About
Wit speelt Zwart is an exhibition at Allard Pierson in Amsterdam from 4 December 2026 to 4 July 2027. It looks at how theatre contributed to the normalisation of blackface on Dutch stages.
What to expect
The exhibition uses material from the Allard Pierson theatre collection and contemporary art to examine how theatre contributed to the normalisation of blackface on Dutch stages.
- Includes De Hut van Oom Tom, Moortje, Othello
- Also Sjors en Sjimmie, Dushi, minstrel shows
- Black and White Minstrel shows ran until 1972
- Since the 19th century, white artists used blackface
- From the 1980s, Black makers claimed the stage
- White memories; painful impact for Black people
- Exclusion, inequality and discrimination are discussed
Dates
Questions
When does Wit speelt Zwart. Blackface on the Dutch stage start and end?
Wit speelt Zwart. Blackface on the Dutch stage runs Friday, 4 December 2026, 10:00 until 17:00.
Where is Wit speelt Zwart. Blackface on the Dutch stage?
Wit speelt Zwart. Blackface on the Dutch stage takes place at Allard Pierson, Oude Turfmarkt 127, Amsterdam.
How much are tickets for Wit speelt Zwart. Blackface on the Dutch stage?
Wit speelt Zwart. Blackface on the Dutch stage is free to enter.
What is the exhibition about?
It examines how theatre contributed to the normalisation of blackface on Dutch stages.
It uses material from the Allard Pierson theatre collection and contemporary art.
Examples include De Hut van Oom Tom, Moortje, Othello, the Sjors en Sjimmie films by Henk van der Linden, Wendy van Dijk’s Dushi, the Black and White Minstrel sketch shows (until 1972 on Dutch television) and Zwarte Piet.
Since the 19th century, white artists used make-up to play caricatural, stereotypical versions of Black* people.
Blackface figures appeared in minstrel shows, revues, plays and sketch shows.
What impact does it discuss?
It notes that these characters are linked to fond childhood memories for many white people.
For Black people, they had a painful impact and contributed to exclusion, inequality and discrimination.
What does it say about resistance?
Theatre gave space to racism as entertainment for centuries.
From the 1980s, the same medium became a stage for Black resistance.
In the Netherlands, the first performances by Black makers claimed the stage for their own stories and perspectives.
Amsterdam
Getting there
Allard Pierson, Oude Turfmarkt 127, 1012 GC Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, NL
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