About the collections
The theatre collection offers theatre makers, researchers and interested parties insight into the history of Dutch theatre in all its disciplines. The basis of the collection is the premieres database. Details of every production in the Netherlands, regardless of discipline, are added to the database: date, actors, director, but also the set makers and other people involved. All collection items are linked to these premieres.
The theatre collection began with the collection of the Toneelmuseum and later the Theater Instituut Nederland and has grown into one of the largest in Europe over the past century. The collection comprises a variety of beautiful, appealing and intriguing objects and collections. In all, it concerns some 250,000 items, including costumes, models, posters, photographs, puppets, programmes, graphic art, books, scripts, sound and video recordings and archives. All these objects are arranged according to six different disciplines in the collection's system: entertainment, dance, mime, music theatre, puppetry and theatre. Together, they cover over four centuries of Dutch theatre history.
Priority areas / highlights
- Slingelandt Toneel, a late 18th-century miniature stage set
- Photographic collections of the late 19th and early 20th century
- Personal archives of exceptional theatre makers
- Database with details of 100,000 theatre premieres in the Netherlands
- Designs for costumes and scenery by famous artists
- Costumes by Rien Bekkers
Searching the collections
Heritage materials
The theatre collection can be accessed at theatercollectie.uva.nl. When searching for people, remember to start with the surname. Museum material such as costumes, models, posters or paintings can only be consulted by appointment at the IWO depot. Models, costumes, puppets, etc. will not be taken to the Oude Turfmarkt location.
Theaterencyclopedie
All performances, including biographies, summaries of theatre and opera works and images, are to be found in the Dutch-language Theaterencyclopedie.nl. contains all performances with biographies, summaries of theatre and opera works and images. However, it is not a collection database. Since the Theaterencyclopedie operates on the wiki principle, and anyone can add or change data.
Book collection
The theatre books of the former Theater Instituut are all included in the UvA book collection and can be consulted and borrowed through the online catalogue.
Request
After you have selected an item from the theatre collection, you can request it by clicking on ‘borrow or view this item’ using the TIN collection’s request form. The form enables you to indicate the material involved and its location: a UvA library, the Allard Pierson Reading Room or the IWO depot in Amsterdam Zuid-Oost. To request material from the theatre collection, you must be in possession of a borrower's card.
Donating collections
The Allard Pierson theatre collection is interested in unique material that can contribute to the history of four centuries of theater in the Netherlands. Our goal is to provide a good reflection of Dutch theater history. We collect material in six disciplines: drama, dance, entertainment (musicals, cabaret, and shows), mime, puppetry, and musical theater. The material offered is assessed against our acquisition profiles and discussed in the monthly acquisition meeting between the curator and collection specialists. If we find that the material fits well into our collection, we submit it to the Allard Pierson Acquisition team. They then decide whether or not it can be included in our collections.
What are we interested in?
- Unique archival material (letters, minutes, diaries, notes, etc.)
- Museum objects from theater productions
- Material from TCS performances
- Program booklets from before 1945
What are we not interested in?
- Program booklets after 1945
- Clipping archives
- Props
- Entire sets and set components
Do you have material that could be a good addition to the theater collection? Please fill in this form and we will contact you within 10 working days.
Contact persons
- Sylvia Alting van Geusau
Theatre collection curator and performing arts team leader
Send an e-mail: s.l.altingvangeusau@uva.nl - Leonie Sterenborg
Curator of costumes
Send an e-mail: l.m.sterenborg@uva.nl - Gonneke Janssen
Collection specialist Theatre
Send an e-mail: theatercollectie@uva.nl - Lisa Lucassen
Theatre collection specialist
Send an e-mail: theatercollectie@uva.nl - Milco Feijnenbuik
Editor-in-chief of the Theatre Encyclopaedia
Send an e-mail: m.feijnenbuik@uva.nl
Support the Allard Pierson
Your contribution makes it possible to acquire, expand and restore collections, to undertake research into the collections, develop educational programmes and present them to tens of thousands of visitors a year. Can we count you in?
