Vrede van Utrecht has a commission to organise cultural activities in the city and province of Utrecht until 2013: theatre, music, film, exhibitions, readings and debates. The programme’s inspiration is the historic Treaty of Utrecht, the ‘Vrede’ or ‘Peace’ of Utrecht in Dutch, an agreement which was signed in 1713 and which ended 150 years of war in Europe. For a year, Utrecht hosted the negotiations which made the agreement possible. And until 2013, Vrede van Utrecht’s mandate is to offer a diverse international and domestic programme of activities and events. A constant thread running through the programme is the relationship between culture and contemporary social issues such as war and peace, conflict and dialogue. Vrede van Utrecht is an initiative of the city and provincial councils of Utrecht.

If you’d like to learn more about Vrede van Utrecht, please visit www.vredevanutrecht.nl where you can also subscribe to the regular newsletter.