A Warm Welcome to ArtEZ University Students & Educators
The students from ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem, Netherlands are passionate about using art to tackle social issues and initiate change and during their stay will take up Artists in Residence posts within disadvantaged communities across Belfast.
The BA Theatre Education is a well-known program in the Netherlands and has a lot of influence nationally on youth theatre and theatre education.
On Monday 7 February, they spent the day with one of our Associate Partners, Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) who gave them a brief introduction into the scale of the housing crisis in Belfast and how people in Belfast are using a human rights based approach to challenge the issue and #TakeBackTheCity.
The students and their educators will also join with Dutch practitioners in hosting an industry event for theatre-makers, students, academics, and practitioners as part of Young At Art's Belfast Children's Festival.
Going Dutch will explore how children’s theatre successfully addresses complex societal issues affecting children. We will consider what are taboos in children’s theatre and how they can be explored to benefit both child and adult. Dutch and Flemish youth theatre is famous for creating confrontational and outspoken theatre which is educational and informative.
Theatre makers and directors from the Netherlands will present their work and discuss how they explore perceived taboos through theatre.
Following this panel conversation, students from ArtEZ will lead a series of workshops to introduce the audience to different styles of theatre education programs.
The event will be hosted by Cormac Burmania, Head of Program Artisteducator in Theatre in conversation with special guests who will be joining us from Netherlands including Floris van Delft (Artistic Director, Wat We Doen,), Writer and Director Danielle Wagenaar (Co-Founder of Het Ministerie van Onverrichter Zake), Director Alexandra Broeder, and Erica van de Kerkhof (Theater Artemis).
