Art has a separate place in the world. It is to be found in imposing buildings, has a special page in the newspaper and hangs on the walls of people with good taste. The role of art in the world is so neatly marked out. Art is beautiful, moving or even shocking, but within clear boundaries. Artists often feel at home within this demarcation. They ‘do their thing’ and as an audience you are free to choose from a wide supply. But art can do more. Art is the language of feeling, and feeling is essential for every person, in every situation. Art should also be able to do more. Art is communication without words. People only half understand each other if they only use words. Composer and theatre maker Merlijn Twaalfhoven makes his work in the middle of the world. He is not the only one. More and more artists are realising that a concert hall, theatre or gallery are not always the best place to make the public experience something special. When they show their work in unusual places or when they work with non-professional participants, they are regularly confronted with unanticipated dilemmas and problems which perhaps complicate the work but also ensure a lot of inspiration and adventure. This book is a collection of personal experiences by Merlijn Twaalfhoven and others. Not a method or prescription, but a stimulus (or a hindrance) for artists and thinkers. Food for discussion from the realm of practice for everyone who feels that art is more than entertainment for serious people.