Marco Gerris (45) is the founder of the successful theater company ISH Dance Collective and is a neighbor of Meervaart. As our neighbor and his company regularly performs at Meervaart, Marco is also perfectly suited to dream along with us in this blog.

First of all; congratulations on the well-deserved Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds prize! ISH won this prize not so long ago, but do you already have an idea what you'll do with the prize money?
Absolutely! The prize has been split in two: one half, €75,000, we can freely spend on ISH projects, which now gives us the opportunity to realize things that were previously not possible. Think of performances or demos.

The other half we're allowed to put into a self-developed fund. Our fund will be called 'W*ISH' and is intended for emerging artists who just need that final push. Think of self-taught artists or people who have wonderful ideas but can't find a place to realize their dreams or an organization that can support them. It is precisely for these people that we hope to make a difference.

Are there already projects planned for the coming seasons that we can give our readers a preview of?
If everything goes well, there are at least two very interesting productions in the pipeline!

The first, 'FTBLL Can U Kick It!', is a collaboration with Carré, Meervaart and ISH and will run from April through June. As the title already suggests, this production is about everything related to football. Freestyle football, panna and breakdance meet each other at the highest level, challenge each other and seek each other out. The beauty is that there are far more similarities than you might think at first glance. The production is in the same vein as 'Elements of Freestyle' and 'Modern Samurai', which have also been performed at Meervaart before. Spectacular with a poetic edge!

The second production is a co-production with Meervaart's resident company Jakop Ahlbom Company. Jakop's fantastic, often highly visual absurdist productions mixed with ISH's spectacle gives us as makers a unique new opportunity to deepen our own work even further and try new things. The production, called 'Knock-out', will be a spectacular stunt/martial arts show intertwined in an absurdist story. A bit like Fargo.

In one fell swoop we became both famous and infamous.

ISH's very first premiere took place on January 25, 2002 at Meervaart. Can you tell us more about the origins of ISH and can you still remember that evening?
From a young age, I have been very interested in performing arts. I have seen many productions, but also performed myself. From school theater to (extra) roles in films and on the big stage. It wasn't until I moved to Amsterdam in 1997 and (finally) got a real chance to perform in a production that things really started rolling. To this day, they haven't stopped rolling.

In 2000 I founded ISH and I can remember the premiere at Meervaart like it was yesterday. Your very first premiere of your own production remains unique, of course. My parents had specially reserved a tour bus for the occasion so that my entire family and friends from Antwerp—where I'm from—could come watch. Besides them, the hall was packed to the rafters with mainly loud young people from different ethnic backgrounds, mixed with a more traditional audience. Which I absolutely loved, of course! The tension was palpable. Not only because of the premiere feeling, but everything in the hall made you feel that "something new" was coming. For the first time, new audiences came to traditional theaters in such large numbers, so in one fell swoop we became both famous and infamous. I never expected the production to be so successful, not even in my wildest dreams.

Which facilities in the neighborhood do you use now? And how would you describe your ideal Nieuw-West?
Nieuw-West is still a vibrant "village" on the edge of Amsterdam, with many more growth opportunities. I would love to see more restaurants and bars around the lake. The food court at Osdorpplein is a good start, but I'm missing so many different cuisines and nationalities.

It would be fantastic if the theater were built in such a way that the beautiful surroundings literally overflow into the building.

I enjoy sitting in the sunshine by the water, at one of the terraces or the nice big boulevard, but I also make a lot of use of the rest of the Sloterplas. I like to skate a few laps around the lake or regularly go freerunning with my son at the 'I Amsterdam' letters. As far as I'm concerned, there could be a much larger offering for different street disciplines at these letters. A serious outdoor skate/BMX park, for example, and instead of gravel, there should be super smooth asphalt for skaters, BMX riders and breakers.

In any case, I would recommend renovation and expansion of the walking and cycling paths throughout the entire park. This would also make the park feel more open, so everyone feels safe and comfortable. Even in the evenings.

What role can Meervaart play in your vision for the future of Nieuw-West? Is there anything you miss in the current Meervaart?
It would be fantastic if the theater were built in such a way that the beautiful surroundings literally overflow into the building, creating the feeling that the building and the surroundings are one.

In this same spirit, I hope that the new Meervaart will play an important role in strengthening the connection between theater and street culture. Both Meervaart and ISH must continue to stand for the integrity, quality and character of the area where many different but fantastic lifestyles come together, inspire each other and improve one another.

It should become a place where you can choose between relaxing and enjoying the surroundings and activities, or participating yourself.

In my eyes, Meervaart is living proof that theaters no longer have to feel so formal or elitist. The threshold here is much lower and it's palpable that the theater belongs to everyone.

Want to read more stories about unique connections with our neighborhood? Follow the entire series "The Dream".