The sound of icy wind, and jokes about Dutch people

PAS festival: The rain turned out not to be a bummer

12-09-2022 · Background

MAASTRICHT. The sound of icy wind, of hardship and suffering in the labour camps of the former Soviet Union. Last Friday, the Ukrainian bayan, bandoneon and classical accordion player Oleg Lysenko played Vladimir Vlasov's suite Five Views on the Land of the Gulag Archipelago in the auditorium of the Minderbroedersberg. Intended as a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It was an impressive opening of the Pleasure, Art & Science Festival, or PAS for short. On two evenings, the numerous visitors - the rain turned out not to be a bummer - were able to attend lectures, concerts, dance performances or theatre.

Ukrainian bayan, bandoneon and classic accordion player Oleg Lysenko

In the small garden of the Oud-Gouvernement (Law, Bouillonstraat), the programming was in the hands of Kaleido, the center for internationally oriented students on Tapijn. Stand-up comedian Stephem Bell attracted a large audience with his English-language show in which he repeatedly ridiculed the Dutch. And also WHYBE with singer-songwriter songs where Leonard Cohen resounded in the distance, while other songs had a raw edge, got people putting their hands together.

A garden further on, the dancers of Sally Dance Company, among others, received a lot of applause. Just like the fairy tale teller in the administrative building on Minderbroedersberg.