As the result of NTGent’s first-ever XS 4-week residency, scenographer and lighting designer Gilles Pollak’s atmospheric landscapes of light are the home for director and playwright Sarah Ringoet’s 'Er schuilt een hooligan in mij (A hooligan is hiding in me)'. Her play comes alive through actor Sjoerd Koolma’s raw performance. Together, they explore nature, vulnerability, and the ‘hooligan within’. Before the performance, audiences can immerse themselves in Gilles Pollak’s captivating installation 'through walking alone'.
How did the decision to join the NTGent XS residency come about?
Sarah: It was actually a bit of a blind date; we did not know each other. Melih Gençboyacı, an artistic director at NTGent, brought us together. The idea is that Gilles will create the design for the performance and then we meet together in the final week of our residency.
Sjoerd: It could be a clash, but everything might blend perfectly.
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Given your different backgrounds and it being a ‘blind date’, how did you build trust in the collaboration?
Gilles: I’m mostly working alone or with the NTGent technician. However, we have only met twice online, so we are still getting to know each other.
Sjoerd: Sarah and I met back in March. We got the chance to talk deeply, which made me feel like I can be comfortable sharing what I will be going through during this process.
Sarah: I wrote this text 14 years ago, so I am also revisiting the work with Sjoerd.
What can you tell us about There is a hooligan in me?
Sarah: The text is about someone who discovers their inner world, and begins to explore more into the discovery and how it relates to the outside world. The character gets carried away by this research of the self and begins to try to escape the self.
Sjoerd: The text has this idea of a stream of consciousness, like a flood of thoughts. It’s awesome.
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What about the text made you decide that you want to perform it?
Sjoerd: Melik offered me a choice of Sarah’s texts, and I kept revisiting this one. It felt close to me, I related to the idea of not knowing how to handle the thoughts and emotions, and the attempt to try to understand them. The search for ‘the hooligan’ - this strong, earthy, masculine but also feminine being- was powerful. Some sentences broke my heart, but I found it beautifully written.
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From the perspective of researching lighting in nature, were there certain elements of the text that resonated with you?
Gilles: Part of this process is that I only get to read the text during the last week of this residency. But I am researching how to use light and natural phenomena like rain, to create a sensory experience. I go in-depth with my research in light, smoke and rain. I try to capture the movement and beauty of light.
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NTGent - eXtra Space – invites the idea of a ‘careful but radical’ future - what parts of your work do you consider both careful and radical?
Sjoerd: To me, vulnerability feels radical. In a world where everything sometimes seems like a performance, being open and genuine feels bold. I want to be true to the nature of who I am, even when expressing emotions that people might find uncomfortable. That feels both careful and radical.
I try to capture the movement and beauty of light
Sarah: For me, it is caring for the performer - building a connection with them, diving into it and then looking for the edges in the work. So, you dive into their method, exploring all of its colours and sort of push it in new forms, which can feel radical.
Gilles: Carefully recreating the emotions or atmospheres created by thunderstorms and sunsets feels radical because there is no text to guide you, only the lights.
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Are there things you’re encouraged to try in the residency that you wouldn’t in your normal practice?
Gilles: The residency gives me time to calmly experiment and finish my ideas. I get to take my time to think rather than just ‘do’.
Sarah: What is nice is that there is space to get off the main road. You can wander instead of being lost, explore without pressure, and discover new things.
Sjoerd: Three weeks isn’t that long for the text, but the time still gives us a refreshing freedom to try things we might not otherwise.
You can wander instead of being lost
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What are you discovering about yourself or the development of your artistic style through this process?
Gilles: I have realized the importance of taking time. Take the time to research, prepare and go for it. Because I usually freelance, it is five different projects per week, but this calm environment is refreshing.
Sjoerd: This process reconnects me with acting from the body – exploring movements and then see what the text brings. It’s about finding your inner animal and understanding how it moves.
Sarah: I like to create structure in the way of working and this experience made me confront that in new ways.
It’s about finding your inner animal and understanding how it moves
<div class="editorial-banner"> @ntgent<br>21.11-23.11.2024 Ghent, NTGent Minnemeers</div><div class=“editorial-credits”></div>
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