The city program BinnenhofBuiten, curated by Mary Hessing, has donated a monumental work of art by The Hague artist Marleen Sleeuwits to Flora Restaurant and Filmhuis. The work, consisting of three large light objects, was previously on display during the Spiegelfestival. During this festival, which started in January, mirrors transformed the public space around the Binnenhof into an enchanting, reflective environment.
Sleeuwits: “Every time I visited my work on the Lange Vijverberg, someone was photographing themselves or each other at the work. It’s so nice to see how my work connects people.”
Marleen Sleeuwits ‘ artwork fits in seamlessly with the vision ofFlora: a place where imagination and encounter are central. Three mirrored objects, each two by three metres, form the impressive centrepieces in the hall of the new Flora Filmtheater and Café Restaurant Flora .
Initiators Bo Maerten and Marijn Veltman recently embarked on an inspiring adventure: transforming an empty, monumental building – the former KPN telephone exchange – into a vibrant meeting place for film and culture lovers in The Hague. The eponymous catering establishment in the characteristic building is run by brothers Sjoerd and Sijbren Bartlema.
Also in the Private Dining area of the restaurant, a work by Sleeuwits can be admired. This mural was created in collaboration with the Fotomuseum Den Haag , where her solo exhibition Enter the Cube was on display until 5 May.
Hessing: “With BinnenhofBuiten we are trying to create a fresh sound in the Museum Quarter, Flora is an equally creative and fresh initiative that was launched through crowdfunding. We are happy to contribute to that.”
With this donation, Sleeuwits’ artwork will find a new and permanent home at Flora, a new meeting place in The Hague where film, creativity and gastronomy come together. It can be viewed now. The entrance is at De Constant Rebecquestraat number 55, then take the elevator to the sixth floor.
City programme BinnenhofBuiten organises events and activities during the renovation of the Binnenhof, such as BlowUp Art The Hague and the Spiegelfestival , and is a project by The Hague & Partners for the municipality of The Hague.
Featured Photo: Jan Willem Kaldenbach / The Hague & PartnersFrom left to right: Mary Hessing (programmer BinnenhofBuiten), Marijn Veltman (Flora Filmhuis), Marleen Sleeuwits, brothers Sjoerd and Sijbren Bartlema (Flora Restaurant) and Bo Maertens (Flora Filmhuis) with son. (Photo: Jan Willem Kaldenbach / The Hague & Partners)
Whether the sun is shining brightly or the rain is pouring down, you’ll always be in the right place at Pathé in June. This month, the cinema offering is packed with film experiences for everyone.
Fans of spectacular fights can enjoyBallerina, an action thriller set in the same world asJohn Wick.F1, the latest film starring Brad Pitt, also gets the adrenaline pumping in the cinemas with impressive races.
More in the mood for bloodcurdling scares? Then horror fans can enjoy the long-awaited zombie film28 Years Later, and the murderous robot girlM3GAN 2.0is also back.
If you prefer to take it a bit easier, let yourself be carried away by the wind in the live action remake ofHow to Train Your Dragonor lose yourself in the dreamy eyes of Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans in the romcomMaterialists.
So the big screen offers a world full of stories in June that you can dive into, regardless of the weather forecast.
Families can go to Pathé for the latest Disney/Pixar film called Elio , about a dreamy boy with a vivid imagination and love for extraterrestrial life, who is abducted to an intergalactic community where an epic adventure begins.
Film music lovers can immerse themselves in iconic sounds at the Sound Sessions of Pitchblack Playback: Hans Zimmer ‘Live’.
Pathé Sound Sessions and Pitchblack Playback present Pitchblack Playback: Hans Zimmer ‘Live’ . Where you don’t listen to the impressive oeuvre of one of the most famous film composers ever, but experience it. Close your eyes, discover new details and let yourself be completely immersed in the music. More information
New movies at Pathé
Ballerina – June 5 (Dolby Cinema, Dolby Atmos, 4DX) Ana de Armas stars as deadly assassin Eve Macarro in Ballerina , an action thriller set in the John Wick universe. Trained by the Ruska Roma, she has one goal: to take revenge on her family’s killers. However, her relentless pursuit threatens to ignite a war unless John Wick (Keanu Reeves) can stop her. Ian McShane and Anjelica Huston also return in their familiar roles. More information
How to Train Your Dragon – June 12 (IMAX, Dolby Cinema, Dolby Atmos, ScreenX, 4DX) On the island of Berk, Vikings and dragons have been enemies for centuries, but young outsider Hiccup (Mason Thames) breaks tradition by befriending the fearsome dragon Toothless. Together with the brave Astrid (Nico Parker) and blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost), he sets out to uncover the truth about dragons. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Vikings and dragons must work together to survive. More information
Materialists – June 12In this romcom (directed by Celine Song, Past Lives ), a young, ambitious New York matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) must choose between the perfect match (Pedro Pascal) and her imperfect ex (Chris Evans). The film will also be shown during Ladiesnight on June 11.More information
Materialists – 2025 Sony Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
28 Years Later – June 19Oscar®-winning director Danny Boyle and Oscar®-nominated writer Alex Garland reunite for 28 Years Later , a chilling new story set in the world established in the horror classic 28 Days Later . Nearly thirty years after the “rage” virus was leaked, the world remains in a strict quarantine. As one person breaks free, they discover secrets and wonders—and horrors that have affected not only those infected, but fellow survivors as well.More information
F1 The Movie– June 26 (IMAX, Dolby Cinema, Dolby Atmos, ScreenX, 4DX) In F1, Brad Pitt plays fallen racing hero Sonny Hayes, who is persuaded to return to the circuit after years away. His old teammate, played by Javier Bardem, runs a struggling team and sees Sonny as their last hope. Together with talented rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), he takes on the challenge. But in a world where teammates are rivals, making a comeback proves anything but easy. More information
F1 the Movie – 2025 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
M3GAN 2.0 – June 26
After her success in 2023, the murderous doll returns. And this time she is not alone. The creative team behind this phenomenon – led by horror giants James Wan ( The Conjuring ) and Jason Blum (production house Blumhouse) – provides a new, wild adventure full of AI chaos with M3GAN 2.0.More information
New arthouse films at Pathé
The Phoenician Scheme – May 29 The story of a family and a family business. Benicio del Toro plays business magnate Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda, one of the richest people in Europe; Mia Threapleton is Sister Liesl, his daughter/a nun; Michael Cera is Bjorn Lund, their tutor. A film directed by Wes Anderson.
In Disney and Pixar’s new film Elio , a dreamy boy is mistaken for the leader of Earth. He ends up in the ‘Communiverse’, an intergalactic organization full of aliens. While trying to survive in this bizarre universe, he discovers who he really is. An imaginative adventure full of humor, confusion and self-awareness!
Elio – 2025 The Walt Disney Company Benelux. All Rights Reserved.
New films at Pathé Thuis
The Amateur – available premium from June 10th Charlie (Rami Malek) is a CIA code expert. When his wife is killed in a terrorist attack and his superiors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands.
Pathé is the first and largest cinema brand in the Netherlands, founded in Paris in 1896 by true pioneers of film: the Pathé brothers. Their aim was to share the wonderful world of film with as many people as possible. Throughout the Netherlands, Pathé has 30 locations, 253 screens and 1,900 employees. Through its wide range of films, livestreams of opera, sports and gaming, among others, the latest techniques such as IMAX, 4DX, Dolby Cinema and ScreenX, and business events, Pathé creates special and unforgettable cinema stories for all.
Disclaimer& Copyright notice
Pathé is a partner of The Hague Online, and we receive cinema tickets in exchange for sharing monthly updates and links on our website and in our enewsletter. Text is provided by Pathé in Dutch and translated into English by The Hague Online and Deep L. Images are provided by Pathé. Text and images may not be copied and shared without permission.
Featured image: How to Train Your Dragon – 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Uncover the secrets of The Hague while solving puzzles and exploring both well-known landmarks and hidden corners of the city. This immersive outdoor experience lets you see the political heart of the Netherlands through a fresh lens — and there’s a mystery to unravel along the way!
A Constitutional Mystery Awaits Disaster has struck: the Dutch Constitution has vanished! Chaos is spreading — even the city council of Roermond has declared that Venlo locals are no longer welcome. Outrageous, right? But without the Constitution, who can stop them? That’s where you come in. Step into the story and help recover the missing articles scattered across the city centre.
Need-to-Know Details
Starting point: Het Plein (just a 10-minute walk from the train station, with parking nearby)
Ending point: The historic old city hall Once your booking is confirmed, you’ll receive an email with a unique login and code to start your game whenever it suits you. No need to reserve a time — all you need is a fully charged smartphone with mobile data.
Perfect for Groups and Events Planning a day out with friends, a school trip, or a company team-building event? Outside Escape is fun, affordable, and easy to organise for up to 80 participants. Whether you’re looking for a creative break or an unforgettable group adventure, this city game delivers. Optional extras like lunch, drinks, or dinner can also be arranged on request.
Curious to Learn More? Visit the Outside Escape website to find out how it works or browse the FAQ for answers to any questions you might have:
This is a sponsored post – Outside Escape has provided this experience for The Hague Online to try soon! If you also try this out, we’d love to hear about your experiences, you can contact us.
In the first half of 2025, the Netherlands saw a noticeable rise in collective layoffs across different industries. During the first quarter, 82 companies announced plans to cut 20 or more jobs. This is a big increase compared to the 59 companies that made similar announcements in the same period last year. In total, more than 4,700 workers are expected to lose their jobs- an increase of almost 5% from the previous year.[1]
Most of these planned redundancies are coming from the industrial and business services sectors. Companies in these areas are focusing on restructuring and cutting costs, leading to the larger number of layoffs.
This wave of job cuts has raised concerns about job security, severance pay, and employees’ rights. As major companies move forward with these plans, there are growing questions about the impact on the Dutch job market and how well affected workers will be able to recover.
The emotional toll of job loss
Losing a job is more than just the loss of income; it’s a disruption to one’s life, family, and future. The impact is even more profound for expats who moved to the Netherlands for promising career opportunities, only to face sudden unemployment. Many expats build their entire lives around their jobs, making the loss particularly unsettling. Navigating this unexpected change can be both emotionally and practically challenging, especially in a foreign country with different employment laws and regulations.
Understanding collective redundancies in the Netherlands
Under Dutch employment law, collective redundancy is defined as the dismissal of at least 20 employees within a three-month period in the same working area.
Employers planning such layoffs are legally obligated to follow strict guidelines, including notifying and obtaining permission from the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), consulting with trade unions, and informing the works council if one exists. Additionally, Dutch law mandates that employers adhere to statutory waiting periods before proceeding with dismissals. Non-compliance with these obligations can lead to legal challenges, potential reinstatement of employees, or financial penalties for the company.
These regulations are intended to protect employees’ rights and promote transparency throughout the redundancy process.
For employers, executing a collective redundancy is not only labour-intensive but also carries the risk of the UWV rejecting the termination requests if procedural mistakes are made or if the justification is deemed insufficient.
As a result, many companies attempt to avoid this route altogether.
Negotiating a fair exit
Rather than following the complex UWV procedure, many employers opt to negotiate severance agreements directly with affected employees. This method, known as a Settlement Agreement (in Dutch: Vaststellingsovereenkomst), allows both parties to mutually agree on the terms of the termination, including financial compensation, notice periods, and potential outplacement services.
Often, this negotiated route results in better financial terms for the employee, as companies are motivated to reach a mutual agreement quickly and avoid lengthy legal processes. However, understanding your rights, negotiating fair terms, and planning your next steps can feel daunting; especially when faced with legal jargon in a foreign language.
Getting the right support
Navigating a layoff process can be challenging without the right support. The good news is you don’t have to navigate this process alone. Professional assistance is often available and sometimes even covered by the employer. This can include e.g. the costs of employment law mediators and lawyers, who help clarify your options, negotiate on your behalf, and secure a fair settlement.
For expats, finding the right legal support that speaks your language and understands the nuances of Dutch employment law can be particularly difficult. Recognizing this gap, Sabine Imdahl, a Dutch-qualified mediator and lawyer (since 2013) founded Counselr.nl. Counselr connects expats with experienced, multilingual legal professionals across a broad spectrum of legal areas, including employment law, who can advocate for your rights and provide the clarity you need.
Last week, on Global Accessibility Awareness Day,Het Nationale Theater announceda technological innovation for the performing arts: smart glasses that convert live spoken text from actors into real-time subtitles in 223 languages. For everyone who would like to go to the theater, but speaks no or limited Dutch, is deaf or hard of hearing, performances have become more accessible thanks to the new AI-driven technology. Het Nationale Theater came up with the concept for this innovation, called LiveText , and will offer the service free of charge in its theaters and on tour in the fall. LiveText will be officially introduced at theHolland Festival at the end of June .
Renewed concept of smart glasses
At the moment, smart glasses and surtitles for theatres are sporadically available. This is partly due to the labour-intensive approach of pre-entering scripts. With the innovation drive of LiveText , 223 languages are available at any desired time, including languages with a different reading direction, characters and letters. This serves both non-Dutch speakers and 1.5 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the Netherlands at theatre performances. Although developed for theatre, the technology can be applied more broadly, for example at multilingual conferences or international live events. The concept for the glasses was devised by Het Nationale Theater, developed with partner XRAIbased on Dante technology.
Den Haag, 15 mei 2025 ? Het Nationale Theater kondigt vandaag, op Global Accessibility Awareness Day, (https://accessibility.day/) een technologische innovatie voor de podiumkunsten aan: ee…
How the technology works
Unique to the application is that the subtitles are based on the actors’ voices and not on a pre-entered script. The sound (speech or singing) is transmitted via the microphone of each individual actor via the audio table to the software. This software converts the spoken words into text in real time, translated or not, and sends the subtitles directly to the smart glasses in the room. Visitors see the text at the same distance as where they see the actors standing, which contributes to a calm viewing experience. Different colours make it clear who is speaking.
Cees Debets, director of Het Nationale Theater:“We are proud of the world premiere of this innovative service for non-Dutch speakers, deaf and hard of hearing. Het Nationale Theater is taking a new step in making theater accessible to everyone. We are working hard to share knowledge about this innovation with other theaters and producers. The more often we use this as a sector, the more people in the Netherlands and worldwide can enjoy theater without barriers.”
Forerunner in accessibility
The National Theatre has been actively working on making theatre accessible to people with disabilities for years. This project is an addition to the existing services. The innovation was developed with the support of Cultuurloket DigitALL. In the autumn, the National Theatre will start making the glasses available to the public in The Hague and on tour for free. Until then, the glasses will be extensively tested and further developed in collaboration with the target groups.
Den Haag, 15 mei 2025 ? Het Nationale Theater kondigt vandaag, op Global Accessibility Awareness Day, (https://accessibility.day/) een technologische innovatie voor de podiumkunsten aan: ee…
About the National Theatre
Het Nationale Theater is the largest traveling theater company in the Netherlands, with productions that travel to more than 40 cities throughout the country. With two companies (Het Nationale Theater and HNTjong), Het Nationale Theater is the only national theater organization that makes performances for all ages. Het Nationale Theater has a home in three theaters in The Hague: the Koninklijke Schouwburg, Theater aan het Spui and Zaal 3. Het Nationale Theater wants to be accessible to everyone. With HNTonbeperkt we do everything we can to remove obstacles for people with disabilities.
DutchBuzz is an English radio programme of news, views and interviews that tells you what’s happening in this buzzing city of ours. The international team of presenters and reporters are from many different continents, but view The Hague as their home!
In Dutchbuzz this week: • The Hague readies itself for the NATO Summit • Red Line peace action planned for Sunday • Energy consultant on lifestyle choices; • and we speak to the author of ‘Niksen’ – the Dutch art of doing absolutely nothing!
The Hague’s Pearls – listen to previous recordings
The podcasts below are devoted to members of the international community who have made a special contribution to the City of The Hague.
The DutchBuzz team takes pleasure in inviting and interviewing the city’s many ‘pearls’. Many of them have been featured in our programmes over the years because they reflect our rich and diverse international community.
Newsmakers, writers, local politicians, entertainers, innovators, entrepreneurs, experts in their field, and colourful personalities, they all make The Hague a better place to live and work in.
All the interviews have been broadcast, but we enjoyed them so much that we are now sharing them with you as special, celebratory podcasts.
