on this page v  

 

Once
there is a bulb
yet to be
in a field

good soil
water and sun
and love
it grows and blooms

fields full of colour
blooming beautifully
just once

- BCP -


Welcome to the English page on licht + ruimte, coaching en inspiratie.

 

In the heart of Holland, in the centre of the town Abcoude, licht + ruimte is a special meeting place along the river Angstel. Located centrally, with a first floor view of the town’s main bridge. It is not only light and spacious but also artistic and thought provoking. A place to inspire and be inspired, to be accompanied on your travels to wherever it is you are heading or life is leading you to.

licht en ruimte would literally translate to: light and space/ious   
The Oxford dictionary tells us:
Light; (a) kind of natural radiation that makes things visibleSpace(ious); unused area between two ore more points/ having or providing much space

The space at licht + ruimte offers room to work in peace, to hold a meeting or to have an intimate party. It’s all up to you. It’s a place to celebrate your successes with your team or company relations or to mark a special occasion. For business or for private. For serious matters or for the less serious. There is room for all of it and there is light and much, much more.

For me, licht + ruimte is a relaxed great place to be in, and to coach in. A place where new ideas are easily born, and a great place to meet with inspiring people.

Let's discuss what you have in mind.
Wishing you lots of light and space in your life,

A. Nicoline Smoor
nicoline.smoor@licht-ruimte.nl
+31 6 11003354

Hoogstraat 35 (above bar/restaurant De Eendracht)
Postal Box 43
1390 AA Abcoude
The Netherlands


A. Nicoline Smoor  facilitator & coach

background
After studying Business at the Nyenrode Business Universiteit (BBA), Nicoline worked in various management positions. In 1994, she took the Coach Training at The MMS Worldwide Institute in The Netherlands. Following this period, until 2001, she managed her own company from London and Amsterdam in coaching, communication advice and text & editing.

Coaching has been her main professional activity since 2001. For corporate and for private clients, both inside and outside of The Netherlands. Nicoline has facilitated many of the activities of the MMS in The Netherlands until mid 2008. She enrolled in the masters course Conflict Management at Maastricht University and participated in many different workshops on (systemic) family constellations (Bert Hellinger). In 2008 she finished a course in systemic thinking and working, in 2009 followed by ‘Living and Working from the soul’. Since March 2009 Nicoline is a certified facilitator of the Inner Links Transformation Game.

Nicoline is married to Elias Woudenberg and mother of son Wieger (12).

 

on her work and approach as a coach
Does your job make full use of the talents you have? Do you doubt your own approach or the path that you are on? Do you sometimes feel you are stopping yourself in some way or maybe even obstructing others? Is your team not creating the changes you set out for them to reach? Or, are you getting ready for your ultimate challenge?

If you are ready for taking new steps but you aren’t quite sure how to go about it or which direction you should take, coaching could be an option for you (and your team). You may discover new ways to reach your goal in a more effective way, by venting your feelings and giving them some space, shining some light on to your self or those areas that you find harder to deal with.

During an intake I will ask you to describe your goals and together we will make a plan. This will include some ongoing evaluations. Depending on your goals and your starting point, the amount of coaching meetings usually varies between 4 and 8 sessions. On average, a meeting takes about one and a half hours.

My approach is facilitating and reflecting. It’s all about listening to the signals you are giving me – and about you making your own choices and agreements with yourself. That starts with a good conversation with yourself and ends with putting this into action to bring your talents and dreams alive.


what others say

I am a different person compared to when I started. Today I have the instruments to follow up on the chosen path. Today, I am a happier person, getting more and more reconnected with who I am in essence.  
Dianne Smeets

Nicoline is an intelligent, empathic and warm person who has shown me the mirror to help me move forward. I can highly recommend her.
Paul Kampman

As a coach, Nicoline holds the perfect mirror with ease, provides genuine and incisive insights into behaviours that are easy to connect with, simple to adapt and to practice. She made a 'real difference' to me.
Sanjay Seghal

During the Inner Negotiation Workshop (INW) I have been coached by Nicoline. During these two days I felt looked at objectively, sharing her findings without judgement. Priceless. Asking in depth questions. For me that's the essence of coaching: this way I myself could feel and see where I was and where I wanted to move towards. She was sharp and present until the last moment of the workshop. For me as an exhausted participant after two intense days, extremely valuable.
Barbara Piper

Nicoline brings a fresh perspective to every problem. As my personal coach for 8 months, her partnership was outstanding. With her support I confronted some of my deepest fears and got in touch with my dreams once again. She is perceptive and has a great ability to listen to the unsaid and voice it for you. She brings great warmth and empathy into every client relationship. Her professionalism, tenacity and energy are worth emulating. She adds value both to the individual, the processes and the organisation through her interactions.
Leena Nair

Through her coaching, Nicoline has brought a fresh level of confidence and energy in me. She is a very caring person and her approach to her coachees is very friendly, warm, gentle yet firm and persuasive enough, clearly bringing out the areas where the coachee can improve. She has been able to not only highlight what to improve, but really given some very useful, doable suggestions on the way to improve. With this she helped me regain the self-confidence I had lost.
Sanjay Gupta-Kumar


licht + ruimte



licht + ruimte is located on the first floor, above bar/restaurant De Eendracht across the town's main bridge bridge. Through its eight windows the centre of Abcoude and the river Angstel are always nearby without being intrusive. The bright and comfortable atmosphere in the two adjacent rooms is a perfect surrounding for outdoors meetings or activities of your team, special celebrations (private or business), workshops or trainings for a maximum of 49 people.

The changing art exhibitions give the rooms a different look and feel every few months - one never knows the space for ever. Just a ten minutes walk away, the river Gein flows, a beautiful nature area for a walk or a bike tour.

The restaurant can serve meals upstairs and downstairs and so can other caterers. All is there to assist you in making your experience exactly what you want it to be. licht + ruimte can be rented per block of four hours.

For more information, please contact Nicoline Smoor at nicoline.smoor@licht-ruimte.nl or 06-11003354.

    
   


inspiration

licht + ruimte offers great opportunities for a variety of cultural activities, regular exhibitions being part of that. Various artists have exhibited (and sold) their works in licht + ruimte, excellent musicians have performed and talented actors have played. 

Nicoline is always happy to brain jog on the perfect activity for your celebration, marking or team gathering in order to help you make a real difference.

As of early October, painter Barbara Houwers exhibits het work in licht + ruimte. More information to follow. Please be so kind to arrange an appointment to visit licht + ruimte upfront: nicoline.smoor@licht-ruimte.nl pr +31 6 11003354.


past and current exhibitions v

     

    
   

Marieke Bolhuis
Marian Bijlenga
Barbara Houwers
Sanne Meijer
Mica Okuno
Françoise Stoop
Hester van Dapperen
Marian Smit
Pieter Schunselaar
Wouter Stips
Marleen Leysen
Hans Keuls
Marijke de Goey
Niels Smits van Burgst
Pien Maso
Hester Van Dapperen
Christie Rusche


past performances  v

  
  
 
  

Eveline Juten (ssinging & lute)
Julia Tom (cello)
Carla Leurs (violin)
Messrs. Ikegaya
(Shakuhachi) enToyama (singing and Shamisen)
Rinus Vlaming (accordion)
Theater Draad (theater van de ontmoeting)
Mirjam Rietberg (harp)
acting beauty
Carezza (Sjoukje Kooistra, Rica Dijkstra and Wouter de Koning)
Jacqueline Edeling (accordion-family)
Leine (singing/guitar)
Stijn & Mirjam van der Loo (text, piano & singing)
Habiba (harp/singing)
Guy Sonnen &  Rudolf Nottrot (violin)  
Meindert Velthuis (bariton/counter tenor) & Marieke de Vries (accordieon)
Living Productions  with 'Kunst' and 'Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?'
Nora Mulder (pianorgani) & Winnifred Beldman (chello)
Jasper de Clerq (violin) & Tjitske Jansen (poet)


activities to come

These are the activities currently listed for the months to come. Please make sure you sign up for activities of your choice after which you will receive a message of confirmation. With any questions, ideas or remarks, please contact Nicoline Smoor at nicoline.smoor@licht-ruimte.nl or +31 6 11003354.


18 April – 9 July 2010
Marieke Bolhuis: Plutonics and the Amazing Atmosphere

 

This spring Marieke Bolhuis brings some recent works to licht + ruimte.
This artist loves the city while longing for the countryside. She is facinated by human impact on our landscapes. As a child she withdrew in the dunes to come to peace and reflect. To end up just inside herself. Later in life she became an artist, painting landscapes and creating installations. "By creating landmarks, I try to catch the spectator attention for a hidden layer of meaning to a landscape. These layers can question the history of civilization. Or are about the way the earth crust grows and vanish. My personal involvement leads me from one track to another from my home grounds near the beach of The Netherlands (series 'home ground'), to the Silk-route, Mesopotamia in search of the source of our civilization (series 'search out')]to Japan, Iceland and Tenerife to walk on volcanic surface. I keep wondering how on earth this ever happened and how long it will last (series 'a whole hole swallow up all')." Bolhuis travels the world in search for answers, travels that inspire her work greatly. "Volcanoes spit molten lava and gasses into our atmosphere. They form a bridge between the molten mass on earth and the heavenly arches. Standing on the beginning of the universe and (maybe) responsible for the great (climate) change. I am fascinated by these magnificent Phenomena."

Marieke Bolhuis (1962) attended the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunst, National Visual Art academy, Amsterdam (1980-1981) followed by the A.K.I., Academy for Art and Industry in Enschede (1982-1984). Ze exhibited both solo and as group member in The Netherlands and abroad, especially in New York and Japan, with many installations (Oerol festival at  Terschelling, NL). She is visiting professor at the Art School in Amsterdam, was lecture and member of the national jury, as well as advisor visual arts for various organisations and city councils. Her work can be found in many collections, like that of the Dutch embassies of Aby Dhabi, Dubai, Manila, Teheran, Washington and Shanghai, the Akzo-Novel Foundation and the ABN Amro collection.

     

Works by Marieke Bolhuis are exhibited in licht + ruimte between 18 April and 9 July. You are more than welcome during the events listed or on special appointment. Please call Nicoline Smoor at 06-11003354 or e-mail to kunst@licht-ruimte.nl. For more information on Marieke Bolhuis and her works: www.mariekebolhuis.com

Sunday 18 April 14.00 - 18.00 uur
opening exhibition Marieke Bolhuis

 

You are more than welcome for the opening of the exhibition of Marieke Bolhuis on Sunday afternoon 18 April. At 3, 4 and 5pm there will be a short performace by Eveline Juten, song and liuto attiorbato (lute). She brings 17 century Italian songs, music of Caccini, Strozzi, Frescobaldi and Constantijn Huygens. All music and songs come from the concert 'Amor, che fai?. You are welcome, alone or by bringing your own compan, to join us or to make a special appointment. Please call Nicoline Smoor at 06-11003354 or e-mail to kunst@licht-ruimte.nl


Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 May 14.00 – 17.00 uur
doors open 


 

Two afternoons open, an opportunity to see the works of Marieke Bolhuis. During this weekend, many artists in Abcoude have their work on show as well. 


Sunday 27 June 14.00 - 17.00 uur
doors open

 

You are more than welcome during the events listed or on special appointment. Please call Nicoline Smoor at 06-11003354 or e-mail to kunst@licht-ruimte.nl. For more information on Marieke Bolhuis and her works: www.mariekebolhuis.com


activities that were

Below are some activities that took place recently. With any questions, ideas or remarks, please contact Nicoline Smoor at nicoline.smoor@licht-ruimte.nl or +31 6 11003354.


7 February - 7 April 2010
textile and glass works by Marian Bijlenga

 

The first exhibition of 2010, Marian Bijlenga (1954) presents her textile and glass works. With this, she returns to her birth grounds. Born in Loenersloot, she went to school in Baambrugge, followed by high school in Amsterdam. “I have good memories of these surroundings and like the idea of going back there with my works. As a child, I spent lots of time drawing and sculpting. I remember the time money was raised for the opening of the community centre in Baambrugge. There might be people who since then have a small work made by me." After some different studies, Bijlenga started at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam.

After having finished the Rietveld Academie, Bijlenga soon developed a very unique style. Each piece of work is constructed from loose elements, together a structure. “Whereas others make drawings on papier, I use the wall." Bijlenga's work has a personal, rythmic, two dimensional handwriting in building structures that play with light. She uses flexible, soft but also strong materials like textile, paper and horsehair. Not the material itself is the main goal, but the shape. Bijlenga is fascinated by graphic patterns. “I am fascinated by tracks: leaves eaten, torn surfaces, wholes in a wall, spots of wear, the pattern of chair legs in a rug." Her work consists of dots and lines, horsehair and fabric, invisibly connected, build into transparant structures in front of the wall. Via their shadows they come to life.

Summer 2008, after having worked in Iceland, Bijlenga started using fish scales in her work. The results can be seen in licht + ruimte. Her recent stay in Mali as artist in residence will leave its trails. Special attention for Palimpsest 3, a work based on the trails artist Herman Scholten (1932) left behind in his workshop in Baambrugge. Trained as painter, since 1955 Scholten created tapestries, strongly infuenced by De Stijl. In our country he was ons of the precursors of textile arts coming up in the sixties. In creating his geometric motifs, circles and bow motifs, he wove with the help of nails on the wall. Bijlenga was inspired by this trail of thousands of nail wholes. Palimpsest 3 refers to precious parchments being reused whereby the original text shined through the previous one. Scholten's work breathes through that of Bijlenga.

In 2001 HRH Queen Beatrix was invited to be guest curator for the exhibition, The Presentation of Dutch Art in the Stedelijk Museum. The Queen chose a work of horsehair and cotton, consisting of brightly coloured dots. The inspiration for this piece came from the floating, round patterns on Japanese paper. There was much interest and appreciation from the public for this work. Bijlenga exhibits her works in important museums and galleries both in and outside The Netherlands. So is her work part of the collections of eg the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Dutch Textile Museum in Tilburg and the Craft Museum in Finland. She has won many awards, including the Excellence Award at the 1999 International Textile Competition in Japan, the Biennale Prize at the Second International Tapestry Art Biennale 2002 in Beijing and the OBG Award at the 2002 International Textile Art Biennale in Belfast, UK.

 


10 october - 31 december 2009 
Barbara Houwers: lifeline
opening 10 October 4 - 7 pm

 

Until end of December 2009, Dutch painter Barbara Houwers will exhibit her paintings in licht + ruimte. On Saturday afternoon 10 October, the exhibition will be opened by Abcoude's mair, Jan Streng. This afternoon, you are morst welcome between 4 and 7pm to enjoy Barbara's work and accessories of BY-BAR AMSTERDAM in a relaxed atmosphere.
After the official opening, cellist Julia Tom will play solme parts of Bach Suites. Born and raised in California, Julia Tom studied with Joel Krosnick at the Juilliard School of Music while completing a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature at Harvard University.
Until 2005, Julia was principal cellist of the Bremen Philharmonic. Since then, she has been playing regularly with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, as well as pursuing her engagements as duo partner of the Dutch pianist, Eildert Beeftink, and as cellist of the Amsterdam Ensemble.

Barbara Houwers works with themes like movement, space and development. Lifeline is a new theme for her: "There have always been recurring theme's in my work, seemingly separated. Now a connecting line occurs to me. Human beings remain visible in my paintings, but now bring luggage. The squares I have been fascinated by for quite some time, became suitcases, memories and sometimes the pedestrian carrying talents. Together they represent our life journey." With this insight the development towards more abstract works becomes more natural.

The use of space is not only visible by the size of het works - within them we recognise the expressive movements of the painter. In her work, Barbara has succeeded in bringing spaciousness and light. Definitely work that adds to licht + ruimte and all that is happening in here.

   

For more information on Barbara Houwers and her work: www.barbarahouwers.com


october - december 2009
jewelry BY-BAR AMSTERDAM

This autumn licht + ruimte presents the very tasteful jewelry collection of BY-BAR AMSTERDAM. To enjoy looking at, to try and to buy. In times that tasteful preferably combines with affordable, the BY-BAR collection offers a good choice for all. For impulse shoppers, Sinterklaas, Santa Claus and all others in search of great presents a must see.

BY-BAR items are for sale - be welcome to the home sale on Wednesday 18 November from 2-8pm in licht + ruimte. 

    

For more information: www.by-bar.com 


sunday 31 May 2009 
whitsun concert top violinist Carla Leurs



A very special Sunday morning concert, where all present could enjoy Carla Leurs's great performance, her depth, passion and her quality. She played the first three sonates of Johan Sebastiaan Bach for violin.

Dutch virtuoso Carla Leurs finished her studies at the Juilliard School, as a student of Itzhak Perlman and Donald Weilerstein. Currently she receives intensive coaching from Daniël Gaede, former concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic, at the Hochschule für Musik in Nürnberg. She was awarded several notable prizes, including the first prize at the International ‘Jean Francaix Competition’ in Paris (2006), as well as both the First Prize and the coveted Audience Award at the Tibor Varga International Competition in Sion, Switzerland (2001). Carla Leurs has performed with orchestras throughout Europe, Russia, Asia and the US. She appears regularly at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. This past season Carla served as First Concertmaster of the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic under the direction of Jaap van Zweden.
The outstanding instrument being used by Carla is a violin of Nicholas Lupot of Paris (1808) on loan from the National Musical Instrument Foundation in Amsterdam.

For Carla, everything that needs to be said is said in the violin works of Bach, written in 1720. ‘They are the utmost pinnacle of the violin repertoire. They are also the most discussed violin music. Everybody has an opinion about how they should be played and interpreted. Modern, baroque, romantic interpretations, there are so many ways. These Bach violin works speak so directly to my heart. I research, practice, learn about baroque and modern interpretation, and I hope to combine these together with my intuition as a musician. This will be a life long journey.’


the Japanese culture in tasting, words, art, sounds and view

  

thursday 23 April 7.30 - 10 pm
do's en don'ts - when Japanese and Dutch meet
A very interesting interactive lecture in both English and Dutch by Ms Zita Meijer, PhD, Japan Specialist (eg. Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen), also daughter of Sanne Meijer and Ms Chie Misumi, Intercultural Communication Specialist (eg. Japanese Chamber of Commerce). To understand more of the Japanese culture, we had to learn more about ourselves first. Fun & educating! 

  

sunday 10 May 1 - 4 pm 
doors open
You are more than welcome to visit licht + ruimte this afternoon on Mother's Day. Let yourselve be inspired by the glass works of Mica Okuno and the paintings of Sanne Meijer. The space will do the rest. No need to register, whoever comes is welcome, not only mothers ...

 

tuesday 19 May 7 - 10 pm
manga & anime
Interactive lecture on manga by Maaike Ona-Boots, followed by us watching the Japanese award winning animation 'Hotaru no haka' ('Grave of the Fireflies') by Takahata Isao (Studio Ghibli). An impressive movie during which we actually forgot it's an animation. Great theme, great evening, super audience. Maaike is Japan specalist and former publishing manager at VIZ Media, currently active as Japan Travel Advisor (eg Michi Travel).

 

sunday 7 June 11.30 - 1.30 am
shinto-reading & presentation martial arts
Lecture ‘Shinto, practical wisdom for modern times’ by drs Paul de Leeuw of the Japanese Dutch Shinzen Foundation, and the only non-Japanese Shinto master. Shinto leads to harmony with nature. This tradition is still active in Japan and contributes to mental and physical health. The reading was followed by ‘Samurai Synergy’: a demonstration of martial arts, aikido en kyudo by Bart Sensei of the Aqaiqion Foundation.

 

I addition, groups 6, 7 and 8 of the CNS Abcoude visited the exhibition. Prior to that they were visited by Ms Zita Meijer, PhD, Japan Specialist, together with two Japanese kids. She explained some about Japan, answered questions and introduced the crane project. Ovbiously, this was very inspiring since within three weeks the kids folded 1.000 cranes of origami paper, which will be sent to the memorial in Hiroshima.  

Exhibition and events were organized in cooperation with Madeleine Wardenaar of  Magna Arte Communication. Click here for a link to the website of Four centuries of Japanese-Dutch trade relations.


     
  © J-PORT                                                       © J-PORT 


New activities in licht + ruimte will be announced in the news flash.