Bocholt Culture Days begin on 16 August

This year, visitors can once again look forward to a varied programme. This year's Culture Days will take place from 16 August to 20 August on the market square in front of the historic town hall. The programme ranges from theatre to jazz to comedy.

The time will soon come again: the people of Bocholt - and of course the guests of the city - can once again look forward to the Bocholt Culture Days on the market square. After the successful Culture Days in the anniversary year, the established cultural event will again take place in 2023 against the familiar backdrop on the market square in front of the historic town hall. The Bocholt Culture Days are organised and hosted by the Culture and Archive Department of the City of Bocholt.

Admission to all events is free!

The programme of the Bocholt Culture Days 2023

This year, too, great importance has been attached to ensuring that the Bocholt Festival of Culture offers an attractive and varied programme for as many age and interest groups as possible. In addition to established artists, new programme items will also take place:

Wednesday 16 August: NN Theatre with the play Molière (starts at 8 pm).

A theatre cart travels through the French countryside - it is the "Illustre Theatre", an impoverished folk theatre around director, actor and author MOLIÈRE and theatre manager MADELEINE BÉJART. The rural population cheers Molière's new play DON JUAN, but the income is meagre.

Probably also because Molière clashes with the powerful church and is repeatedly banned from playing. Not for nothing is he considered the sharpest pen in France. In the role of Don Juan, for example, he exposes the double standards of the authorities in a humorously biting way. While the "greatest lover in the world" stands between hundreds of women, Molière stands "only" between two. A fateful love triangle that means a lot of explosive power for the troupe. Molière and Don Juan blur more and more into one figure...what is stage, what is reality?

And suddenly he receives an invitation at court. The Sun King Louis XIV intends to use Molière's fame for himself. Between censorship and affection - a dangerous tightrope act for the acting gang begins.

The event takes place in cooperation with the Stadttheater Bocholt e.V. and is supported by the Kultursekretariat NRW Gütersloh and the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Thursday, 17 August: BOHJazz (start 7.30 pm)

On Thursday evening there will be a jazz concert. The trio around guitarist Christian Hassenstein will perform as part of the BOHJazz series.

The jazz evening is supported by the Stadtsparkasse Bocholt.

Friday, 18 August: Comedy with Jacqueline Feldmann (8pm).

On Friday, stand-up comedienne Jacqueline Feldmann will perform her programme "Plötzlich Zukunft! Nobody could have known..." will perform in Bocholt. The 27-year-old is one of the up-and-coming young comedians and can already look back on two successful solo programmes. Jacky, as she calls herself, tells stories from her everyday life, about friends and family, with her charming, cheeky and enchanting manner.

With her programme "Plötzlich Zukunft! Nobody could have known ..." she skilfully manages the balancing act between the generations. It deals with the fears of young people and their parents about their future careers. Jacky also tells of her own experiences. For her young audience she is an identification figure and for her older fans she shows the life of a young woman.

The event takes place in cooperation with the Stadttheater Bocholt e.V. and is supported by the Kultursekretariat NRW Gütersloh and the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Saturday, 19 August: One-Man Theatre with Peter Trabner (4.30 p.m.) and Silent Disco (starts at 8.30 p.m.).

Peter Trabner - "The Life of Diogenes

Peter Trabner is not only an actor in theatre, film and television, his great passion is theatre in public spaces. Above all, he loves direct contact with his audience. His shows are mostly freely improvised, unbridled and unique. He works in many different areas and has a lot of success with them.

In Bocholt he performs with the play "The Life of Diogenes". In the play, life in our consumer society is critically scrutinised. Among other things, it is about the question of what drives people on the inside.

The event takes place in cooperation with the Ökumenischer Arbeitskreis Eine Welt Bocholt e. V. (Ecumenical Working Group One World Bocholt).

Silent Disco together with DochDu e.V.

Together with the DochDu association, the Silent Disco will take place again this year. Three different DJs will be playing under the colourfully illuminated Skyliner. The diverse music programme should offer something for almost every musical taste. Through the headphones, everyone can choose "their" DJ and party to the music. The Silent Disco is a fun event for different age groups and offers a party atmosphere that you certainly won't find on the market square again so soon.

Headphones can be borrowed on this evening for a reasonable deposit fee from 20.00 hrs onwards on the market square. Plenty of food and drinks will be provided.

Sunday 20 August: Puppet show "Alles Rabenstark!" or "Hauen bis der Milchzahn wackelt?" (two performances, starting at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.)

On the last day of the Culture Days, the puppet show "Alles Rabenstark! oder Hauen bis der Milchzahn wackelt?" offers a programme for the youngest culture enthusiasts. The play is performed by Ulrich Schulz, a member of the puppet theatre "Die Complizen".

The content: The wolf has taken up residence in the castle of the raven Socks and the badger, and they have quarreled so violently that the wolf has spanked the raven. Since the wolf is too strong for both of them, they run away. What should they do now? Talk to the wolf, no, it probably won't be that easy. Eddi Bear thinks they should train and build up muscles. Is that the right way or will it only make things worse?

The participatory play, with lively, cheeky and musical staging, is a play about solving conflicts.

On Sunday, available seating will be released exclusively for children aged four and over. Free online seat reservations can be booked from 15.07, 9 am at bocholt.de/kulturtage. Adult companions are requested to stay in the standing area at the back.

The puppet shows take place in cooperation with the Stadttheater Bocholt e.V..

At the same time, the art market "CityArt" will take place in the city centre.

On Sunday, 20 August, parallel to the puppet shows, visitors will have the opportunity to visit the "CityArt" art market from 10 am to 6 pm. From Marktpatz to Neustraße and Neutorplatz, 60 exhibitors will offer their works of art for sale.

The organiser of the art market is Hans Michael Spogahn from Bocholt. The market is sponsored by the city of Bocholt.

All information and the programme can be found at

www.bocholt.de/kulturtage