Prominent Utrechters talking about their favourite spot in the city. This month: Bright Richards, actor and director of the New Dutch Connections foundation, which helps refugees (and former refugees) to develop their talents within Dutch society. He tells us about the Landhuis in de Stad restaurant. So, Landhuis in de Stad? ‘A fantastic place in park Oog in Al, where I go with the family whenever we’ve got something to celebrate. I always feel welcome and at home. New Dutch Connections also hosts a free dinner here every Monday evening for local residents and young refugees who’ve arrived in the Netherlands without their parents. They really enjoy these informal get-togethers, where they can relax in a calm, green setting. And we sometimes play traditional Dutch games like spijkerpoepen. Ha-ha.’ Biggest disappointment? ‘I arrived in Utrecht in 1999, eight years after fleeing to the Netherlands from Liberia. Just after I’d moved here, I wanted to go to a disco but I was turned away. They said I needed a membership card, but I saw that other guests weren’t necessarily members. I’m 54 now and my disco days are over, but I still hear stories like this from people with a migratory background. I thought this kind of racism was a thing of the past, but apparently Utrecht is still on the learning curve.’ Best memory? ‘The birth of my three children, who are now 20, 18 and 14. I was adamant that they should be born in Diakonessen hospital, and not in the hospital in Nieuwegein. I wanted their birthplace to be Utrecht. I was working as an actor with various theatre companies at the time, but luckily all three were born on days when I wasn’t actually performing. It was as if they’d planned it specially for me! I really wanted to be present at the birth, which is unusual for an African father.’ Nicest food? ‘I sometimes have a craving for African food, but it’s so difficult to make yourself. For a start, you have to go to a toko just to find the ingredients. So I go to Ebony Afrokitchen on Amsterdamsestraatweg, opposite Julianapark. Eating fufu (a kind of dumpling, ed.) and egussi with my hands feels like coming home. Egussi is a sort of soup with pumpkin seeds and spinach – delicious. And I drink a glass of palm wine to go with it – typically West-African.’ Last thing you watched or listened to? ‘I went to see De plantage van mijn voorouders in the Rotterdam theatre during the Keti Koti festival, a beautiful show about the colonial history of Suriname. Before and after the performance, there was food and music in keeping with the theme, so you were immersed in the Surinamese culture. I noticed how diverse the audience was, probably because of the broad approach. It would great if you saw this more often; I’m convinced that it would bring more people into the theatres.’ Moved to tears? ‘In June 2020 (during the pandemic), there was a Black Lives Matter demonstration attended by thousands of people on the Jaarbeursplein. It was prompted by the death of the African American man George Floyd, who was killed by police violence. This event seemed to jolt the Dutch population into action. The toeslagenaffaire, which was largely the result of discrimination, was also going on at the time. People decided that enough was enough. You have to keep working to achieve an inclusive society, it doesn’t just happen by itself.’ Recent discovery? ‘The Sudanese community in the Netherlands recently invited me to visit a refugee camp in Uganda. The idea was to put on a show with some Sudanese podium artists. While I was there, I experienced the enormous power of music and song, which are an important part of the Sudanese culture. The audience sang and danced right up to the stage during the performance. I’d like to see this rich side of the culture here too. Are the Dutch too stiff for this? No… they definitely have a spontaneous side. You see it when they’re in love.’