Kika Sprangers

De Oude Mattheüs is the oldest building in the cultural heart of Eibergen, a village in the Achterhoek region of Gelderland. It began life as the Reformed Oude Mattheüskerk on Grotestraat, and the structure that stands today is the result of construction work spread over several centuries. The earliest parts are generally placed around the 14th century, while the main body of the building dates to roughly 1500. It is a protected Rijksmonument, and its shape and age make it one of the defining landmarks of the village. The church has since been given a second purpose as a place where art, music and culture come together. People gather there for concerts and exhibitions, and the setting does a lot of the work: a medieval church interior brings a particular sense of space and atmosphere to a night of live music, and visitors often single out the character of the building itself. Jazz has a firm place in the programme. De Oude Mattheüs regularly serves as a stage for jazz musicians from countries around the world, so a small Achterhoek village hosts artists whose music carries stories from far beyond the region. The venue describes itself as a performance and event venue, and its identity rests on combining heritage with a living cultural programme, rather than treating the old church purely as a monument to be looked at.