Pinkorange meets..
Rients van Ganswijk
What is your occupation?
Nowadays I work as a music editor at television shows, De Wereld Draait Door, De Vooravond, M, and I used to work for Into The Great Wide Open Festival on Vlieland.
I started there as a volunteer literally building the festival. Eventually I did the marketing for the festival.
How does it feel to organize a festival on an island?
The first time I visited the festival, it was also the first time I visited Vlieland. At that time I also found out that it is quite a long journey from Utrecht, where I lived: almost 6 hours. In that time you can also travel to Berlin, Paris or London, and that strengthens the feeling of being far away. Because of the isolated location, the island is a tiny society with a thousand inhibitants. Especially when the festival takes place and all my friends are there, it feels like the world stops for a moment and your whole life takes place just on that island.
So you’re not busy with your life at the other side of the sea?
The nice thing is, a lot of the people I know I only see once or twice a year, on that island. It’s a pretty intense time for two weeks, and after that time you don’t see each other for months. You can always look forward to seeing those people again, in the nice context of the island. It doesn’t matter what takes place in your life in the meantime. When I return to Vlieland and I see everyone again then I’m a version of myself that I’m only in that specific place and time. You feel free and you’re open, what I think makes you very creative.
