Tow Bar Needed needs you

The Caravan Hitchhiking Project literally and figuratively needs others to keep it going. We are therefore looking for partners to identify themselves with our body of thought: connection, trust and hospitality in Europe. The Caravan Hitchhiking Project cooperates with these partners to spread this message through theatre shows, music, online and printed media.

Furthermore, we are looking for some great European festivals and events to play the theatre performance, show the road movie and exhibition, tell stories…and most of all: to inspire. Please Contact us if you have any tips or want to coorporate.

And the journey goes on..!

Dear followers and friends,

A lot has happened since Tjerk arrived in Istanbul, hitchhiking with his guitar, dachshund, travel companion Peter Bijl and caravan, but without a car.

In summer the theatre show ‘Tow Bar Needed: a Theatrical Road Movie’ hit the travelling theatre festival De Parade in Utrecht. Supported by musician Matthijs Spek, Tjerk shared his adventures through a mix of stories, video impressions and songs. The show played for four nights in a row, eventually in sold-out performances, and was received enthusiastically by many people.

After De Parade Tjerk and Peter returned to Germany for a show on the MELEZ festival and met up with some of their connectors in Essen. This meeting was filmed by the German television station Sat 1 and can be viewed here. In the meantime the The Caravan Hitchhiking Project exhibition kicked off in the city hall of Utrecht and was on show for a full month.

And the journey goes on. Not only have we planned more shows and exhibitions for the coming months, also the The Caravan Hitchhiking Project Team has started preparations for a new journey: a tour along festivals and manifestations in Europe. Music festivals, theatre festivals, art festivals, film festivals: everywhere where inspiration and beautiful stories are welcome.

And also for this journey we need your tips, tricks and inspiration. Is there a great event or festival in your region, which would match our project perfectly? Contact us! After all: you need others to get further.. : )
Thank you in advance!

New theatre show ‘Tow Bar Needed’

Towbar needed back in Utrecht!

This Saturday, the 10th of July, Tjerk Ridder and Peter Bijl will return to Utrecht. At. 14.00 hrs the mayor of the city of Utrecht, Mr. Wolfsen, will welcome the party on Domplein.
We would hereby like to invite you to come and celebrate the great success of the hitchhiking journey with us!

The details are as follows:
Date: Saturday 10. July
Time: 14.00 hrs
Place: Domplein, Utrecht

Prior to the reception on Domplein, Tjerk and Peter will be welcomed by Frank du Mosch in the radio show Cappuccino which is broadcasted on Saturday, 10th July on Radio 2. Around 9.20 Tjerk Ridder will give a report of the journey and sing the title track Unterwegs.

See you on Saturday!

Back to the Eighties

Duran Duran, Billy Ocean, Feargal Sharkey, Salt’n’ Pepa, Kajagoogoo, Cyndi Lauper, Rick Astley: we have been in Serbia for over a week and what strikes us, apart from the meat consumption, is the music. Everywhere we go, we hear hits from the eighties, as is the case – or should we say: as is especially the case? – on petrol stations, not a bad condition for hitchhiking.

Hitchhiking is a good way to make contact. How different is travelling by train or plane where conversation with fellow-travellers is short and more informal. If at all. » Lees meer…

First stage of “Tow Bar Needed” a great success

This winter, Utrecht musician Tjerk Ridder traveled through Europe, hitchhiking with a caravan, but without a car. Destinations: The European Capitals of Culture 2010: Essen/Ruhr (Germany) and Pécs (Hungary). But the actual project goal was the journey itself. And this journey was – to put it mildly – overwhelming. And so was the media attention. Ridder made it to the national TV news in five different European countries and even became close to being a national TV star in Hungary. » Lees meer…

Contemplations on the way home

On the way home, while miles are passing by between Prague and Utrecht, I have a lot of time to contemplate on all experiences and encounters of part I of the project. Starting with the departure from Utrecht Dom Square in Mayor Wolfsen’s car. My first wintery week in The Netherlands ending with the warm welcome in Limburg. The grand opening of Ruhr 2010 at Essen Zollverein. » Lees meer…

Visitors from Utrecht in Pécs

Yesterday evening Peter Bijl and Jo de Viet, Utrecht city marketing manager, arrived in Pécs. What started as a nice dinner at Simon and Kata Wintermans ended up in a nightly snowball fight on our way back to the caravan. Today we have a guest-blog by Jo de Viet:

Just over 29 years ago I spent a year studying in Hungary, three months of which I spent in Pécs. Communism caused greyness, the air was black of brown coal, but the people were nice as ever. » Lees meer…

Official start of the ‘Tow Bar Wanted’ project!

A mobile invasion at Dom Square. The VIP Bus is canning ‘fresh aspirations’, Dutch dishes and hot wine are being served from another caravan, while ‘my’ caravan is being prepared for departure. Firepots at the square ensure warmth in the dim winter sunlight at this 3rd day of the new decade. An enthusiastic crowd waves us goodbye as Utrecht Mayor Aleid Wolfsen and I leave Dom Square at 15:40. » Lees meer…