The "Verkadefabriek" (Verkade Factory) started as a biscuit factory. In 1929 Ericus Gerhardus Verkade took over the factory and … the Verkade Factory was a fact.
In the course of the last century, after completing domestic school, many girls from Den Bosch went to work at Verkade. They were called "Verkademeisjes" (Verkade girls). The Verkadefabriek became a household name in 's-Hertogenbosch. Entire generations worked in the bakery, the packing departments or the shipping department. In the 1950s, the old bakery made way for production halls, which now house the rehearsal rooms/
In 1984, two new production halls were built next to the old halls. At the time there were still 145 employees working at Verkade. In October 1993 'Concentration of the production' led to the closure of the Den Bosch cookie bakery. Some of the employees were able to move to the Zaandam branch; the rest unfortunately ended up on the street.
The old cookie factory then stood empty for years.
In February 2002, the Den Bosch municipal council decided to (re)build the Verkadefabriek into a complex for theater, film and catering. Architect Hubert-Jan Henket was approached to (re)build the factory. In his design for the new center he managed to retain the characteristic features of the old factory.
The 'new' Verkadefabriek opened its doors in 2004. The complex for theatre, film and catering then had 2 theater halls, 3 cinema halls, a café-restaurant and rehearsal rooms.
In 2009, two new cinemas were added. Sustainability is also being worked on: in the summer of 2010, part of the roof of the Verkade factory was fitted with solar panels.

Artist Sidney Waerts created a ‘personal and abstract ode to theatre’ in the corridor of the Bossche art institution.
Sidney Waerts (1976) has been making paintings and sculptures for exhibitions in galleries and museums at home and abroad since 2008. Meanwhile, he has also specialised in murals. Striking in his art is his fast way of working, in which the energy of the working process is always visible in the often dynamic final result.
“We wanted to pay tribute to the theatre and, as a multidisciplinary art building, we therefore asked a leading artist to do so," says Jeffrey Meulman, director of the Verkadefabriek. ‘’Sidney Waerts makes beautiful work and the fact that he is self-taught is something we find extra stimulating for young people who may not yet be sure about their own chances and possibilities. Above all, there was a personal and artistic click with Sidney, which suited the Verkadefabriek particularly well. Together, we searched for strong theatrical images that Sidney intuitively worked with. "

According to Waerts, his mural is a personal and abstract ode to theatre. ‘In this design, I paint very realistically at times, but I also alternate this with some more abstract expression, to get the right energy in it. Abstract vs realism. We chose quite classic colours, but the painting technique and the chosen reference make it modern again.’