A conversation with culture-loving Kortrijk resident Delfien Delputte
Interview by Kenneth Masselis
Say that Delfien Delputte (41) breathes culture is an understatement. As an employee at publiq vzw, she is professionally committed to leisure participation, but even in her free time, she fully immerses herself in the rich cultural offerings of Flanders. There are very few cultural institutions in Flanders that she hasn't visited. Born in Kortrijk and after wandering in Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels, she returned to live in Kortrijk just before the outbreak of corona. She was also one of the first to embrace the CUBO subscription.
We arranged to meet for a coffee and a chat about her love for performing arts, about planting seeds, and about why CUBO is her perfect match.
Have you always had a weakness for culture, or has that love grown from your job?
“It was actually always there. In my youth, I took diction classes in my hometown Aalbeke. Later, I started playing the clarinet. But I was especially drawn to performing arts. I didn't dare to participate in the school play, but it always intrigued me. Now I sometimes see teenagers who have to attend a performance for school and act out a bit. Then I think back to my own school days and how we also had to write a report on a performance. I was so enthusiastic about it that I went to see many more performances than necessary.”
Do you have an explanation for that great love for performing arts?
“I have often asked myself that question. I also love reading books, but theater brings me even more joy. The lights going out, the darkness, and the feeling that a story is being told just for you. I find that blissful. It's a real escape from the present.
But I still remember exactly: the performance that meant the definitive click for me was 'Mamma Medea' by Tom Lanoye at the Schouwburg. I was so impressed. That piece completely captivated me. The story, the text, and how they performed it, incredible. I was sitting fairly close, and the set was impressive, with a large tower. I was really looking at it with a wow feeling. Especially when I looked up again and saw that incredibly beautiful dome window. Ma-gical! I became instantly happy. That is my reference point. Since then, my love for theater has only grown.
In the meantime, performing arts take up a large part of my (leisure) life. Wherever I go, I want to see performances. When I studied in Ghent and Antwerp and later lived in Brussels, I went to the theater very often. I was a regular visitor at many cultural houses and had a subscription there.”
Were you also among the first to become a CUBO member?
“Of course! That was fantastic for me. When I lived in Ghent, I heard that Schouwburg Kortrijk was looking for a (re)new(ing) subscription system. I followed that closely. In 2020, I moved to Kortrijk. When the CUBO subscription was created a little later, I didn't hesitate for a second. I still remember telling many people around me: “Come on, if you see two performances a month, you already get your money's worth...” But often I got the response: “You might do that, but not everyone will.”
Were you able to convince other people about CUBO?
“In the beginning, yes. A few friends are still members. Some even met each other through CUBO. At first, we would meet up to go to performances together. Now we don't do that anymore, but we already know in advance who we will encounter at which performance.”
How would you convince skeptics?
“I would say: “Give it a chance.” Many people have too strong an idea of 'culture with a capital C'. They think theater is not for them. But CUBO invites you to taste the unknown. Only... I feel that many people are not really ready for that yet. There are so many things that people would appreciate about performing arts, but they know too little about it and unfortunately think too quickly that it is not for them. I see it in my own environment too. My mom recently went to see Wouter Deprez with friends. Something she normally wouldn't do quickly, but she had an incredible evening. Then I think, “See! And there are so many other things that would interest you too. Just try it once.”
People who hesitate to become CUBO members would probably enjoy a circus performance too, right? Most people still think that circus is something with a clown and animals. But it is so much more: acrobatics, wonder, a total experience. People have a wrong image of what performing arts can be. They need to be more stimulated or taken by the hand. Maybe someone who is not familiar with it could have a kind of 'CUBO trial period' or a try-out? Many do not realize the added value it can bring. As long as you are not in that hall, you cannot get the feeling of “Wow, that was cool. I want to do that more.”
I notice that, for example, with my nephews. My brother has nothing to do with performing arts, but when I take his children, they are always super enthusiastic. They actively ask to go to the theater together again. But that can only happen because they have been able to taste it. If the seed is not planted, if you haven't tasted it or don't know what it is, you can't miss it either.”
Do you think extras (meet and greet with an actor, community feeling, becoming more involved with performances) would help?
“Maybe, but personally, I have less need for that. For me, it’s about the performance itself, not so much about the buzz around it. A meet & greet can indeed be nice, but that seems more suited for a big name in the circuit. While maybe a starting or still unknown artist needs an extra push.
Time is often the biggest hurdle for me. I usually plan everything I want to see well in advance. I often have to rush or run from place to place, which makes a pre-show explanation or a meet & greet afterwards too much for me. So I often let such things pass me by because they don't fit into my schedule."
What do you think works to persuade people?
“Originality! An unusual location, an original setting, the special aspect of it. From my job and leisure communication, I often hear: “Focus on the feeling that people are missing out on something. The unique. It’s now or never.”
I recognize that myself. I can sometimes be frustrated by things I haven't seen in a unique setting. For example, I still regret not being able to see 'Dauw', the dew trip by Tom Ternest and Silke Thorrez in Stadsgroen Marionetten.”
Due to the renovations, Schouwburg Kortrijk is now visiting many other locations. Do you see this as an added value within your CUBO offerings?
“Visiting other locations, such as cultural centers in the area, is certainly a nice alternative. It would be a shame if performances were to fall through due to a lack of location. So in that respect, I see it as a good collaboration. Moreover, surrounding cultural houses often host different companies that can only be seen there. I like to follow certain theater companies, and thanks to my CUBO subscription, I can now see them at work. That’s a nice expansion of my subscription.
But the real added value for me lies in the unique places. Last season, I saw 'Serdi' in the garden of the Fatima Monastery. I had heard so much about that location, but I didn't dare to just go there because I didn't know it. Strange, but that was a serious hurdle for me. I would never have gone there without CUBO. In hindsight, I became even more convinced. Everything was perfect. A beautiful performance outdoors at sunset. An absolute must-see. I even stayed there for a while and walked around the garden. That’s what I mean by taking people by the hand and convincing them that performing arts are so much more and can also taste like more.”
Can you describe CUBO in a few words?
“'Broadening taste', 'versatile', and 'second chance'.
"Thanks to CUBO, I have further broadened my already wide taste. As I mentioned, I have a warm heart for theater. I also liked dance, but I was less familiar with it, which is why I didn't often choose it. Just because I saw so many theater performances, there was little room for dance. But through CUBO, my interest has greatly expanded, and I give dance more of a chance. To the extent that I want to see creators of good performances at work again when they have another performance.
But conversely too. If I didn't like a performance, that doesn't stop me from looking at other work from that company or creator. That’s what I mean by ‘second chance’.
‘Versatile’ speaks for itself, I think? It actually relates to broadening taste. Due to the versatility of the CUBO offerings with circus, dance, theater, classical music, jazz, family, film, etc., you have many more opportunities to see diverse things. This way, you also broaden your taste. I even rediscovered my old love for film through CUBO. I now also experience family performances more intensely. I try to pass on my great love for family theater through my nephews. Planting the seed, you know? (laughs) And all thanks to CUBO.
Where I still want to expand is in the area of music. I have a distant past in classical music – I played the clarinet in my youth – but I want to learn to appreciate that genre and jazz again. That is high on my CUBO to-do list.
Actually, CUBO is the cozy blanket I was looking for as an eclectic performing arts lover. It’s the way to puzzle and do what I want. It also gives me the freedom to do all this and keep it financially feasible.”
With these beautiful words, we conclude. Thank you, Delfien, for your enthusiasm and passion!
