Tears Factory

The Tears Factory, located on Geleenstraat (opposite the Heerlen Town Hall), is a hub for fashion, art, and music, where you can discover young local talent. This project was set up in collaboration with Naud Barbara Mariëlla Verboeket from Heerlen, the founder of the fashion brand Tears, which is popular with artists like Joost Klein and Ray Fuego.

What can you expect?

From 10 November to 1 December, 2024, the Tears Factory is open to the public every Tuesday to Friday from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. You can drop by for a cup of coffee and get a behind-the-scenes look as Naud and other creators work. In addition to these open hours, workshops, masterclasses, and inspiring talks are scheduled. A glimpse of the program:

Sunday 10 November: Opening and painting workshop (12:00 PM – 5:00 PM)

On the first day, a large canvas will be placed in the center of Heerlen, where visitors can paint on the spot. This canvas will eventually serve as the starting point for an exclusive SCHUNCK item that will be available for purchase in the museum shop during the exhibition.

Saturday 16 November: Repair & Rework with Nol Pelders and Britt van de Biezen (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM)

In this workshop, two clothing makers will teach you how to give new life to old or damaged clothing (15 spots, registration via robin@tears.rip). With repairing, cutting, pasting, and printing, they will transform a piece of clothing into something new.

Sunday 17 November: Graphic Design Masterclass by Studio Laylow (1:00 PM – 2:00 PM)

During this masterclass (max. 30 participants, registration via robin@tears.rip), you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at graphic design studio Studio Laylow. Lotje and Lars will guide you through the process, from concept development to realization. In this master class, Lotje and Lars, who together created the graphics for Tears Factory, talk about how to develop a concept from start to finish. Using photos and film, they will give you a look behind the scenes of the design studio.

Saturday 23 November: Warhol Café #2 - Georgy Dendoe Artist Talk en Q&A (19:00 - 22:00)

For this (second) Warhol Café*, Naud will open the doors of his Tears Factory, inspired by Warhol's Factory, for an evening with, artist and co-founder of the fashion brand Sumibu. He will share his journey in the fashion world and his connection to the Dutch hip-hop scene. Prior to the talk, there is exclusive access to the exhibition Andy Warhol: Vanitas at SCHUNCK Museum.

*The Warhol Cafés are informal, low-threshold evenings with talks often loosely connected to Andy Warhol: Vanitas or Warhol’s life and work. These evenings are specially programmed to offer new perspectives on the exhibition.

Saturday 30 November: Mask Making with Siem & Zef Oosterhof (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM)

During this workshop (15 spots, sign up via robin@tears.rip), participants will create a personalized mask from leftover materials, such as fabrics from Tears. After the workshop, the masks will be captured in a “school photo” and a 3D scan for a special animation.

Sunday 1 December: Tears Tour by Robin & Naud (1:00 PM – 3:00 PM)

During this exclusive tour of the Warhol exhibition, Naud and Robin will discuss the creative process behind Tears and the parallels between Warhol's work and Naud's. (15 spots, sign up via robin@tears.rip)

You are warmly invited to the Tears Factory, where art, fashion, and music meet in the spirit of Andy Warhol. Here, you have the chance to step into an already legendary part of Heerlen’s history—a place at the forefront of creativity. Whether you join a workshop, attend an inspiring talk, or just hang out, the Tears Factory offers an experience you won’t want to miss.