Claudia
van de kerkhof
  • Home
  • Theatre, Storytelling and Teaching
  • Photography and Video
  • Passion and Inspiration
  • Contact

Theatre
From the mind onto the stage


10 Minute Stage-Management:
Super Size XXXL Thick Tasty Crispy Chicken Biggie Bacon Burger
​- with Extra Cheese      

Picture
2015

De man draait zich om
Vanonder zijn capuchon
zie ik zijn indringende ogen

Dus jij neemt het op voor de kippen? 


Author: Daphne de Bruin. 
Adaptation: Myself.
Visuals: Tom Ivo & René 't Hart
Soundscape: Skander Jaïbi

This performance included two actors (Sara de Boer and Jordy Roeten) and was about factory farming.
Isn't it odd that back in the days we longed for easier food production methods, but now that we have them, we long for the quality and value products used to have? That we stopped wondering where our product came from; that our milk came from a cow and not just the supermarket? That we lost the connection with that what feeds us all? 

The soundscape was produced by recording sounds of clanging metal, a person sharpening knifes, closing metal fences and other horrifying sounds to create an instrumental experience of a slaughterhouse.

At first I wanted this performance be informative, because my opinion or knowledge can be very confronting and my teachers told me I probably would lose my audience sometime because of this. Eventually the performance ended up as a plea against animal agriculture. After all I was glad that I had not changed anything to please anyone; this vision was mine. I do want people to go back to their roots, to nature, to care and be compassionate to themselves, animals and the planet. My audience was touched, confronted, yet enthousiastic.



Taart met T(hee)

2014

Me, Marieke Braaksma, Marieke Koolhaas and Eva Löbker created this play together with Els van der Jagt. We went to several primary schools to perform for children between 5 and 7 years old.. One day we visited a school for disabled children, who  laughed mainly with their eyes. I learned a lot during these weeks; from making to working together this intimate, to having conversations with small children. 
Foto

Vuurol

 ad2014

In the woods. You could walk along the path to visit tiny installations, performances, activities, and other theatrical events. I was part of the 'Drieluik' by some students of the HKU and played the role of a bird-like official. We sat between the ferns waiting for people to pass us by,  to surprise them. We stayed there all weekend and I met some wonderful people. It helped me getting out of my comfort zone and following my impulses and humor.


Foto

Tweetakt

2014

Utrecht. My class worked in pairs to teach a whole primary school the opening dance for the  festival Tweetakt. We danced for days and it was very heavy to cope with children that didn't feel like dancing. We finally found ways to make them dance with a lot of fun anyway.

Foto

Waterval Vertelfestival: Generatie Dood (Generation Kill)

2012

​What does it take to become a murdering machine? They left the war, but will the war ever leave them? This making proces took a lot of time and energy, but gave me a lot too. I got interested in method acting. I remember when i psysically tried to look sad. Dinah Krijgsman, the teacher, told me to stop acting and start feeling, to become the character instead of acting like one. 

Dinah Krijgsman is a great teacher, inspiration, friend and coach in one. She taught me a lot, on artistic level as well as personal. 


Picture

Storytelling
I know the plot, I'm in the story, I'll share what I see, I'll share what I feel. Will you let me guide you?


Hanzefestival Kampen: The Alchemist

2017

I  directed this piece inspired on The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. I wanted  to make a story about my life,  about finding the language that your heart speaks. The storyplot was a great metaphor. I collaborated with Grace van Dorsten, an amazing singer/songwriter and Lotte Kok, a poetry/spoken word artist. During the process Grace and I found that we both had been working on the same subject before starting this project so  her new songs fitted perfectly in the storyline. Lotte was easily inspired and managed to write new pieces that lifted the whole performance. 

Performed on Zwolle Unlimited 2017 as well

Zwolle Unlimited

2015, 2016, 2017

This festival is the follow up of Waterval Vertelfestival. I performed for very different and mixed audiences. Wrote my own  stories  and told the ones that  have been told for centuries.
Picture

Winterwoorden

2017

A try-out festival  in the beautiful centre of Zwolle. Very cosy and warm, with fire, and amazing artists like Scott and Young.
Picture

De Bazuin Groningen

2016

I was asked by De Bazuin, an orchestra from Groningen, to join their piece. It was amazing to work with these 30 devoted musicians on a story so close to their origin; the story of Bommen Berend; Het Gronings Verzet. 
We complemented eachother. Sometimes they played and I kept quiet, sometimes they would rest their instruments and let me tell a part of the story. Sometimes we would tell the story simultaneously, my voice and their music as one. It was very interesting to learn so much about the history of Groningen.

We performed this story on Zwolle Unlimited 2016 as well.

Picture

Sprookjesfestival Odeon

2015

Sprookjesfestifal is the new name of what used to be De Sprookjesdriedaagse Odeon. This year it lasted five days instead of three.
Their formula had changed as well: I performed 3 play-along sotries. Snow White, The Sleeping Beauty and last but not least: The Feral Child of Zwolle.
This is a true story about a Belgian girl that went missing in the woods near Zwolle. 17 years later a  farmer found her stealing his chickens. She had grown up among animals and was not able to speak. After being found, or rescued as they said, she was brought back to het mother in Belgium. This story was appealing to me because it shows how your sense of good morals can do harm to another. It might have been better for her to stay 'wild' instead of being captured and taught how to live the life others imagined for her.
Picture

Verhalenbazaar Rotterdam

Picture
2014, 2015, 2016

​A storytelling festival focused on children.  Nearly the same formula as Verhalenfestival Amsterdam.

A month before this festival in 2015 I did a promo together with my great storytelling friend Rik Vuur.

This festival is made for children. Since they listen to stories all day long, the tension in the storyline is very important. I kept them short, depending on my audience, between 10 and 20 minutes. 


Waterval Vertelfestival

Foto

2012, 2013, 2014.

In 2012 one of my drama teachers invited me to join tis festival. Shonaleigh Cumbers, the last Yiddish storyteller, gave me my first workshop on storytelling and I was so excited that Rob Bults asked me to join his classes on storytelling. This is where my storytelling yourney began.

Every year since then I participate in this festival. It is located in Zwolle, on De Verhalenboot and along the canal that surrounds the city. Many international artists perform during this weekend to share their stories of interest. There are no regular stages: performances take place in traditional Yurts. 

In 2013 I was the face of the festival, as you can see on the image on te right. 


Sprookjesdriedaagse Odeon

2012, 2013,  2014,

This event takes place in Odeon, which is one of the theatres in Zwolle. The festival consists of music, storytelling, musicals, and other theatrical performances. My part each year is to amuse the children (aged between 3 to 10) with short stories and tales. We sometimes made the children part of the story by painting their faces and dressing them up like snow white's dwarfs, training them playfully to be living statues. 

The festival changed their name into Sprookjesfestival Odeon.

Foto

Verhalenfestival Amsterdam

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

A Festival organised by a colleague of mine, Hilke ten Duis. It is located at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam. It is only on a small area but many people show up ervery year, even when it's raining. The storytellers perform in Yurts, and there are many biological or vegan foodtrucks. It has a great atmosphere, encouraging attention and time, which is in great contrast with the pace of the city itself. 
​ 
Foto

International Storytelling Festival Amsterdam

2013

At this festival I met international storytellers from Canada, Norway, England and many more countries. Eric Borrias gave me a workshop on dialogues in a story. It was a very inspiring event with big glasses of red wine, delicious food, beautiful words, wise  people,  and an amazing location with and atmosphere that felt like home. 
Foto

Stadsfestival Zwolle

2012, 2013

A festival that brings culture and art to the community. I told several stories in the Sassenpoort, an intimate setting. 
I told the story of De Kapotgedanste Schoentjes for about 150 people in open air without a microphone, in the freezing cold, and it was wonderful. I worked together with a group of dansers (Vuur & Vlam)  who performed a psysical addition to the story.

Foto
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.