Photos © Kamerich & Budwilowitz

About the mime way of working

facilitated by Simone de Jong (director) and Toon Kuijpers (performer) of “Shelter (Jaszak)”

When: Monday, October 12th, 12:15 - 15:15 pm
Where: Probebühne Theater Strahl (Schöneberg)

In this three-hour-workshop we research some principles of modern mime on the floor, related to our group's practice.

Mime starts with a person in space, and then anything can happen. It doesnt start from psychology, like classical theater. We always start from the body, actions, music – an object can be added. A character appears out of that.

'I think theater is mostly about energy, musicality and poetry, and they can all live in the body, communicate through it. You always hunt for that strange moment in time when we forget time even exists, and that is all about this unnameable energy.' (Simone de Jong)

This workshop is for professional performers, dancers, actors who are interested to expand their range of methods and artistic approach to their stage work. People of related artistic professions are very welcome as well, if they are open to getting involved in hands-on exercises.

Simone de Jong started in theater for adults as a performer in mime and musictheater. She worked at Orkater and her own company Het Hoofd. In 2025, she found her luck as a director in children's theater at platform 2turvenhoog. She works mostly with people educated at 'Mime School – Academy of Theatre and Dance' from Amsterdam University of the Arts, cause 'they have so much poetry in them'. Simone is also a writer, of libretti and two children's novels.

Toon Kuijpers worked with several theatergroups, mostly in mime such as Schweigman&, Schippers & Van Gucht, Studio Figur and his own group WAK. He and Simone work closely together since 2015 in "Hermit", "Timtim", "Shelter" and in the future in "Not crazy". He is very down to earth, but in his body poetry lives.

It is advised to watch a performance of “Shelter (Jaszak)” before the workshop as we will use it as a point of departure and also want to give some space to hear about the team’s artistic process and experience with the performance. How is the show received by different audiences? How did the team approach the subject of houselessness for very young audiences? However, it is not mandatory to have seen the performance to participate.