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A word from our clients

“The people I see working at Taalbureau Maastricht are all modern-day entrepreneurs. Their primary focus is on quality, and they are flexible and accurate. In addition, they have their very own philosophy of doing business and are very much a part of the surrounding social fabric.”

Paul Pinxten, Week IN Week UIT.

Week IN Week UIT.

‘Paper gives pleasure’

Paul Pinxten is the creator of the free weekly cultural agenda newsletter Week IN Week UIT. In September 2016, this pocket-sized cultural guide will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Taalbureau Maastricht has worked closely together with Week IN Week UIT since 2010, and Pinxten also sees new opportunities on the horizon. “A detailed cultural agenda should also be available as a service for all the city’s residents who speak a language other than Dutch.”

The birth of Week IN Week UIT?

“We started in May 1991 with a zero edition. At the time, I was responsible for the cultural agenda in the Maastricht University newsletter, the Observant. Creating a new cultural agenda on my own was no more than a logical next step for me. And 25 years later, after enduring a great deal of stormy weather - including the 2013 cutbacks in government spending on art and culture - we're still here. We work with a team of people who enjoy their work and can switch to any of the jobs at hand whenever needed. Together, we always manage to present an interesting and varied mix of cultural offerings. The agenda is really something we all put our hearts into.”

What is the importance of a good translation for Week IN Week UIT?

“A good translation is more than just native speech. It also has to hit the right tone as it were, especially in the cultural sector. We’re always looking for texts that are to the point and that whet the appetite of the reader to experience a cultural event or performance.

Maastricht is an international city, and 10% of its residents are either foreign students or expats. We think it’s important to also keep these people informed, and we aim to add two more pages in English to Week IN Week Uit.

I think it’s important to be able to talk with our neighbours, in other words the entire Euregion. There was a time when it was perfectly normal for market vendors in Maastricht to be able to talk with their customers in French on Friday morning. Nowadays, most can’t get further than counting to 10. Our aim is also to cover the entire cultural spectrum, from André Rieu to the ‘Landbouwbelang’ podium as well as theatre and dance performances on the other side of the border.”

How would you describe your relationship with Taalbureau Maastricht?

“The people I see working at Taalbureau Maastricht are all modern-day entrepreneurs. Their primary focus is on quality, and they are flexible and accurate. In addition, they have their very own philosophy of doing business and are very much a part of the surrounding social fabric. It’s not only about the money.

The team is also very service-focused and client-friendly. Sometimes we send them the agenda later than planned because we don’t always get the information we need on time ourselves, but they never make an issue of it. If necessary, they’ll even work through the weekend. We look forward to continuing our relationship long into the future.”

Do you think there is still a need for a paper agenda?

“That’s another stormy patch that is blowing around us nowadays. Everything and everyone is going digital, but I think there is still place for paper. Paper gives pleasure. It’s more relaxing. Information on paper is absorbed more readily, since it requires a different kind of mental focus. When you read off a screen, it’s much easier to get distracted. But in fact, besides the cultural index MaastrichtNet.nl, we also have a mobile platform (m.maastrichtnet.nl) that only shows you what’s on the agenda for the day. And as a final note, it’s perhaps worth knowing that it’s generally the ladies who coax the gentlemen off the couch and decide on where they will be going for the evening.”

Taalbureau Maastricht: the language specialists in everything related to knowledge, skills, and culture.