Lenke Duyvendak (NL)

Lenke Duyvendak is a creator of sensory films and performances, driven by a fascination with inner worlds that defy simple explanation. Through puppetry and animation, she materialises complex emotional landscapes into intimate, fragile realms. Her work aims not just to portray these invisible struggles, but to make them deeply felt on a sensory level. She is currently developing the short puppet film In My Hands, in which the insecure Emily is manipulated by two hands into restricting her food intake. Drawing directly from her own lived experience with anorexia, Duyvendak sheds light on this complex illness with poignant honesty, fostering empathy and understanding.

In collaboration with Theater De Lieve Vrouw, Duda Paiva Company annually gives two young dance talents the opportunity to create and present a short test piece. Tailored to their needs by various professionals, they search for their own form within the Object Score, the performance technique using objects developed by Duda Paiva.

 

Niels van der Steen (NL)

Niels van der Steen grew up immersed in folklore, eventually finding his way to dance theatre by way of urban culture, a dance degree, and a Master's in choreography. Relocating to his grandparents' farm in Drenthe introduced an entirely different dynamic. The Drenthe landscape serves not only as inspiration, but as the starting point for design and thematic exploration. Set amongst his grandmother's paintings, a new artistic language emerged—one where movement, masks, puppetry, and nature intersect.