Friendship & Culture: How CUBO strengthened the friendship between Miep and Marijke
Interview by Kenneth Masselis
Let's go back to June '24. After a gripping monologue by Serdi Faki Alici, we find Marijke and Miep in the bar of the Fatima Monastery, who are clearly loyal CUBO devotees as they do not hide their enthusiasm. Over a coffee, the close friends share how CUBO has further strengthened their frienship.
Marijke Dejaeghere (65) moved from Wevelgem to Kortrijk in 2007. ”An exciting city with a wide range of sports and culture: Mozaïek, museum Texture, Antigone, Unie der Zorgelozen, Budascoop, Schouwburg, and so on. They each provide Kortrijk with the opportunity for cultural experiences in their own way.”
Best friend Miep Depuydt (70) lives in Avelgem but is also planning to move to Kortrijk this spring. What started with some outings quickly grew into a deep love for the cultural and film offerings in Kortrijk. Miep was, just like Marijke, one of the first to purchase a CUBO subscription. Moreover, she was able to convince her son and many friends to become CUBO members.
“When the new season is announced, we all come together and discuss which performances we will reserve with our CUBO subscription. At the start of ticket sales, we are also among the first at the Ticketservice door. Because to be honest, I still prefer to book at the counter rather than online. Anja and Sofie, the lovely ladies at Ticketservice, will undoubtedly be involved in a lot of that. That compliment can certainly be extended to the whole team: at a (CUBO) performance, we are always welcomed by very friendly staff.”
How did you meet each other?
Miep: “In the early 1980s, we performed together in a traveling theater company. With plays like 'Do we all have to break down', 'The Breakdown Lane', and 'Those who want to reap must sow', we traveled through Flanders together. We quickly became good friends.”
Marijke: “When we stopped performing theater and Miep moved to Avelgem, our friendship faded, and we eventually lost all contact. Thirty years later, in 2015, we found each other again during a film screening at Budascoop. I heard a laugh in the audience that I recognized out of a thousand. I sat down next to Miep, and after the film, we started chatting again.”
Miep: “We realized that we had a lot of common interests in terms of film, performances… Since we were both single, we made plans to regularly catch a movie at Budascoop or a performance at the Schouwburg. When we heard about CUBO, we didn’t hesitate for a second. I think we were among the very first to purchase a subscription.”
So we can say that CUBO has strengthened your friendship?
Marijke: “Definitely. Although I, as a film lover, primarily use my CUBO subscription for Budascoop, Miep prefers dance and classical performances. Now, more than before, we go together to performances and shows and inspire each other.”
Miep: “That’s the power of CUBO: the wide and varied offerings of dance, classical, theater, circus, and film provide so many opportunities to discover new things. We have already seen incredibly beautiful performances that we would never have booked otherwise. This only increases our desire to discover even more.”
Are there specific CUBO performances that you'll never forget?
Miep: “I still remember 'Three geraniums on a windowsill', a performance in people's living rooms. There was only room for a few people, and we all had to wear 3D glasses. An incredibly surprising experience that will stay with me for a long time, and a performance I would never have attended without CUBO.”
Marijke: “I went to the concert of Reinel Bakole last September. That Saturday night, I had nothing else planned, and with CUBO, I bought a ticket on the day itself. The result was a very enjoyable evening. At the end of the concert, the singer was called back for an encore, but she came back on stage again afterward. Very shyly, she said that her official playing time was actually over, but she still gave the enthusiastic audience an extra encore.”
Miep: “Circus also stays with me, like the performance where father and son Ronaldo in 'Sono Io?' highlighted a changing circus world and the resulting generational conflicts. So beautiful, I still get goosebumps when I think back to it.”
We met you at Fatima, one of the many locations that the Schouwburg-in-renovation visits. Do you miss the building, or do you find it an enrichment that the Schouwburg visits different locations?
Marijke: “It’s of course convenient when it takes place in the Schouwburg: in the center, right near my door. Moreover, it’s a very beautiful, historic building that exudes bravado. As soon as you walk into the main hall and look at the beautiful stained glass windows, you are mesmerized. So in that respect, I do miss the Schouwburg.”
Miep: “For me, accessibility isn’t really a problem since I come from Avelgem anyway. But the Schouwburg is and remains a stately building that brings and radiates beauty. So I certainly look forward to seeing the result of the renovation!”
Marijke: “On the other hand, it’s an added value that the Schouwburg is now reaching out more. That the Schouwburg audience is now also finding its way to cultural and meeting centers in the wider region. Locations like Fatima give a performance that little bit more experience, I think.”
Miep, you managed to convince your son and quite a few friends to become CUBO members. How would you convince other doubters?
Marijke: “For me, the cost is important. Everything is getting more expensive, including culture. Especially as a single person. But thanks to CUBO, you enjoy a wide cultural offering for only 20 euros a month. As a passionate film and stage lover, it’s a godsend for me.”
Miep: “I completely agree with that. Moreover, with CUBO, you experiment and discover much more. You go to a performance that you probably would never visit without the subscription and thus discover new artists, genres… Thanks to CUBO, I have already enjoyed classical and circus performances, something I never thought possible until a few years ago.”