Mining Stories
© Hugo Cordeiro
© Clara Hermans
© Vasco Célio
© Vasco Célio
© Vasco Célio
© William Vandervoort
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) in 2017 and was awarded the main prize at Zürcher Theaterspektakel (Switzerland) in 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
ESSAY
28.11.2018 Belgium, Etcetera
REVIEW
01.10.2018 Ireland, The Irish Times
REVIEW
29.09.2018 Ireland, The Reviews Hub
REVIEW
14.09.2018 Slovenia, Kriterij
ESSAY
03.09.2018 UK, Performance Philosophy
REVIEW
01.09.2018 Switzerland, Zürcher Theaterspektakel
REVIEW
28.08.2018 Switzerland, Der Republik
REVIEW
08.08.2018 Austria, Perlentaucher Kulturmagazin
REVIEW
07.08.2018 Austria, Der Standard
REVIEW
25.05.2018 Switzerland, Berner Oberländer
REVIEW
25.05.2018 Switzerland, Der Bund
INTERVIEW
01.10.2017 Belgium, Exit Magazine
INTERVIEW
26.08.2017 Belgium, Klara
INTERVIEW
18.08.2017 The Netherlands, NOS Radio 1
REVIEW
11.11.2016 Belgium, De Theaterkrant
INTERVIEW
02.11.2016 Belgium, De Standaard
UPCOMING DATES:
More dates to be announced
PAST DATES:
→ 2020
06.11 Cadiz, SP Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro
23.06 Birmingham, UK BE Festival *
05.05 Sint-Niklaas, BE CC Sint-Niklaas *
→ 2019
13.12 Notre-Dame-des-Landes, FR l'Ambazada
17.10 Loulé, PT Festival Verão Azul
10.10 Prague, CZ 4+4 Days in Motion
27.09 Budapest, HU Trafó
21.09 Madrid, ES Conde duque
20.09 Madrid, ES Conde duque
04.06 London, UK 2 Degrees Festival
24.04 Genk, BE C-Mine cultuurcentrum
23.03 Paris, FR La Villette
22.03 Paris, FR La Villette
→ 2018
17.11 Dresden, DE Fast Forward
16.11 Dresden, DE Fast Forward
11.11 Antwerp, BE CC Berchem
10.11 Ghent, BE Arca NTGent
30.09 Dublin, IRL Dublin Theatre Festival
29.09 (19:45) Dublin, IRL Dublin Theatre Festival
29.09 (15:45) Dublin, IRL Dublin Theatre Festival
28.09 Dublin, IRL Dublin Theatre Festival
21.09 Antwerp, BE CC Brasschaat
30.08 Ljubljana, SI Mladi Levi
28.08 Zurich, CH Zürcher Theaterspektakel
27.08 Zurich, CH Zürcher Theaterspektakel
26.08 Zurich, CH Zürcher Theaterspektakel
12.08 Hasselt, BE Theater op de Markt
11.08 Hasselt, BE Theater op de Markt
08.08 Vienna, AT ImpulsTanz Festival
06.08 Vienna, AT ImpulsTanz Festival
24.05 Bern, CH Auawirleben
23.05 Bern, CH Auawirleben
21.04 Dilbeek, BE MOOOV Festival
24.03 Den Bosch, NL Festival Cement
23.03 Den Bosch, NL Festival Cement
22.03 Den Bosch, NL Festival Cement
23.02 Geneva, CH Théâtre de l'Usine
22.02 Geneva, CH Théâtre de l'Usine
21.02 Geneva, CH Théâtre de l'Usine
16.02 Leuven, BE Artefact Festival
15.02 Leuven, BE Artefact Festival
10.02 Brussels, BE Beursschouwburg
09.02 Brussels, BE Beursschouwburg
27.01 Marseille, FR Parallèle Festival
25.01 Herentals, BE CC ’t Schaliken
→ 2017
15.12 Ghent, BE Campo
14.12 Ghent, BE Campo
11.11 Munich, DE Spielart
10.11 Harelbeke, BE Next Festival
08.11 Bremen, DE Schwankhalle
07.11 Bremen, DE Schwankhalle
28.10 Amsterdam, NL Veem House for Performance
27.10 Amsterdam, NL Veem House for Performance
26.10 Mechelen, BE Kunstencentrum Nona
20.10 Bruges, BE Kaap
05.10 Bucharest, RO Explore Festival
31.08 Brussels, BE Het Theaterfestival
20.08 Groningen, NL Noorderzon Festival
19.08 Groningen, NL Noorderzon Festival
18.08 Groningen, NL Noorderzon Festival
17.08 Groningen, NL Noorderzon Festival
→ 2016
04.11 (22:00) Brussels, BE Bâtard Festival
04.11 (19:00) Brussels, BE Bâtard Festival | premiere
* cancelled / postponed due to covid-19
Mining Stories
© Hugo Cordeiro
© Clara Hermans
© Vasco Célio
© Vasco Célio
© Vasco Célio
© William Vandervoort
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) in 2017 and was awarded the main prize at Zürcher Theaterspektakel (Switzerland) in 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
ESSAY
28.11.2018 Belgium, Etcetera
REVIEW
01.10.2018 Ireland, The Irish Times
REVIEW
29.09.2018 Ireland, The Reviews Hub
REVIEW
14.09.2018 Slovenia, Kriterij
ESSAY
03.09.2018 UK, Performance Philosophy
REVIEW
01.09.2018 Switzerland, Zürcher Theaterspektakel
REVIEW
28.08.2018 Switzerland, Der Republik
REVIEW
08.08.2018 Austria, Perlentaucher Kulturmagazin
REVIEW
07.08.2018 Austria, Der Standard
REVIEW
25.05.2018 Switzerland, Berner Oberländer
REVIEW
25.05.2018 Switzerland, Der Bund
INTERVIEW
01.10.2017 Belgium, Exit Magazine
INTERVIEW
26.08.2017 Belgium, Klara
INTERVIEW
18.08.2017 The Netherlands, NOS Radio 1
REVIEW
11.11.2016 Belgium, De Theaterkrant
INTERVIEW
02.11.2016 Belgium, De Standaard
UPCOMING DATES:
More dates to be announced
PAST DATES:
→ 2020
06.11 Cadiz, SP Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro
23.06 Birmingham, UK BE Festival *
05.05 Sint-Niklaas, BE CC Sint-Niklaas *
→ 2019
13.12 Notre-Dame-des-Landes, FR l'Ambazada
17.10 Loulé, PT Festival Verão Azul
10.10 Prague, CZ 4+4 Days in Motion
27.09 Budapest, HU Trafó
21.09 Madrid, ES Conde duque
20.09 Madrid, ES Conde duque
04.06 London, UK 2 Degrees Festival
24.04 Genk, BE C-Mine cultuurcentrum
23.03 Paris, FR La Villette
22.03 Paris, FR La Villette
→ 2018
17.11 Dresden, DE Fast Forward
16.11 Dresden, DE Fast Forward
11.11 Antwerp, BE CC Berchem
10.11 Ghent, BE Arca NTGent
30.09 Dublin, IRL Dublin Theatre Festival
29.09 (19:45) Dublin, IRL Dublin Theatre Festival
29.09 (15:45) Dublin, IRL Dublin Theatre Festival
28.09 Dublin, IRL Dublin Theatre Festival
21.09 Antwerp, BE CC Brasschaat
30.08 Ljubljana, SI Mladi Levi
28.08 Zurich, CH Zürcher Theaterspektakel
27.08 Zurich, CH Zürcher Theaterspektakel
26.08 Zurich, CH Zürcher Theaterspektakel
12.08 Hasselt, BE Theater op de Markt
11.08 Hasselt, BE Theater op de Markt
08.08 Vienna, AT ImpulsTanz Festival
06.08 Vienna, AT ImpulsTanz Festival
24.05 Bern, CH Auawirleben
23.05 Bern, CH Auawirleben
21.04 Dilbeek, BE MOOOV Festival
24.03 Den Bosch, NL Festival Cement
23.03 Den Bosch, NL Festival Cement
22.03 Den Bosch, NL Festival Cement
23.02 Geneva, CH Théâtre de l'Usine
22.02 Geneva, CH Théâtre de l'Usine
21.02 Geneva, CH Théâtre de l'Usine
16.02 Leuven, BE Artefact Festival
15.02 Leuven, BE Artefact Festival
10.02 Brussels, BE Beursschouwburg
09.02 Brussels, BE Beursschouwburg
27.01 Marseille, FR Parallèle Festival
25.01 Herentals, BE CC ’t Schaliken
→ 2017
15.12 Ghent, BE Campo
14.12 Ghent, BE Campo
11.11 Munich, DE Spielart
10.11 Harelbeke, BE Next Festival
08.11 Bremen, DE Schwankhalle
07.11 Bremen, DE Schwankhalle
28.10 Amsterdam, NL Veem House for Performance
27.10 Amsterdam, NL Veem House for Performance
26.10 Mechelen, BE Kunstencentrum Nona
20.10 Bruges, BE Kaap
05.10 Bucharest, RO Explore Festival
31.08 Brussels, BE Het Theaterfestival
20.08 Groningen, NL Noorderzon Festival
19.08 Groningen, NL Noorderzon Festival
18.08 Groningen, NL Noorderzon Festival
17.08 Groningen, NL Noorderzon Festival
→ 2016
04.11 (22:00) Brussels, BE Bâtard Festival
04.11 (19:00) Brussels, BE Bâtard Festival | premiere
* cancelled / postponed due to covid-19