About An Approaching End/The Witches' Hammer/Trigger Warning

An Approaching Ending is a dry-humored and touching performance about saying goodbye and learning to live in the realization of finitude. With stories, singing and movement-controlled music, Femke takes you with her in her research on everything which decays. A music theatre performance about aquarium clubs, climate-mourning and dead dads.

The Witches' Hammer: What do we really know about the witch hunts from 600 years ago? How is the witch depicted today? In The Witches' Hammer, the performance by Collectief Teder, you are taken through the grim reality behind the seemingly fairytale-like witch hunt. With a mix of harmonious singing, acoustic guitars, and a humorous carousel of characters, Isa and Clé guide you through history and back. They cast a critical light on the infamous book The Witches' Hammer by Heinrich Kramer; a book rooted in medieval paranoia and patriarchal oppression. In a playful yet confrontational manner, the Collectief takes you through this history and shows how its shadow still hangs over our society. Prepare to be surprised, entertained, and moved.

Trigger Warning is a musical theatre in which Ylva explores the boundaries of female violence, wildness, and nonconformity. Inspired by the archetype of the 'wild woman' and characters as Villanelle (from the series Killing Eve) and Bella Baxter (Poor Things), it examines what happens when a woman breaks with societal expectations and lets go, surrendering to the most hidden thoughts and violent fantasies. 

Trigger Warning is a plea against bourgeois norms, and for embracing a free, uncensored perspective. The performance takes you through the different layers of the psyche of a complex (violent) female character. Driven by the frameworks and expectations imposed on her, she tries to relate to the people around her and the various voices in her head.

Credits

An Approaching End

Concept/Playwright: Femke Brinksma

Director: Lindertje Mans

Cast: Femke Brinksma

Music: Ischa Heijnen, Femke Brinksma

Conceptual Guidance: Babette Kalker, Jan Pieter Koch

Decor: Geert Jonkers

With thanks to: Chagall, Muziektheater BOT

The Witches' Hammer

Concept/Playwright/Music: Isa Zwart, Clé Delphi

Decor: Robert Siroen, Isa Zwart, Clé Delphi

Witches Bridles Designer: Niek Zwart

Costumes: Studio Hiem

Trigger Warning

Concept/Music/Cast: Ylva Rietman

Playwrights: Stefan Aleksić, Simone van der Steen, Ylva Rietman

Direction/Dramaturgy: Simone van der Steen

Coaches: Anne-May de Lijser, Marnix Vinkenborg

Music/Production Contribution: Jerke van den Braak

Mentor: Babette Kalker

About Femke Brinksma, Collectief Teder, Ylva Rietman

Femke Brinksma is a music theatre performance artist with a passion for writing. She graduated from ArtEZ University of the Arts in 2023. Femke's work is inspired by personal fascinations and she likes to be at the crossroads of music, philosophy and theatre. 

Collectief Teder, formed by recent graduates Isa Zwart and Clé Delphi, finds its roots not only in a shared passion for music theater but also in a deeply rooted sense of urgency to combat the patriarchy. Both studied at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Arnhem and have been a dynamic and versatile duo since 2022. Their unique approach encompasses exploring historical aspects as well as critically examining contemporary oppression. In their debut performance The Witches' Hammer, they highlight the witch hunts of the past in a playful and confrontational manner, showing how these events still resonate in our current society. Collectief Teder's performances consist of a unique mix of musical and theatrical elements: multi-part singing, guitars and electronic sounds, followed by visual scenes, playing various roles, and presenting themselves as none other than who they are. Get ready for  a performance that not only entertains but also inspires action and reflection. 

Ylva Rietman (1993, Apeldoorn, NL) is an actress, performer, theater maker, and musician. She graduated in Drama from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) in Ghent (2020) and completed her Master's in Music Theater (2024), focusing on violent women and authenticity. She makes music as YLVA LUPA, inspired by the term "she-wolf". Currently, she is working on an EP of electronic "alien pop" with producer Yarck.

Ylva's music blends harmonies using a loop station, drawing from Gregorian chants, Eastern European melodies, and contemporary pop. Her performances mix dark, cynical humor with ritualistic, poetic visuals, emphasizing the complexity of human experiences through music and physicality.  She transforms the everyday into the extraordinary, inviting exploration and  discovery through creativity and imagination.

About ArtEZ University of the Arts

ArtEZ University of the Arts is one of the leading art institutions in the Netherlands, with campuses in Arnhem, Enschede, and  Zwolle. It offers preparatory, associate, bachelor's, and master's programs in visual arts, architecture, fashion, design, music, theater, creative writing, dance, and art education. ArtEZ focuses on the artistic, intellectual, and  personal growth of students through personalized teaching and guidance from experienced professionals. As a pioneer in Dutch art education, ArtEZ collaborates with numerous educational institutions, businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations, driving development in the arts sector.