There’s so much to do in Groningen that you really need a guide to help you uncover the city’s hidden gems. UKrant’s student editors share their cultural agenda with you. What’s their favourite venue and which events are absolutely not to be missed?
Hangout: ORKZ
If you’re also tired of Groningen’s trashed streets on the weekend nights, you might like the ORKZ, which is hidden away in Helpman. The venue is a squatted former Catholic hospital turned community centre with social housing. But you don’t have to be a resident to attend their events – the place also has a café, a bar, and a cinema, and offers workshops and occasional artist exhibitions. These can usually be accessed through the red side door to the cafe by the terrace.
A regular visit at ORKZ is not so different from a horror movie scene. The heavy front door opens to a dark dusty hall covered in spider webs. Old pictures of hospital rooms filled with beds and medical equipment hang on the walls, as a haunting reminder of the building’s past. It’s best to come with someone who knows the place, or you might get lost in the halls and never find your way out again.
You don’t have to be a resident to attend their events – the place also has a café, a bar, and a cinema
Besides the regular activities, the place also hosts raves, club nights, and fundraisers. All year round you can find events to your liking. Just last Sunday, I visited the Dagcafé (Day Café) during a fundraiser for No Name Kitchen, a grassroots movement supporting the right to move safely across the Balkans, Mediterranean, and Sahel routes. The organisation screened Shadow Game, a political documentary about the consequences of European asylum policy for ten teenagers trying to reach Europe.
Later this week, the halls of the hospital will echo with instrumental sludge metal and hardcore punk. Come, if you dare. If that’s not your cup of tea, keep an eye on their website or Instagram for upcoming events. And if you’re lucky enough to befriend a beautiful soul who lives there, they might show you some secret locations of the building, like the rooftop with a beautiful view over the city.
ORKZ
Emmastraat 15
Check their website for opening times or keep an eye on their Instagram for upcoming events
Where you’ll find me the coming weeks:
Harmonie building, Marie Lokezaal | Cinema Politica: Polyland
When: 28 May, 7-9.30 p.m.
Price: Free
You might have noticed I’m a bit too much into political documentaries. Every few months, Cinema Politica Groningen organises a screening of a movie on global political issues with panel discussions featuring local activists or experts. This Wednesday, we’re watching Polyland, a movie about three minoritised Polish women who navigate their lives in an increasingly right-wing society.
Moshpit of Creation | Revolution at my Backdoor
When: 29 May, 8 p.m.
Price: €10
After I watch a political documentary that makes me angry over the injustice in this world, I need to scream my lungs out and punch some strangers in the mosh pit. Nothing tops the healthy way of expressing anger at a local punk gig. Come see the Forbidden Wizards, Real Farmer, Frontsector, and Youth Deprivation at Duinkerkenstraat 26.
Dorothy’s Drag Bar | Dorothy’s birthday bash
When: 31 May, 8 p.m.
Price: €6.20
If you’ve never partied with drag queens, you don’t even know what a party is. Local queen Dorothy is celebrating her birthday, and I will be there for a night full of wigs, glitter, and Ru Paul’s Drag Race references.
Schouwburgcafé De Souffleur | Popsicle’s Lament
When: 1 June, 5 p.m.
Price: Free
In case you thought performance art is reserved for sophisticated exhibitions where you hold a glass of wine with your pinky up, I am here to let you know about De Souffleur, a place where conceptual performances meet the ultimate pub experience. On Sunday, I will go to see Icelandic artist Hildur Elísa Jónsdóttir whom I expect to offer space for critical reflections.
Vera Zienema | Daisies + To My Dearest
When: 3 June, 8 p.m.
Price: €5
I don’t know who Vera’s plug for Czechoslovak cinema is, but I want them to know I highly commend Daisies. The avant-garde comedy is a must-see for everyone who cares about freedom and silly women indulging in bourgeois decadence.