'Theatre is very much a product of its time, while at the same time being centuries-old. That leads to interesting discussions and changes in the professional field'
Why did you choose International Dramaturgy?
‘In October 2019, I completed the Theatre in Education degree programme. After that, I started working as a freelance teacher and theatremaker with various groups. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic began 5 months later and my work came to a standstill. Because I was forced to stay at home, I thought a lot about my work and what I wanted to achieve with it. I then decided to study again. It was nice to have some stability in the uncertain coronavirus times and during my practice-oriented preliminary education, I was already very interested in the theoretical side of theatre. I had the feeling that I still had a lot to learn in that area and that is how I ended up doing the Master’s in International Dramaturgy.’
What types of courses are you taking?
‘Because I have a degree from a university of applied sciences, I did a pre-Master’s programme first, with courses like Philosophy of Science, Introduction to Theatre Studies and Performance Analyses. You learn an awful lot about theatre history and visions on theatre with these courses. This is a really nice basis to have if you are going to do a Master’s degree! During the Master’s, the courses are really in-depth: in the Dramaturgy seminar, you analyse and discuss various performances on a dramaturgical level, and you come up with dramaturgical concepts yourself on the basis of texts. You also have a practical project in which you actually translate a concept to the stage yourself.’
What do you think about Amsterdam as a city to study?
‘Amsterdam is a theatre city par excellence, of course – you can visit a performance every evening somewhere. There are also a lot of theatre festivals organised for and by young theatremakers. Those types of places are very enjoyable and useful for coming into contact with other theatre workers who are about to enter the professional field. The fact that there is a theatre school, which the Master’s programme has more and more contact with, is also nice, because in this way you have the opportunity to take part in their projects and can therefore already gain some experience.’
Amsterdam is a theatre city par excellence – you can visit a performance every evening.Lotte Oostenga, student International Dramaturgy
How does International Dramaturgy tie in with modern-day society?
‘Theatre is very much a product of its time, while at the same time being centuries-old. That leads to interesting discussions and changes in the professional field. Theatre is always about the society we live in and as a result of that the students are also occupied with lots of social issues. For example, we are currently talking about sustainability a lot: what does it mean to make theatre sustainable? Students regularly organise evenings themselves to discuss this with each other. We invite people from the professional field who know more about this, for example, and we also ask questions about this if they are launching a project within the context of sustainability.’
What are your plans once you have completed your study?
‘When I am finished my thesis, I’m going to take a long holiday first. After that, I hope to start working as a freelancer with various theatre companies and collectives. I am especially interested in working in an interdisciplinary way, site-specific theatre and theatre based on historical stories. I love variety in my work! In addition, I have a nice foundation as a member of the Public & Education Department at Rijksmuseum het Muiderslot, a position in which I can also use my dramaturgical skills, but then in a museum context. Very interesting and challenging!’