Maastricht through the eyes of artist Gaite Jansen
The theatre academy in Maastricht brought Rotterdam-based Gaite Jansen to the south of the country. The actress, known for her roles in Peaky Blinders and Lover or Loser, among others, lived in the city for four years. 'During those years, I built a very intimate bond with the city, because I lived here for such a short and intense time.'
She spent most of her time at drama school. She could also often be found at Café Tribunal and at the bookstore in the Dominican Church. After graduating from drama school, Gaite got her first theatre role in Hamlet, a production together with the toneelhuis in Antwerp and the toneelgroep van Amsterdam (Internationaal Theater Amsterdam). She also played other major roles as an actress and wrote a book of poetry. We take a trip down memory lane with Gaite, with whom Maastricht will always hold a special place in her heart.
Meet Gaite
As a child, Gaite dreamed of being on stage. 'I loved dressing up and doing plays as a little girl,' she says. In her teens, she starred in the film Lover or Loser , and at 18 she was nominated for a Golden Calf for her role in the film 170 Hz. 'I wanted to do more with theatre, so I went to the Toneelacademie Maastricht.' Since graduating, she has also played international roles, such as that of Tatiana Petrovna in Peaky Blinders. When not acting, she paints or draws or visits a museum. She also loves writing and poetry. Not surprisingly, she wrote her own book of poetry.
Toneelacademie
Gaite was accepted in Amsterdam and Maastricht after her audition. 'I chose Maastricht because I thought I could focus better there than in the big city.' She spent long days making theatre there and 'would do it again in a minute, for the experience.' Her fellow students felt like her family and she learned a lot by practising so much. At the toneelacademie, there is a lot of room to make mistakes and learn from them in a safe way. That has value on a career and personal level.' With her friends from back then, she still spends a lot of time on set and privately.
During her studies, she did an internship at what is now called Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA). At this theatre group, she stuck around and got her first theatre role. Young students who also want to go to drama school, she advises: 'This time will never come back, so go for it to the full. It is a special period where you get to discover and learn a lot.'
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Toneelacademie Maastricht
Toneelacademie Maastricht
School and theatre centre regularly hosting student performances and small theatre productions. More info on Toneelacademie Maastricht
Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof
Although she says she cannot photograph, Gaite can get totally absorbed in looking at pictures. She finds photography, like dance and music, a fine "expression of what it is to be human". For inspiration, she likes to go to the Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof. 'I think this is a beautiful, central place with incredibly good exhibitions.' She discovered the Fotomuseum when she went to see a film shown there. The changing exhibitions hang in the 16th-century former Spanish Gouvernement, which is beautiful enough to have once served as Emperor Charles V's country palace. The overarching theme of the exhibitions at the private photography museum is social relevance.
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Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof
Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof
Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof is a private photography museum located in the centre of Maastricht. More info on Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof
Bonnefanten
With her fellow drama students, Gaite visited museum Bonnefanten as part of her studies. The surprising and varied exhibitions are great for gaining creative inspiration. The striking building on the river Meuse attracts architecture lovers as well as art lovers. Within its walls you will find a permanent collection of ancient, modern and contemporary art from the Middle Ages to the present. From wood sculptures by medieval artist Jan van Steffeswerf to works by Karel Appel. There is also a fringe programme with varying contemporary exhibitions. So you have a different experience every time you step inside.
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Bonnefanten
Bonnefanten
Old masters find their place together with modern and contemporary art in the iconic Aldo Rossi-designed building. More info on Bonnefanten
Boekhandel Dominicanen
In the four years Gaite lived in Maastricht, she spent a lot of time in Boekhandel Dominicanen. 'This really is the most beautiful bookstore ever. The whole ambiance is wonderful. In the church, you feel the value of generations-old literature with books that tell a story.' It has come full circle, because years later, her own collection of poetry, Ode to the Unstoppable , is also on the shelves here under the high church ceiling. Buy the poetry collection, order a cappuccino with some sweets in the former presbytery and treat yourself to Gaite's word art.
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Boekhandel Dominicanen
Boekhandel Dominicanen
A stroll through the Dominican Church is an experience in itself, and people don't call it the most beautiful bookstore in the world for nothing! More info on Boekhandel Dominicanen
"Art helps people feel they are not alone. "
Gaite Jansen
More Gaite
There seems to be no end to the beautiful creations Gaite made, after graduating from the Toneelacademie, for the time being. 'I am looking forward to many more works. I want to play in films, be in the theatre and, above all, make productions. In my early years, I only wanted to play, but that has changed. I also want to make my own things.' On Netflix, you can see her in the film Happy Ending. She hopes this film makes people feel good. 'Feeling love, that's the most important thing in the end. Maybe my work can provide recognition. That's why I think art is so important, in any form. It helps people feel that they are not alone and that they don't have to carry their burdens alone.'
