Julia van Rooij: indispensable force behind the scenes at Bridge to Liberation

Fireworks displays, dazzling performances, lighting effects—at Bridge to Liberation, visitors are treated to a spectacle. Setting something like this up is a major undertaking, requiring months of work. Julia van Rooij ensures that everything runs smoothly from a technical perspective. "Suppliers, the director, designers, lighting, sound—we're the bridge between all those parties." Just as the event is about freedom, Julia enjoys just as much freedom in her work. "What I love is that there's so much room to contribute our ideas!"

From history lessons to work

Julia has been involved with the project for six years now. "We work closely with Creative Director Alvin Williams, so we know him well. In 2019, we were asked to become the event's technical producer." Julia's company, Production World, produces events. For Bridge to Liberation, this primarily involves the technical aspects, such as the floating pontoon, the screen on the bridge, and the light shows.

World War II, the subject of Bridge to Liberation, is a history textbook for Julia. "In the past, you had history lessons with war stories at school, of course, but I have to say that had faded a bit." Working with Bridge to Liberation sparked her interest in that period and helps her learn more about it.

There are people in her immediate circle who experienced more of it. Julia's father was taught by a teacher who had lost a hand as a child playing with war ammunition. "That teacher told me that a bridge had been bombed. Because of that, troops and supplies couldn't get any further. That made a deep impression on him. He also learned a lot from his parents, because they were twenty when the war started."

Freedom for Julia

We almost forget how special it is that we can live here in peace and freedom. Julia realizes this well. "Freedom means a lot to me. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, especially after the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. I've become even more aware of how wonderful it is, how we can live the way we do." Julia experiences this in her work as well. "What I personally experience as freedom in this project is that there's quite a bit of room to contribute our ideas."

And that freedom is a welcome bonus, because the work comes with its own challenges. For example, the event doesn't look the same every year. "In 2022, it was a close call. Due to the low water level, we couldn't really put a pontoon and stage on the water. That's not allowed, because it would get in the way of the ships. So, the team had to come up with a different plan in a relatively short time." Installing the LED screen in the bridge presented a challenge last year. "Previously, we could use aerial platforms on the bike path, but that's no longer possible because the structure can't handle it. We had to find a different solution."

Warm memories

What does Julia like best? "There are side events surrounding Bridge to Liberation; the entire region is dedicated to what happened. There are a lot of foreign soldiers around: British, Polish, American, Canadian. There are also a lot of people who talk to us while we're working. They're very warm, because we're working on that event." Julia also has fond memories of last year. "I just thought the show was really good last year. Everything was perfect. I thought that was really cool to be a part of it."

This year promises to be another spectacular event. So, every reason to mark September 20th in your calendars!