A nomination, by Dr. Chris Tonelli, Assistant Professor of Popular Music Studies at RUG, Research Centre Arts in Society:
"The Groningen Report is an extraordinary resource for cultural life in Groningen. For the past four years Bernd Ihno Eilts has produced long-form interviews that highlight the rich musical communities and activities of Groningen, distributing them at no cost online. These began as written transcriptions at first, but more recently have changed format and have been released as beautifully shot digital video interviews.
These well-researched interviews convey, in a sophisticated manner, the vast array of the dynamic cultural life of Groningen. Eilts seeks out dancers, musicians, visual artists, choreographers, and other cultural figures for his insightful discussions. Respectably, he doesn't merely focus on the celebrated professional artists that come through and reside in Groningen, but he gives voice to many younger or developing artists, many associated with the Prins Claus Conservatory or Minerva Art Academy. This way he encourages the development of local arts on a variety of levels while promoting Groningen overall artistic scene through his blend of internationally celebrated and locally relevant artists.
I am nominating Eilts because as a music professor I recognize the expertise and critical insights he brings to his interviews. Eilts is himself an accomplished practicing artist in the fields of painting, photography, installation art, music, and sculpture, as well as related practices like meditation and spiritual living and his substantial commitment to these various fields of practice are what makes his interviews valuable. I often lead my students to his interviews so they can better understand the dynamic cultural life of the city they are studying in while receiving a better understanding of cultural practice in general and what it means to make a life in the arts."