life. First there is mainly grief, but later we see that we can celebrate life.

During an ‘All Souls’ Day Everywhere’ celebration we decorate cemeteries with light and fire. However, most important are the rituals with which visitors can commemorate their dead. Rituals such as Memory Things, Dining with the Dead, and the Wonderful World Map. These rituals are designed to retrieve memories and the thoughts and ideas of the deceased.

When I organized the first celebration on the Nieuwe Ooster cemetery in Amsterdam in 2005, hardly anyone knew what All Souls’ Day was. There was resistance because it was associated with religion. Many funding agencies initially did not want support the project. Fortunately, the Mondriaan Foundation and the VSBFonds stepped up and prevented the project from suffering from an early death. Now ten years later, the concept of All Souls’ Day Everywhere is widely recognized and rooted in society. All Souls’ Day Everywhere is a beautiful example of how art can lead to changes in society.

In the beginning I took the initiative and organized several celebrations on cemeteries. Beginning in 2009, I helped funeral and art organisations (CBK in Brabant en PierK, Haarlemmermeer, municipality of Velzen) to organize their own celebrations. In cooperation with Cultuur-Ondernemen I organized different master classes for artists where they could develop contemporary rituals from their own art expertise. All Souls’ Day celebrations were started around the country, and many have become regular events. Between 2007 and 2015 around 100 celebrations have been held with more than 100,000 visitors. In 2008 All Souls’ Day Everywhere received the Yarden-prize. This national funeral organization has taken it up in their annual calendar of events, as has the Nieuwe Ooster which greets 5000 visitors per years. In 2012 All Souls’ Day Everywhere received the Cultuur Prize of Haarlemmermeer.

Radboud University has conducted research and published about the project several times. William Arfman (Tilburg University) wrote his Master’s thesis on it, entitled ‘Analyzing Allerzielen Alom.’ All Souls’ Day Everywhere has received much publicity on national and local radio and television, and in national and regional newspapers and magazines. The publisher Meinema has produced two publications, which are a guide to organize celebrations. You can order them through ida@idavanderlee.nl. For more information: www.allerzielenalom.nl

In 2018 we were invited to organize an All Souls Day Everywhere in Denmark. I trained local volunteers to perform rituals or to develop rituals. Do you like to introduce an All Souls Day Celebration? That possible. Contact me ida@idavanderlee.nl 

Trailer Allerzielen Allicht, making of, 4:59 min(Ruth Meijer en Marja Sonneveld).

Would you or your organization like to organize an All Souls’ Day celebration or memorial? You can rent individual rituals such as Abacus, Goose Game or the Time Office. I can advise, or if you would like, design and produce the celebration. Please contact me at ida@idavanderlee.nl for a meeting with no obligation.

Financial support 2005 Mondriaan Foundation, VSBfonds, Kunstenaars&CO, Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds.  2007 Mondriaan Fonds, Provincie Noord-Holland, VSBfonds, Fred Foundation, Cultuur Fonds BNG, Volkshogeschool Nederland, Kunstenaars&CO, Kunst en Cultuur NH. 2008 Yarden prize. 2009 Provincie NH, Provincie Noord-Brabant, Fonds Cultuur Participatie, Kunstenaars&Co, VSBfonds, SNS Reaalfonds, Volkshogeschool Nederland. 2012 Cultuur prize Haarlemmermeer.

Locations Amstelveen – Zorgvlied, Amsterdam – De Nieuwe Ooster, Baarn – zorginstelling Amerpoort, Biezenmortel – Landpark Assisië – Bergen op Zoom – begraafplaats Zoomstede, Blaricum begraafplaats op de Woensberg, Castricum – Onderlangs, Edam – begraafplaats Grote Kerk, Graft-de Rijp – NH en RK kerk en zerkenvloer, Groningen -Yarden crematorium Groningen, IJmuiden – Westerbegraafplaats, Lochum – gemeentelijke begraafplaats, Purmerend – kerkhof Overweersepolderdijk, Santpoort Noord – De Biezen, Velsen – Duinhof, Vlaardingen – begraafplaats Holy, Schagen Yarden crematorium Schagerkogge.

Artist and theatermakers Machteld Aardse, Vronie Achenbach, Alphon ter Avest, Ans Bakker, Aris Bakker, Mirjam Bakker, Fiona de Bell, April Bergvik, Rachel de Boer, Margreet Bouman, Titia Bouwmeester, Petra Blok – de Winter, Vera Broos, Miguel Brugman, Anouk de Bruijn, Isabel Quiroga, Anne-Marie Corman, Nynke Deinema, Saskia te Dorsthorst, Natasja van Eijk, Willemijn Faber, Hanneke de Feijter, Saar Frieling, Pietsjanke Fokkema, Marcel Fraij, Lenneke van der Goot, Simone de Groot, Harm Hajonides, Frans van Heiningen, Roseline van der Heul, Marga van den Heuvel, Lieke van Hoogenhuyze, Pavel van Houten, Anouk Hubatka, Anja Janssen, Erick de Jong, Wendela Kloosterman, Wietske van de Klundert,  Ilona Kröber, Reinier Kurpershoek, Itie Langeland, Saskia Laurant, Ada Leenheer, Ted van Leeuwen, Melanie Luchtenveld, Hoi-Shan Mak, Linda Meulenhoff, Eefke Neurink, Ella Nitters, Ingrid Nordt, Pé Okx, Hieke Pars, Mechtild Prins, Eline Pullen, Marisa Rappard, Aida Rifai, Barbara Rink, Nienke Rooijakkers, Maaike Roozenburg, Sonja Rosing, Jan van Schaik, Mirjana Smolic, Linda van Sommeren, Tonny van Sommeren, Lidewij Spitshuis, Daniela Tasca, Jairi Terpstra, Patrick Veerkamp, Jaap Velserboer, Isolde Venrooy, Dinne van de Vlis, Marieke Vriend, Carina de Wit, Tine van Wel, Mattie van der Worm, Jozua Zaagman, Floortje Zonneveld. Instrumentals Christian Begemann, Wiel Conen, Marjatta Fehres, Merel Huizinga, Hillary Jeffery, Marinus Links, Clara de Mik, Mark Nieuwenhuis, Ken Parson, Dominique Romeny. Song Jacoba Dilg – van der Hoeven, Wiebke Göetjes, Femke Hockx, Sarah Jens, Sanne Landvreugd, Daphne Questro, Nicoline Snaas. Video Marja Sonneveld, Ruth Meijer, Lucas van Royen.

Publications 2008 Allerzielen Alom – Kunst tot herdenken, 2010 De muze van het herdenken – Vijf jaar Allerzielen Alom. Publisher Meinema. Design Arnold Weel. Editor Louise Koopman. Text William Arfman, Peter Brusse, Michael van Hoogenhuyzen, Thomas Quartier, Eric Venbrux, Dirk van Weelden, Stijn Westrik, Joanna Wojtkowiak. Photography Pieter van de Boogaart, Oski Collada,  Monique Ferron, Max Linsen.