Participants of the introduction week have free access to the museum all evening. In various places both inside and outside the building, they can enjoy music, dance, theatre and art. Members of staff are ready to provide a speed tour of the museum’s collection.
“Unfortunately, it is a lot quieter than previous years,” Anna Nita notices. The employee from the art cinema Lumière is outside a hall in which a number of students are sitting slumped on deckchairs watching a film. Many of the chairs are empty. “It is a good thing that those who are walking around, are very interested. Still, it is a pity that we can’t reach more people. We feel it is important that our art cinema is a place where a lot of students come.”
While it remains quiet inside the museum (distance regulations still apply), the square in front of the building is packed full with hundreds of people (no regulations here because of Testing for Admittance). As a result, a jazz band is playing in a museum hall where a maximum of 15 people may be present, while a hip-hop artist outside is encouraging all the single students to find someone and grab hold of them tightly.
With that in mind, it is not surprising that the atmosphere on the square is great. Lots of dancing and partying to various music styles. Ruth Bierkens’ mentor group is having fun too. “Although it was troublesome at times with all the regulations – it can be difficult to get your hands on tickets for events like this for the whole group – this is really a fun party,” says Bierkens. Last year, when INKOM was to a large extent online, she was also a mentor. “That was intense. This is much, much better.”