Nom.Nos

By Amenti

13 and 14 April at Motel Mozaïque Festival in Theater Rotterdam

Nom.Nos, meaning ‘Name Us,’ is a performance inspired by West-African myths, customs and tribes. A performance in which we search for our original name. The original name of many people who, because of our colonial history, are left with the last name of the colonisers. In this case we specifically look at the West-African diaspora. Take Gil’s last name for example: Gomes Leal—a Portuguese last name while his roots lie in Cape Verde and his ancestors were shipped from Senegal and Mali. Where are the original roots of these people? Which history was there before our colonial history began? Which splendour and wealth of culture, tradition and ritual is to be found in the countries of origin?
In Nom.Nos, through the use of (among others) the creation myth of the Dogon tribe (Mali), Amenti opens up contact with the ancestors. And through archetypical and universal stories like these, we connect through our collective consciousness. The connection with West-African myths and its customs—where rituals and ceremonies often take central stage—is a beautiful way to reclaim the power of the ancestors and to connect them with our modern existence. The Nommo are very important creatures for the Dogon tribe and they’re responsible for their origin myth. Nom.Nos therefore is also a reference to the origin of a West-African myth.
Through the use of dancing and puppetplay the performers make the connection with the ancestors and also search for the connection between them as group. The combination of a strong, visual artistic vision of Ulrike Quade Company and the authentic, unique movements of Amenti Theatre Company creates a performance that brings magic to life, but also take a critical look at how the world has formed itself.

Credits

With support of Motel Mozaïque

Choreography and direction: Gil Gomes Leal
Direction: Ulrike Quade
Creative Producer: Elia Vitadamo
Dancers: Gil Gomes Leal, Mark Sheats, Wesley Rommy
Dramaturgist: Jahmani Blackman
Music: Bink Beats en Dizzi Geetha

www.amenti.world
www.motelmozaique.nl

Mountain of Fear

By Tim Hammer

Everybody is sometimes afraid of death, but why is that really? Tim Hammer takes you on his quest for our own mortality.

Suppose there is a physical place between life and death. A mountain as a place of pilgrimage, for everyone who has lost someone or who fears the end. A mountain that you can climb, visit and leave again. Inspired by this mountain, theatre maker Tim Hammer explores his greatest fear: our mortality. In Mountain of Fear we follow a lifelike puppet during her last journey on earth. In combination with classical guitar, three puppeteers have her dance as if her life depends on it. The result: a physical and musical performance. Will you join us in our climb? To the top of the mountain, where we will leave fear?

Mountain of Fear is a co-production of KASKO (formerly Kameroperahuis) and De Nieuwe Oost. Tim Hammer creates this performance as a result of his own journey to the Japanese mountain of fear and as plays his part as one of the three puppeteers. Mountain of Fear is the second performance in the context of his New Makers trajectory of Fonds Podiumkunsten at KASKO and Ulrike Quade Company. Within this trajectory he investigates a new form of musical theatre and puppetry, inspired by the Japanese traditional Bunraku puppet theatre.

Practical information: A short (outdoor) walk is part of this performance. Each spectator wears headphones on which accompanying audio can be heard.

Credits

Concept & direction: Tim Hammer
Final direction: Floor van Leeuwen
Design: Juliette Mout
Costumes: Eleftheria Lavdaki
Technology & light: Edwin Smits
Artistic advice: Ulrike Quade
Dramaturgy intern: Jaïr Buisman
Text advice intern: Femke Zwiep
Puppet maker: Matt Jackson
Sketches puppet design: Mirthe Dokter
Puppet design inspiration: Hilde Atalanta
Playing: Tim Hammer, Ruben Mardulier, Suze van Miltenburg en Roel Goedhart (gitaar)
Production manager: Annemarie Bakker

Mountain of Fear is brought to you by: Provincie Overijssel, Provincie Gelderland, Gemeente Zwolle, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Stichting Dioraphte.

Voor het blok

By Suze van Miltenburg

An unconventional dialogue about the moment when something ‘comes to life’.

With Voor het Blok Suze van Miltenburg zooms in on an essential moment in object theatre. The moment something ,comes to life’. Suze organizes a series of encounters with (life) artists to meet them in an unconventional dialogue about the soul of an object. She invites the audience to become a part of the moment.

In Voor het Blok, a black square block is central. Every night, Suze invites a new guest to take a seat in front of the block (=voor het blok). The first part of the evening focuses on observation: We zoom in on the block and discuss the moment that we feel is magic. In the second part, we move to the manipulation of the block in the hands of the artist. Every night ends with a new attempt to make the block come to life.

Voor het Blok is Suze van Miltenburg’s first project in the New Talent programme by Ulrike Quade Company. The project was shown at a.o. PopArts Festival in Theater Bellevue Amsterdam and the Ringsporen Festival Amsterdam. It investigates the power of imagination and of the theater as a space to deal with philosophical subjects in a playful and interactive way.

The Art of Walking

By Tim Hammer

Voorstelling door Tim Hammer

A musical ode to our legs.

We spend sp much time inside our minds, that we forget our legs. But it’s them who carry us, who bring us to the places we need to be. They create the rhythm of our step, the rhythm of our life. The Art of Walking brings wooden legs to life in a genius construction, played by three singing performers. Together with a taiko player they sing a musical ode to our legs. The walking – from strolling to marching – determines in which rhythm the legs move. A playful Japanese-style ritual that makes time stand still.

The Art of Walking by Kameroperahuis is Tim Hammer’s directorial debut, after he already received much well-deserved accclaim as puppeteer, actor, drummer and composer.

The production is a collaboration with De Nieuwe Oost, part of a talent development programme by Kameroperahuis and Ulrike Quade Company. The programme is made possible by the Nieuwe Makers subsidy and The Dutch Fund for Perfoming Arts.

Within this programme, Tim explores new forms of musical object theatre inspired by the Japanese traditional Bunraku.​

Credits

The Art of Walking was supported by: Provincie Overijssel, Gemeente Zwolle, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Stichting Abracadabra.

Tim Hammer (Maker)
Renán Zelada (Componist)
Luc de Groen (Dramaturg)
Juliette Mout (Scenograaf)
Laurien van Rijswijk (Actrice)
Johanna van Steen (Performer)
Maarten Vinkenoog (Performer)
Suzanne Bakker (Performer)
Ulrike Quade (Artistiek advies)
Matt Jackson (Poppenmaker)
Hedi Legerstee (Productieleiding)
Andrea van Bussel (Productieleiding)
Edwin Smits (Techniek)
Erik Franssen (Fotograaf campagnebeeld)