The small festival in the large garden takes place this year in July. The artistic director Casper de Vries talks about his plans and criticism from the previous year in an interview.
It is colorful, full of imagination – and an institution in Hanover: the small festival in the big garden. Since 2024 it has no longer been managed by his inventor Harald Böhlmann. Casper de Vries stepped in his footsteps. In an interview with T-Online, he reveals how he deals with the criticism from last year, according to which scheme he chooses for the cabaret festival and what he is planning for this year.
T-online: The motto of the small festival in the large garden is “it is arranged” this year. If the little party were a food, which one would it be?
Casper de Vries: It would be tapas because there are so many different small things that form a good meal together. With tapas you can choose all of these treats and put them together on a plate. And tapas are also something that you like to share with each other.
You took over the artistic direction of the festival last year. What were the most delicious tapas in your first edition for you to stay in the picture?
There were many nice moments. I really liked the beginning of every event evening when people get through the goal with their handcarts, their way and spread their way and spread their picnic blankets. Later they moved through the garden in small groups and had many experiences together – that’s nice.
You have taken over a festival that is strongly linked to one person, Harald Böhlmann. How do you deal with this inheritance?
With great respect for what he built up. He designed this very precisely, efficiently and well. Of course I had discussions in advance with Mr. Böhlmann. But the city has set up new rules with the handover of the festival. So not everything could be continued completely. We had to adjust a lot.
Casper de Vries, born in 1964, took over the artistic direction of the small festival in 2024. The Dutchman has been working in various cultural areas since 1997. He was already working as a consultant and program manager for various festivals – for example for La Strada in Bremen or de Tuin of the Lusten in the Netherlands. He also leads an agency for outdoor arts. Casper de Vries speaks four languages.
This also led to criticism in the previous year. Among other things, some visitors said that the “magic was lost”. What was your first thought when you heard that?
My first thought was: let’s ask the critics what they mean by magic. And I did that. But something didn’t really come out. I didn’t realize what the magic was. If people can explain this to me clearly, I can continue to work with it. But so far it is only something felt that misses what was in the past.
What changes have caused irritation?
If you are used to running in from the picnic area on the ground floor of the garden for so many years in a row and everything is colorful, great and funny and in 2024 suddenly nothing is there, I understand that the magic has been lost in this area. But we are no longer allowed to have the festival takes place there. We can’t bring that back. But in the back of the garden there is plenty of magic.
I don’t understand much of the criticism.
Casper de Vries
So the magic has only been moved somewhat within the garden?
Exactly. There are the same artists with new shows. It’s not that much differently. I don’t understand much of the criticism. For example, there were many complaints about the lottery procedure because people didn’t get cards. And now there is complaints that the lottery procedure has been abolished.
The longer walking paths were also criticized last year.
It is true that all visitors have to run a little further at the beginning of the evening so that they are in the middle of the festival. But from the center, all shows can be reached within two minutes. The walking paths are much shorter than before. It can be that you feel it longer, but it is not the truth.
What is different this year than in the previous year?
We put the picnic area further back. Before the picnic, visitors have to run quite a bit so that they only need to take two steps into the center of the festival afterwards. We made great care that exactly the stages that are right next to the picnic area are the first to be used. The beginning of the evening is a bit more concentrated.
