Mining Stories
“Innovative, resonant take on a dam-burst disaster.”
The Irish Times, IR 01.10.18
“Brave, beautiful and incredibly strong!”
Republik, CH 28.08.2018
“Everything about Mining Stories feels as it should be, with great dramaturgical, philosophical and almost academic precision.”
Theaterkrant, NL 04.11.17
In November 2015, a dam containing toxic mining waste collapsed a few miles away from Silke’s childhood home in the South of Brazil. A devastating flood of mud destroyed several villages below the dam. In the next couple of days, the poisonous sludge flowed into the river Rio Doce and eventually reached the Atlantic Ocean. The ecological impact and environmental pollution was the largest ever recorded.
Silke returned to her hometown in Brazil together with her partner Hannes in order to talk to people affected by the incident and get a grip on its immense consequences. Back in Belgium they did additional interviews with experts from various fields of knowledge, amongst others a mining expert, an activism researcher and an economics professor.
Using field recordings from their conversations in Brazil and Belgium, ‘Mining Stories’ brings together multiple perspectives on the impact of the disaster. Each of the speakers tell the story of the disaster from their own context, with their own nuances and points of interest. The result is a journey through a diverse collection of personal stories crossing topics such as memory, resistance, religion, and storytelling.
'Mining Stories' was selected for Circuit X (Belgium, 2017) and was awarded the main prize at Zürcher Theaterspektakel (Switzerland, 2018) with the jury stating that "Huysmans and Dereere rely on an impressive yet simple staging, with an honest, ethical statement with regard to eco-political topics and issues.”
By & with: Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere
Dramaturgical advice: Dries Douibi
Production: Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere, Bâtard Festival, Kwp Pianofabriek
Coproduction: Kaap
With the support of: VGC, Sabam for Culture
Residencies: Kaap, Kwp Pianofabriek, Vooruit, De Grote Post, Veem House for Performance
Portuguese transcriptions: Luanda Casella, Miguel Cipriano
German translation: Anneliese Ostertag
French translation: Pamina De Coulon
Thanks to: all conversation partners
REVIEW
Der Bund, Switzerland 25.05.2018
INTERVIEW
Exit Magazine, Belgium 01.10.2017
INTERVIEW
Klara, Belgium 26.08.2017
INTERVIEW
NOS Radio 1, The Netherlands 18.08.2017
REVIEW
De Theaterkrant, Belgium 11.11.2016
INTERVIEW
De Standaard, Belgium 02.11.2016
UPCOMING DATES:
→ 2023
28.07 | Esplanade, Singapore (SG)
29.07 | Esplanade, Singapore (SG)
06.09 | Short Theatre, Rome (IT)
07.09 | Short Theatre, Rome (IT)
More dates to be announced
→ 2024
17.04 | Leietheater, Deinze (BE)
PAST DATES:
→ 2022
16.07 | OSTEN Festival, Bitterfeld (DE)
15.07 | OSTEN Festival, Bitterfeld (DE)
18.02 | BE Festival, Birmingham (UK)
→ 2020
06.11 | Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro, Cadiz (SP)
23.06 | BE Festival, Birmingham (UK) *
05.05 | CC Sint-Niklaas, Sint-Niklaas (BE) *
→ 2019
13.12 | l'Ambazada, Notre-Dame-des-Landes (FR)
17.10 | Festival Verao Azul, Loule (PT)
10.10 | 4+4 Days in Motion, Prague (CZ)
27.09 | Trafo, Budapest (HU)
21.09 | Conde Duque, Madrid (ES)
20.09 | Conde Duque, Madrid (ES)
04.06 | 2 Degrees Festival, London (UK)
24.04 | C-mine, Genk (BE)
23.03 | La Villette, Paris (FR)
22.03 | La Villette, Paris (FR)
→ 2018
17.11 | Fast Forward, Dresden (DE)
16.11 | Fast Forward, Dresden (DE)
11.11 | CC Berchem, Antwerp (BE)
10.11 | Arca NTGent, Ghent (BE)
30.09 | Dublin Theatre Festival, Dublin (IRL)
29.09 | Dublin Theatre Festival, Dublin (IRL)
28.09 | Dublin Theatre Festival, Dublin (IRL)
21.09 | CC Brasschaat, Antwerp (BE)
30.08 | Mladi Levi, Ljubljana (SI)
28.08 | Zurcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich (CH)
27.08 | Zurcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich (CH)
26.08 | Zurcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich (CH)
12.08 | Theater op de Markt, Hasselt (BE)
11.08 | Theater op de Markt, Hasselt (BE)
08.08 | Impuls Tanz Festival, Vienna (AT)
06.08 | Impuls Tanz Festival, Vienna (AT)
24.05 | Auawirleben, Bern (CH)
23.05 | Auawirleben, Bern (CH)
21.04 | Mooov Festival, Dilbeek (BE)
24.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL)
23.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL)
22.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL)
23.02 | Theatre de l'Usine, Geneva (CH)
22.02 | Theatre de l'Usine, Geneva (CH)
21.02 | Theatre de l'Usine, Geneva (CH)
16.02 | Artefact Festival, Leuven (BE)
15.02 | Artefact Festival, Leuven (BE)
10.02 | Beursschouwburg, Brussels (BE)
09.02 | Beursschouwburg, Brussels (BE)
27.01 | Parallele Festival, Marseille (FR)
25.01 | CC 't Schaliken, Herentals (BE)
→ 2017
15.12 | Campo, Ghent (BE)
14.12 | Campo, Ghent (BE)
11.11 | Spielart, Munich (DE)
10.11 | Next Festival, Harelbeke (BE)
08.11 | Schwankhalle, Bremen (DE)
07.11 | Schwankhalle, Bremen (DE)
28.10 | Veem House, Amsterdam (NL)
27.10 | Veem House, Amsterdam (NL)
26.10 | Nona, Mechelen (BE)
20.10 | Kaap, Bruges (BE)
05.10 | Explore Festival, Bucharest (RO)
31.08 | Het Theaterfestival, Brussels (BE)
20.08 | Noorderzon Festival, Groningen (NL)
19.08 | Noorderzon Festival, Groningen (NL)
18.08 | Noorderzon Festival, Groningen (NL)
17.08 | Noorderzon Festival, Groningen (NL)
12.05 | Kunstenwerkplaats Pianofabriek, Brussels (BE)
→ 2016
04.11 | Batard, Brussels (BE)
* cancelled / postponed due to covid-19
Mining Stories
“Innovative, resonant take on a dam-burst disaster.”
The Irish Times, IR 01.10.18
“Brave, beautiful and incredibly strong!”
Republik, CH 28.08.2018
“Everything about Mining Stories feels as it should be, with great dramaturgical, philosophical and almost academic precision.”
Theaterkrant, NL 04.11.17
In November 2015, a dam containing toxic mining waste collapsed a few miles away from Silke’s childhood home in the South of Brazil. A devastating flood of mud destroyed several villages below the dam. In the next couple of days, the poisonous sludge flowed into the river Rio Doce and eventually reached the Atlantic Ocean. The ecological impact and environmental pollution was the largest ever recorded.
Silke returned to her hometown in Brazil together with her partner Hannes in order to talk to people affected by the incident and get a grip on its immense consequences. Back in Belgium they did additional interviews with experts from various fields of knowledge, amongst others a mining expert, an activism researcher and an economics professor.
Using field recordings from their conversations in Brazil and Belgium, ‘Mining Stories’ brings together multiple perspectives on the impact of the disaster. Each of the speakers tell the story of the disaster from their own context, with their own nuances and points of interest. The result is a journey through a diverse collection of personal stories crossing topics such as memory, resistance, religion, and storytelling.
'Mining Stories' was selected for Circuit X (Belgium, 2017) and was awarded the main prize at Zürcher Theaterspektakel (Switzerland, 2018) with the jury stating that "Huysmans and Dereere rely on an impressive yet simple staging, with an honest, ethical statement with regard to eco-political topics and issues.”
By & with: Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere
Dramaturgical advice: Dries Douibi
Production: Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere, Bâtard Festival, Kwp Pianofabriek
Coproduction: Kaap
With the support of: VGC, Sabam for Culture
Residencies: Kaap, Kwp Pianofabriek, Vooruit, De Grote Post, Veem House for Performance
Portuguese transcriptions: Luanda Casella, Miguel Cipriano
German translation: Anneliese Ostertag
French translation: Pamina De Coulon
Thanks to: all conversation partners
REVIEW
Der Bund, Switzerland 25.05.2018
INTERVIEW
Exit Magazine, Belgium 01.10.2017
INTERVIEW
Klara, Belgium 26.08.2017
INTERVIEW
NOS Radio 1, The Netherlands 18.08.2017
REVIEW
De Theaterkrant, Belgium 11.11.2016
INTERVIEW
De Standaard, Belgium 02.11.2016
UPCOMING DATES:
→ 2023
28.07 | Esplanade, Singapore (SG)
29.07 | Esplanade, Singapore (SG)
06.09 | Short Theatre, Rome (IT)
07.09 | Short Theatre, Rome (IT)
More dates to be announced
→ 2024
17.04 | Leietheater, Deinze (BE)
PAST DATES:
→ 2022
16.07 | OSTEN Festival, Bitterfeld (DE)
15.07 | OSTEN Festival, Bitterfeld (DE)
18.02 | BE Festival, Birmingham (UK)
→ 2020
06.11 | Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro, Cadiz (SP)
23.06 | BE Festival, Birmingham (UK) *
05.05 | CC Sint-Niklaas, Sint-Niklaas (BE) *
→ 2019
13.12 | l'Ambazada, Notre-Dame-des-Landes (FR)
17.10 | Festival Verao Azul, Loule (PT)
10.10 | 4+4 Days in Motion, Prague (CZ)
27.09 | Trafo, Budapest (HU)
21.09 | Conde Duque, Madrid (ES)
20.09 | Conde Duque, Madrid (ES)
04.06 | 2 Degrees Festival, London (UK)
24.04 | C-mine, Genk (BE)
23.03 | La Villette, Paris (FR)
22.03 | La Villette, Paris (FR)
→ 2018
17.11 | Fast Forward, Dresden (DE)
16.11 | Fast Forward, Dresden (DE)
11.11 | CC Berchem, Antwerp (BE)
10.11 | Arca NTGent, Ghent (BE)
30.09 | Dublin Theatre Festival, Dublin (IRL)
29.09 | Dublin Theatre Festival, Dublin (IRL)
28.09 | Dublin Theatre Festival, Dublin (IRL)
21.09 | CC Brasschaat, Antwerp (BE)
30.08 | Mladi Levi, Ljubljana (SI)
28.08 | Zurcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich (CH)
27.08 | Zurcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich (CH)
26.08 | Zurcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich (CH)
12.08 | Theater op de Markt, Hasselt (BE)
11.08 | Theater op de Markt, Hasselt (BE)
08.08 | Impuls Tanz Festival, Vienna (AT)
06.08 | Impuls Tanz Festival, Vienna (AT)
24.05 | Auawirleben, Bern (CH)
23.05 | Auawirleben, Bern (CH)
21.04 | Mooov Festival, Dilbeek (BE)
24.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL)
23.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL)
22.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL)
23.02 | Theatre de l'Usine, Geneva (CH)
22.02 | Theatre de l'Usine, Geneva (CH)
21.02 | Theatre de l'Usine, Geneva (CH)
16.02 | Artefact Festival, Leuven (BE)
15.02 | Artefact Festival, Leuven (BE)
10.02 | Beursschouwburg, Brussels (BE)
09.02 | Beursschouwburg, Brussels (BE)
27.01 | Parallele Festival, Marseille (FR)
25.01 | CC 't Schaliken, Herentals (BE)
→ 2017
15.12 | Campo, Ghent (BE)
14.12 | Campo, Ghent (BE)
11.11 | Spielart, Munich (DE)
10.11 | Next Festival, Harelbeke (BE)
08.11 | Schwankhalle, Bremen (DE)
07.11 | Schwankhalle, Bremen (DE)
28.10 | Veem House, Amsterdam (NL)
27.10 | Veem House, Amsterdam (NL)
26.10 | Nona, Mechelen (BE)
20.10 | Kaap, Bruges (BE)
05.10 | Explore Festival, Bucharest (RO)
31.08 | Het Theaterfestival, Brussels (BE)
20.08 | Noorderzon Festival, Groningen (NL)
19.08 | Noorderzon Festival, Groningen (NL)
18.08 | Noorderzon Festival, Groningen (NL)
17.08 | Noorderzon Festival, Groningen (NL)
12.05 | Kunstenwerkplaats Pianofabriek, Brussels (BE)
→ 2016
04.11 | Batard, Brussels (BE)
* cancelled / postponed due to covid-19