De Wit/Vielen/Grotenhuis/Struyf/Austbø (Het Theaterfestival 2014)

Heimat is an untranslatable German expression that means something like 'place of origin' or 'homeland'. It is a melancholy title, chosen by a group of young theatre-makers who belong to a strikingly nomadic generation. A generation that does not stay and live in its homeland, and which feel no strong ties to them. Rebekka de Wit, Freek Vielen, Maarten Ketels, Suzanne Grotenhuis, Tom Struyf and Harald Austbø have combined their strengths in a one-off collective to create 'Heimat'. With disarming curiosity, they carried out research in old people's homes, to find out what worldly wisdom could be learned there. Armed with a list of questions, a microphone and a video camera, they then went to call on their parents and grandparents. In former times, as is still the case in some cultures, it was normal, after a certain age, for young people to care for the elderly. Now that we no longer live near our parents, is valuable wisdom being lost? What are the consequences of this for our society? And what does 'heimat' mean to today's twenty-somethings? The six have combined to write, act and direct the answers to all these questions. The result, which has been co-produced by deSingel, was originally created as a location project at Theater aan Zee, and its first indoor version will be performed in our Theatre Studio.