About The Dutch Centre
The Dutch Centre Experience
The Dutch Centre is a place to showcase, engage and inspire. A place in the heart of the city of London where people who are interested in the rich culture that the Netherlands has to offer come together. Join us in celebrating the diversity and creativity of the Dutch culture.
Our base is the Dutch Church at Austin Friars where in 1550 King Edward VI granted Dutch and French speaking refugees’ shelter and freedom of worship. Here in the heart of the City of London we have all the facilities needed to host exciting events and extend a warm welcome to all our guests.
History
The Dutch Centre was founded in 2013 as a Centre for Dutch arts and Culture. Under the inspiring leadership of Leonard and Carola Broese van Groenou, with financial support of the Dutch Embassy and the Dutch Church and a large grant from the Abellio foundation. Since 2013 the Dutch Centre has showcased hundreds of diverse events promoting Dutch language, culture, and heritage across the United Kingdom.
Our programme today is packed with a broad range of events highlighting the Netherlands‘ cultural life, often with an additional UK perspective; bridging the two countries is at the heart of what we do. Dutch film screenings, literature nights, live comedy, concerts, talks and exhibitions by Dutch artists and designers… There really is something for everyone!
We bring our audience a diverse programme that is informative, educational, thought provoking, engaging and entertaining in a welcoming and inclusive environment, our very own wonderful venue at Austin Friars. Many of our events are now also available to follow online.
Our Audience
Our diverse audience is made up of people who have one thing in common: a love for – or curiosity about – Dutch life, heritage and culture. Anyone who’s keen to discover more about what’s going in the Netherlands in terms of arts, culture and contemporary issues will find a home-from-home at the Dutch Centre. We hope we can welcome you here soon!
Events are either held in English or have English subtitles. We occasionally put on events in Dutch. This is always clearly announced beforehand. It’s also a great opportunity to practise your Dutch!
Meet the Team
The Dutch Centre is run on a day-to-day basis by a small dedicated team:
Jacobine van Laar
Business Manager
Jacobine van Laar originates from The Netherlands. She started her career as a classical flautist and moved to England to further her career as a classical singer. In 2007 she returned to The Netherlands where she qualified as a lawyer. Having had a stint at a career in law in The Netherlands, Jacobine returned to the UK in 2020, where she revived her singing career and worked as classical event manager. She is also a pro bono board member of Stichting Nederlanders Buiten Nederland, advocating the interests of Dutch nationals abroad. Since January 2025 Jacobine is the Business Manager of the Dutch Centre, where she dedicates her time and experience to promoting Dutch art and culture for people in and around London. Jacobine is responsible for business development, marketing, website and social media. She is supported by the trustees and the following people:
Jasmijn Maljers
Programme Manager
Jasmijn has a BA in Childhood, Family and Education Studies and worked as Deputy Headteacher at De Regenboogschool in London. Jasmijn brings a deep passion for education and cultural enrichment to her work. She organises a variety of cultural events and celebrations honouring Dutch heritage while fostering a vibrant and culturally rich learning environment. Growing up immersed in the arts, with frequent visits to museums and a great love for Dutch culture, Jasmijn developed a lifelong appreciation for the richness of several artistic traditions. As programme manager at the Dutch Centre, she is dedicated to sharing the best of Dutch art and culture with audiences in London, creating meaningful connections and inspiring appreciation for this heritage. Jasmijn is responsible for the event programming and makes sure all runs smoothly on the night. She is supported by the Programme Committee, our enthusiastic team of volunteers. Jasmijn is also the liaison for the Volunteer Coordinator.
Joëlle Steijnis
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Marketing
George Rudolph
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Finance Administrator
Godelieve van Ansenwoude
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Volunteers Coordinator
Pia Rainey
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Friends Coordinator
Programme Committee - Arts
Suzanne Heukensfeldt Jansen
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Programme Committee - Literature & Classical Music
Bertjan van de Lagemaat
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Programme Committee - Music & Current Affairs
Rein Roos
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Programme Committee - Design
Kim Wassens
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Programme Committee - Literature & Music
Trustees
The board of trustees is responsible for strategy and governance. The current trustees are:
Anton Valk
Chair
Anton Valk has more than 35 years of international executive business experience, of which the last 12 years were in public transport. He was the founding CEO of Abellio, a successful London-based international train and bus operating company with Netherlands Railways as its sole shareholder. Since he stepped down as CEO in 2012, Anton has held an advisory and NED portfolio in public transport, bilateral Anglo-Dutch relations and culture.
Jean-Jacques van Helten
Jean-Jacques is a Dutch national who has lived in London since 2001. More recently, he has been based in Florence where, after thirty or more years in investment banking in Australia, the Netherlands and Asia, he is now a Fellow at the European University Institute and the Florence School of Banking & Finance. He is a regular speaker and participant at international conferences on risk management and the author of several publications and articles on international finance.
Marc Rovers
Marc moved to the UK in 2007 for a role at an asset management firm in the City after working in the investment business in the Netherlands since 1995 He was a trustee for the Dutch Church from 2011 to 2020 and in that role was closely involved in setting up the Dutch Centre. Marc started as a trustee for the DC in 2023.
Frits Vogels
Frits is the former European CEO of the financial services firm TP-ICAP. He is an interest rates derivatives specialist with a career in Financial and Energy markets spanning more than 30 years. He currently serves as Chairman of SCB Group, which is an energy firm specializing in renewable energy and low carbon products. He also serves on the Board of OTCX, a Fintech firm specializing in Interest Rate Derivatives. Frits is a Dutch national, based in the UK since 1992.
Mike Kermer
Treasurer
Michiel (Mike) Kermer is the Dutch Centre's Treasurer. He is a London-based Dutch national, recently retired after 40 years' service in global accounting and manufacturing companies. Mike is a Chartered Accountant and has acted as a trustee for both Dutch and UK pension funds.
Bertjan van de Lagemaat
Bertjan van de Lagemaat is a Trustee and member of the Programme & Marketing Committee of the Dutch Centre, as well as co-organiser of the ‘Dutch Centre Talks’ series. Bertjan is the Minister of the Dutch Church in London.
Christine Sas
Christine Sas is Associate Professor in Dutch Studies at UCL, and teaches courses on Dutch Language, Linguistics and Translation Studies. She is also the Chair of the Association for Low Countries Studies in the UK and Ireland. She is co-author of a range of Dutch language learning materials. Christine grew up in in a Dutch family in Antwerp (Belgium), and has lived in London for over 25 years.
Marieke Albeda
In 2019 Marieke moved from Groningen to the UK for an internship and fell in love with England. She has held various positions in banking and is a familiar face at the Dutch Centre. After a year of personal development and discovery in Hawaii, she returned to London in 2024 to come back "home". She is currently a Compliance Officer at Nomura and became a trustee at the Dutch Centre in 2025.
Ellen Lois Milan
Ellen is originally from the Netherlands, and moved to London in 2013 for her Masters and has since made the city her home. With a proven entrepreneurial background as a third-time founder, Ellen is currently a part of a leading global Venture Capital cohort. She also shares her insights and experience as an advisor to early-stage startups.
Jeff Thijssen
Jeff is a Dutch national who has been living in London since 2010. He has spent over 20 years in the financial services and technology industry, including at various banks in the Netherlands, and is currently a Partner at one of the world’s leading management consultancy firms. He also holds a number of other Board positions in the UK and North America.
Team and Trustee pictures:
© Bianca Maaskant