Newsletter
November 2022

Spotlight On:
Spotlights tell the story of the Drechtsteden

More than a year of solid preparation preceded it, but on 14 November the time had come: the kick-off of the Spotlights On! project. Under the inspiring leadership of journalist and presenter Bas van Werven, it was explained to the guests why the Drechtsteden were put in the spotlights at this very moment.

Spotlights On was developed by Mothership to conclude the commemoration of the Elizabeth flood 600 years ago. This flood created the area we now call the Drechtsteden region, where water has played and continues to play such a major role. It has proved to be a determining factor in the qualities of the region. The water that was seen as an enemy has now become a friend as the region’s connector and connection to Rotterdam and the Nieuwe Waterweg.

The Drechtsteden region consists of seven cooperating municipalities, with a tremendous amount of important companies. Mainly, thanks to that same water, maritime (world-famous), but also significant in other industries such as innovation and research, from small to large.
In the coming years, this Drechtsteden region will join forces in various fields; from education to tourism, and from water management to innovation.

Bas van Werven led the invitees at Fokker’s headquarters in Papendrecht past the opportunities and challenges that will arise in the coming years.

The light was lit that evening by Queen’s Commissioner Jaap Smit, Mayor Kolff of Dordrecht and Chairman of the Economic Development Board Sjoerd Vollebrecht. From then until Saturday 19 November, the region was literally in the spotlight due to a successful collaboration with government and business. It is a prelude to subsequent wonderful projects in the near future.

SPOT ON!
Enchanting light artwork in bridge keeper’s houses

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Bridge Keepers’ Houses Foundation, bridge keepers’ houses will be spotlighted in 12 cities across the country. SPOT ON! is a light art project taking place from November to January 2023. It calls attention to the meaning and value of these cottages, which are increasingly losing their original function. In collaboration with local residents and stakeholders, several city poets have written a poem especially for the occasion, fitting the cottage. The central element of SPOT ON! is that each bridge keeper’s house will be equipped with a poetic work of light art in which a line of poetry from the poem will be highlighted. .

This line of poetry expresses the value the bridge keeper’s house has for local residents, passers-by and other stakeholders. They inspired the poets who were invited to do so in the participating cities.
In collaboration with Mothership it was decided to have all the houses designed by one artist. After research, Mothership selected Marco Broeders.

Marco Broeders (Dongen, 1970) works under the name Co2RO a lot in abandoned industrial buildings and stripped factory halls, where he looks for other functions for the existing urban space. He uses light sources to bring dead spaces to life.
Broeders develops a unique design for each house. The architecture of the bridge keeper’s cottage, its size and location, and the line of poetry create a unique play of light at each location.

On 11 November, the starting shot was fired in Zwolle for SPOT ON! with the unveiling of the line of poetry at the little house on the Schoenkuipenbrug. On 24 November, the unveiling of the cottage at the Zaagmolenbrug took place in Marco and Mothership’s hometown. Light artworks will also be lit at the other participating cottages in the coming weeks.

SPOT ON! can be seen in every city during the winter months.

Mothership supervises the production of the light artworks. With thanks to Marjan van Gerwen of the Bridge Keepers’ Houses Foundation.

Book launches Mothership:
Creating Impact

Mothership is releasing a new book as part of its 15th anniversary (2020, beginning Corona time): Developing Concepts, Creating Impact. This book will be handed out to invited guests and on other occasions during presentations in the coming year.

The first presentation took place in Egmond aan Zee in collaboration with Paddy Stegershoek. This was followed by the presentation in Rotterdam in cooperation with Ruud Kruip in the new, special event location Baanhof.
Breda was third. In collaboration with Paul Ferket, we presented the book in Breda at PIER15. On the same day, the opening of Alias took place, a street art exhibition including work by Collin van der Sluijs. Mothership was sponsor of the opening activities.

Developing Concepts, Creating Impact gives an insight into Mothership’s methodology of working, and explains it by taking a closer look at a dozen projects.

Engelenpad in Zwolle gets new boost

For two years Jeroen Everaert has been working on the development of the Engelenpad, a concept developed by Mothership.

Following a presentation by Inge Grimm (chair of the Board of Governors) and alderman Gerdien Rots, Jeroen was asked to give his views on current developments in the railway zone area.

This made for a great story!