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February 2018 / Newsletter #39

Bon voyage to Willem and Heleen Cosijn Photo: Floor Soomers

On Wednesday the 24th of January the farewell reception of Netherlands Consul General in Sydney Willem Cosijn and his wife Heleen was held. With over one hundred guests from the worlds of academia, business, culture and diplomacy it was an unforgettable evening. The first speaker of the night was HE Ambassador Erica Schouten, who combined her farewell speech with a juggling act to underline Willem’s capacity to keep many balls in the air. This was followed by speeches from Prof. Rob Roggema (University of Technology Sydney), Prof. Frans Verstraten (University of Sydney), Mr Paul Budde and Tony van Grieken, Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau and National President of the Netherlands Ex-Servicemen & Women's Association in Australia (NESWA). All speakers commended Willem for his immense efforts in stimulating Australian-Dutch relations. Whether it be in business relations, promoting academic and cultural cooperation or engaging the Dutch community and Dutch veterans in Australia, Willem's tireless service surely did not go unnoticed.

After a well-earned holiday, Willem's next destination will be Iraq where he will become the Netherlands Consul General in Erbil. Willem will surely be missed. Thank you for the wonderful four years Willem!

Dutch artists in Melbourne

The Netherlands can be very proud of its four representatives participating in the National Gallery of Victoria [https://www.facebook.com/NGVMelbourne/?fref=mentions]’s inaugural Triennial that officially opened last Friday.

FormaFantasma, Iris van Herpen, Joris Laarman and We Make Carpets present works that can be described as innovative, unconventional, futuristic and sometimes even political.

Studio Formafantasma [https://www.facebook.com/StudioFormafantasma/?fref=mentions]’s Ore streams was commissioned by the NGV and consists of a collection of critical design objects that question the mining of minerals, electronic waste and recycling. The research they performed has become part of the display. In an interview with SBS Australia [https://www.facebook.com/SBSAustralia/?fref=mentions], Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi of Formafantasma said that design should be seen as a tool for radical change. The Sydney Morning Herald [https://www.facebook.com/sydneymorningherald/?fref=mentions] also referred to FormaFantasma as an example of how design can impact the world around us: www.smh.com.au/…/ngv-triennial-confronts-the-wasteland-that… [https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fentertainment%2Fart-and-design%2Fngv-triennial-confronts-the-wasteland-that-is-our-world-20171209-h01ui5.html&h=ATOWLSXEx2wblnr8AilgB5dLoQKmyCKtvxJg0WKaxko_AhLlau31I4_q2sCNotbbahLlpVJ4CCmH8C6-Lvi7-1GtMsAxGYO8T4ka-JmLAmWdO2JuwyPGDoAFrV27LrMYIlj249PWrKIctig-7n64DXGbRmcMp1CoaBGXTd91Hp-WPduDtIDm5HK5Bn5LMWtSHR5fApY3mlB4wUPFYb-d_pMTxjcEpE4QMHJuAkSUuO7M8LFg-zFEENqXjyDt7L3kJkjKl46iyXbo2ZS_1SB_WWev9szPF7zaxw8lp6gq-J1yZ4WfiStP2Du_l3NGuCo]

Joris Laarman [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joris-Laarman/1410196999220038?fref=mentions] also thinks of the bigger picture and he would love to see the establishment of a museum of the future, he said during a Q&A at the NGV on Saturday. The experimental Dutch furniture designer uses 3d-printers and robots to create his works, but he is also inspired by research into bone material. In his presentations at the NGV he stressed that the increasing application of Artificial Intelligence is terrifying and exciting at the same time.

Futuristic is a word that characterises the work of fashion designer Iris van Herpen [https://www.facebook.com/irisvherpen/?fref=mentions], who is known for using unconventional materials and - like Joris Laarman - often uses 3d-printers to create her avant garde garments. Her dresses have been worn by world stars such as Lady Gaga and Beyonce. The blue dress that was hand and machine made for Icelandic singer Björk in 2011 even features on the Triennial posters and invitations.

Unconventional materials are also used by We Make Carpets. This Dutch trio was responsible for the kids & family room at the NGV, and created a colorful playing field filled with interactive floor and wall carpets that instantly make you smile. Not all wall carpets are for playing though. The ones made with pegs or scrubbings sponges are there to be admired only.

Meet the new Honorary Consul, Frank Weits

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Erica Schouten, is happy to announce that Mr Frank Weits has been appointed as the new Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Mr Weits commenced his new position on 4 December 2017 representing the Netherlands in the Australian state of South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Mr Weits was born in Groningen, and together with his wife he moved to South Australia 12 years ago. He is one of the founders and the former president of DutchSA, a platform for Dutch professionals and other Dutchies in South Australia. DutchSA has cooperated with the Dutch missions in Australia, among other things by supporting trade missions, and the economic mission parallel to the State Visit at the end of 2016. As the name says, the position of HC is an honorary one, which Mr Weits will combine with his regular day job as a Director at PwC Australia.

Mr Weits is an energetic connector within the Dutch community in Adelaide and the wider region. Mr Weits: "I feel very honoured to become the representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Australia and Northern Territory and am really excited to work closely with the Embassy to actively promote Dutch ideas and interests in this great state and federal territory. There is lots of potential to strengthen our already strong relationship in a mutually beneficial way."

As an Honorary Consul, Mr Weits will assist Dutch citizens in case of a consular emergency, for example if you lose your passport or have been involved in an accident and are in hospital, or in case of a death or a missing person or other calamities. Each case will be individually assessed in consultation with the consulate-general in Sydney. You can ask your consular questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via telephone number 02 93876644 / +61 2 93876644, option ‘Consular Questions’.

Iet Fuijkschot & Anne Frank

Iet Fuijkschot (seen right) has been the driving force behind the traveling Anne Frank Exhibition in Australia that was launched in 2013. We interviewed Iet to ask her about her experience as exhibition manager. Iet explained that it is her goal to bring the exhibition to people that are unable to visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. “People must never forget that this can also happen to them.” That is why it was important for Iet to not only showcase the exhibition in big cities, but in more rural places as well.

However, in some places it proved more difficult to mount the exhibition than in others. Iet relayed that on one occasion the exhibition did not open on time because the transport company had shipped half of the exhibition to Melbourne and the other half to Sydney. And in Newcastle, the venue had accidently booked two openings on the same night resulting in only eight people showing up for the Anne Frank Exhibition. Fortunately, it did attract a large crowd in the days that followed.

Iet even added her own personal touch to the exhibition by giving people the opportunity to hold and touch items such as World War Two ration coupons. The traveling Anne Frank exhibition has so far received more than 200,000 visitors, each leaving with a better awareness of Anne Frank’s wartime story and the message of tolerance she wanted to share with the world.

Read more [https://annefrank.com/traveling/] Kayaking around Tasmania

Dutch couple Paul de Haas and Marian Broke are passionate sea kayakers with experiences stretching from the North Atlantic to the Pacific. Having previously circumnavigated Ireland (2009) and Iceland (2012) they decided their next expedition would be Tasmania!

The couple originally wanted to start their journey around Tasmania on the 11th of January, but were delayed by multiple unforeseen circumstances, such as having to wait for the kayaks to be released by customs. On the 13th they were finally able to start kayaking! So far one of the biggest challenges for the couple has been the weather conditions. One day it was just too hot to paddle and on another they were being slowed down tremendously by headwind.

Closer to home their company "Dutchseakayakers" organises workshops for kayaking techniques and a swimming pool course for both novice and advanced kayakers. By kayaking Paul and Marian try to raise awareness for environmental issues surrounding the oceans, but "Dutchseakayakers" also stands for having fun and sharing this with others!

Read more [http://www.dutchseakayakers.com/] Dutch winner Flickerfest

During the closing and award night of the Flickerfest Short Film Festival at Bondi Beach, Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd announced that the Dutch documentary ‘Hello Salaam’ has won the academy accredited Flickerfest award for Best Documentary Short Film. Hasse van Nunen from the Netherlands, who co-produced the documentary, was in Sydney and accepted the award from Director/Writer/Producer Dr. Trevor Graham.

Hello Salaam is the story of two young Dutch boys visiting a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.

Read more [https://www.idfa.nl/en/film/062aca0c-7a12-4631-9c44-00a72cf2a47c/hello-salaam] MPavilion Season Extension

Good news from Melbourne, where the 2017 MPavilion, designed by Dutch architects Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), has been extended to Sunday 11 February 2018. You can find the MPavilion in the Queen Victoria Gardens, opposite Arts Centre Melbourne, on St Kilda Road. Admission is free.

Read more [http://mpavilion.org/big-news-were-extending-our-season-to-sunday-11-february-2018/] Voting on the advisory referendum

Dear Dutch!

On the 21st of March 2018 you can once again vote from abroad. You can cast your vote during the advisory referendum on the new Intelligence and Security Services Act (Wiv). You can vote with a voting form or a voting pass. You can also authorise someone else to vote for you.

In order to vote, you must register as a Dutch voter abroad. Do you want to vote for the advisory referendum on the 21st of March 2018? Register no later than the 7th of February 2018. You will only have to do this once. With every election you will receive the documents you need to vote by post.

You can send your vote to the address indicated on the return envelope. Make sure you send your ballot on time to ensure that your vote counts!

Information about the registration and the working method of the Municipality of The Hague can be found at: [https://www.denhaag.nl/en/municipality-of-the-hague/elections.htm]

Travel tip

In case you lose your passport it is always handy to have a hard or soft copy of the passport at hand e.g. on your phone or sending a copy to a friend or family member you can trust.

Dutch and Australian nationality?

If you are not in a position to visit the Netherlands Consulate-General in Sydney to renew your passport, you can apply for a Dutch Nationality Certificate. This might be especially interesting for people who also have Australian nationality and want to maintain their Dutch nationality.

A Dutch Nationality Certificate is not a travel document and can’t be used as such. Please be aware that if you hold Australian nationality you have to travel out and back into Australia on your Australian passport. The Dutch Nationality Certificate is valid for 10 years. You can apply for such a Certificate by sending the following documents to the Netherlands Consulate-General (P.O. Box 261, Bondi Junction NSW 1355):

- Legalised copy of your Dutch passport;

- Proof of legal residence in Australia, e.g. recent letter of the Australian Immigration Department or a legalised copy of your Australian passport;

- A copy of an official document containing your name and address, e.g. electricity bill, bank statement; and

- Payment of 46AUD (subject to exchange rates) by providing us with a credit card authorisation form.

If you are a minor or if this is the first application after becoming an Australian citizen, further documents are needed. Please click on the read more button to check our website for more information.

Please check your passport

Currently, our consular staff in Sydney are experiencing an enormous amount of phone calls and emails from people who realise that their passport is about to expire and they can’t travel on it anymore.

Please be aware that if you are travelling through or via most Asian countries your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months after leaving the country. A lot of Asian countries (as well as New Zealand) do not accept handwritten emergency passports so the only solution is to apply for a new passport using the emergency fast track option. It will then take about 10 working days to issue a passport (not including the time needed by Australia Post to get the passport to you).

Therefore please check your passport and book an appointment to avoid disappointment. Please click on the read more button below to visit our website for more information.

Read more [https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/wonen-werken/paspoort-en-id-kaart/paspoort-aanvragen/paspoort-verlengen-meerderjarige-in-het-buitenland/australie] Follow us on Facebook:

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