artists

Jan Decorte

9 May 1950

—   Teaching:

  • Studio Herman Teirlinck, 1976, adaptation of Hamlet (unfinished), 1975
  • Brussels Conservatoire, 1977–1981,
Cymbeline (Shakespeare) made with the students of Brussels Conservatoire was selected for the Holland Festival in 1982.
In het Kreupelhout, translation and adaptation of Im Dickicht der Städte (Brecht), 1980.
Also Hamlet, Medea, Bacchae and Prometheus
  • Visiting lecturer at the Amsterdam Theatre School in 1985.
Own concept: Stoelen
  • A.R.T.S., 1999.
Fragments, Bacchae and The Mission (Müller)
  • Hogeschool Antwerpen, Department of Dramatic Art, 2008
Gedächtnis Wozzeck In het Moeras (Jan Decorte)

—   Writing:

  • Kosmika – Arcatheater, Ghent, 1969
  • Het Spel van de Spaanse Monnik Ambrosio – Arcatheater, Ghent, 1971, co-director
  • Jongens, 1973 (never performed)
  • Landschap—Lear, 1975 (commissioned by NTG, Ghent – never performed)

—   Directing (theatre):

  • Rosmersholm (Ibsen – F’ACT Rotterdam, 1978) – own set design
  • De Pelikaan (Strindberg – FACT Rotterdam, 1981, run not completed) – own set design
  • Hamlet (Shakespeare – Toneelgroep Theater Arnhem, 1982, run not completed) own set design
  • Maria Magdalena (Hebbel – own translation – Kaaitheater, Brussels, 1981 & Holland Festival, 1982 – Oscar De Gruyter Prize for best directing, 1981)
  • Mauser and De Hamletmachine (Müller – own translation and set design – HTP, Brussels, 1981-82)
  • Torquato Tasso (Goethe – own translation – HTP, Brussels, 1982-83)
  • Der Auftrag (Müller – own translation – HTP, Brussels, 1983)
  • King Lear (Shakespeare – own translation – HTP & Kaaitheater, Brussels, 1983)
  • Verkommenes Ufer – Landschaft mit Argonauten – Medeamaterial (Müller – own translation – HTP, Leuven, 1983)
  • Oom Wanja (Chekhov – HTP, Brussels, 1983-84, no performances)
  • Scènes/Sprookjes (after Chekhov et al. – HTP, Brussels, 1983-84)
  • Mythologies (after Goethe and Hölderlin – HTP, Brussels, 1984)
  • Anatomie (after Shakespeare and De Sade – HTP, Brussels, 1984-85)
  • Kleur is alles (Jan Decorte – HTP, Brussels, 1985)
  • In het kasteel (Jan Decorte, after Hamlet – HTP, Brussels, 1985)
  • Op een avond in … (Jan Decorte, after Hedda Gabler – HTP, Brussels 1986)
  • Het Stuk-Stuk (Jan Decorte – HTP, Brussels 1987)
  • Ondertussen in Parijs (after Marlowe – Krocht theater, Rotterdam, 1987)
  • Macbeth-Party (Jan Decorte/Macbeth – HTP, Brussels, 1987)
  • In Ondertussendoor (Jan Decorte – Jan Decorte + Cie, Brussels, 1987)
  • Naar Vulvania (Jan Decorte – Jan Decorte + Cie, Brussels, 1989)
  • In het moeras (Jan Decorte/Woyzeck – Jan Decorte + Cie, Brussels, 1990)
  • Meneer, de zot & tkint (Jan Decorte/King Lear – Jan Decorte + Cie, Brussels, 1991. Won the Flemish-Dutch Playwriting Prize
  • Titus Andonderonikustmijnklote (Jan Decorte/Titus Andronicus – Jan Decorte + Cie, Brussels, 1993)
  • Bloetwollefduivel (Jan Decorte/Macbeth – Bloet, Brussels, 1994)
  • Bêt Noir (Jan Decorte/Oedipus – Bloet, De Onderneming and Kaaitheater, Brussels, 1999)
  • Marieslijk (Jan Decorte/Im Dickicht, Brecht – Het Toneelhuis, Antwerp, 2000)
  • Sasja danse (Jan Decorte/Ivanov – Bloet, De Onderneming and Kaaitheater, Brussels, 2000)
  • Amlett (Jan Decorte/Hamlet – Het Toneelhuis, Antwerp, 2001)
  • «Betonliebe + Fleischkrieg» Medeia (Jan Decorte/Medea – Bloet and Kaaitheater, Brussels, 2001)
  • Cirque Danton (Jan Decorte/Dantons Tod – Het Toneelhuis, Antwerp, 2002)
  • Amlett (Jan Decorte) staged reading – Schaubühne, Berlin, 2002
  • Cannibali ! (Jan Decorte/The Tempest – Het Toneelhuis, Antwerp, 2003)
  • O Death (Jan Decorte/Oresteia – HetToneelhuis, Antwerp, 2004, never performed)
  • dieu& les esprits vivants (Jan Decorte – Bloet, Kaaitheater and Avignon Festival, 2005)
  • & and burgaudine (Jan Decorte – Bloet, Brussels, 2005)
  • Visoka Pesem / Song of Songs (Mladinsko Ljubljana and Bloet, 2007 )
  • Müller/Traktor (Müller – Bloet, Kaaitheater and De Roovers, Brussels, 2007)
  • Wintervögelchen (Jan Decorte/The Winter’s Tale – Bloet, Kaaitheater and Comp. Marius, Brussels, 2008)
  • Bakchai (Jan Decorte/Bacchae – Bloet, Kaaitheater and De Roovers, Brussels, 2010)
  • Niks of niks (Jan Decorte/Much Ado About Nothing – Bloet, Kaaitheater and Comp. Marius, Brussels, 2012)
  • Schiller / Tasten (Jan Decorte/Die Räuber – Bloet, Kaaitheater and De Roovers, Brussels, 2012)
  • O Death (Jan Decorte/Oresteia – German translation by Sigrid Vinks – Münchner Kammerspiele, Munich, 2013)
  • Shylock (Jan Decorte/The Merchant of Venice – Bloet, Kaaitheater and Comp. Marius, Brussels, 2013)
  • Geboeid / Prometheus (Jan Decorte/Prometheus – Bloet, Kaaitheater and De Roovers, Brussels, 2015)
  • Ne Swarte (Jan Decorte/Othello – Bloet, Kaaitheater and Comp. Marius, Brussels, 2016)
  • Stand Down (Jan Decorte – Bloet, Kaaitheater and Black Box Revelation, Brussels, 2017)
  • Hamlet 0.2 (Jan Decorte – Bloet and Kaaitheater, Brussels, 2018)
  • Das Ende = The Beginning performance (Jan Decorte – Bloet Pukkelpop, 2019)
  • Body a.k.a. (Jan Decorte – Bloet, Kaaitheater and Pumpenhaus, Brussels 2019)
  • Inonderussendoor staged lecture (Jan Decorte – Bloet, Comp Marius, Antwerpen 2021)
  • BLOOD LTD by Bloet – Jamais je n’oublierai la mort (Bloet, Kaaitheater, Pumpenhaus 2021)
  • Folies à Deux performance (Volksroom Brussel 2022)
  • Burgaudine performance (Bye Bye Kaai – Kaaitheater 2022)

—   Directing: opera

  • Dido & Aeneas Henry Purcell – Festival van Vlaanderen, Klarafestival and Kaaitheater, Brussels, 2006
  • The Indian Queen Henry Purcell – Bloet, B’Rock, Kunstenfestivaldesarts and Kaaitheater, Brussels, 2011

—   Directing: dance

  • Tanzung (Jan Decorte – Campo and Bloet, 2010)
  • Much Dance (Jan Decorte – Bloet, Kaaitheater, Münchner Kammerspiele and Pumpenhaus, Münster, 2014)

—   Directing: musical performance

  • Liszt / O Death (Jan Decorte, Claire Chevallier – Klarafestival and Bloet, 2011)

—   Directing: sound-play

  • Bloetwollefduivel (Jan Decorte – Air Antwerpen and Bloet, 2013)

—   Guest curator for Open Air art project

  • Maison Moderne (Air Antwerpen and Bloet, 2013)
performance of Bloetwollefduivel, solo performance by Stef Kamil Carlens, exhibition by Johan Daenen, Gwendolien Lootens and Memymon

—   Worked as dramaturge and translator for:

  • BRT
- De Mijn (after Heijermans’ Glück Auf and Zola’s Germinal, 1976, never performed)
- De Recordpianist (after Horst Laube’s Der Dauerklavierspieler, 1976, never performed)
  • Arena, Ghent
- Vrouwen, after Euripides’ Medea and Bacchae, 1977;
Peer Gynt, Ibsen, 1980
  • Schauspiel Frankfurt
- Goncourt, Laube & Dorst, 1977
  • RO-Theater
- King Lear, Shakespeare (Karge & Langhof), 1979
  • NTG Gent
- Mensch Meier, Kroetz, 1979

—   Wrote and directed the television play

  • Nature Morte (BRT, 1977)

—   Wrote and directed the films:

  • Pierre (1976 – Press Prize at the Festival of Belgian Film, Namur, 1977 – selected voor the Edinburgh Film Festival)
  • Hedda Gabler (1978 – after Ibsen – selected for FILMEX in Los Angeles and for the Edinburgh Film Festival)
  • Verkommenes Ufer 1 & 2 (8mm – 1983 – after Müller)

—   Directed the documentaries:

  • Witold Gombrowicz : voorvallen, avonturen (BRT, 1977)
  • Jean-Luc Godard : mal vu, mal dit (BRT, 1984)
  • Chantal Akerman : The Golden Eighties (BRT, 1986)
  • Jürgen Gosch : 1 = 1000 (BRT, 1987)

—   Acted in:

  • All his own productions since Der Auftrag in 1983
  • Jeanne Dielman and Toute une nuit by Chantal Akerman
  • Horizontaal en Vertikaal by Tone Brulin, Waltra-theater Brussels, 1970
  • Verwanten and Julius Caesar by Paul Peyskens, 1984-1985
  • Bathroom Singer (video-clip for Arno, 1990)
  • The fin comes a little bit earlier this siècle by Jan Fabre, 1998
  • Nagras by De Onderneming, 2000
  • L’Ange de la mort by Jan Fabre, 2003
  • Blitzkrieg short film by Colin Waeghe, 2008
  • Een gelukkige verjaardag by De Koe, 2009
  • Duts television series by Herwig Ilegems, 2011
  • MOX short film by the audio-visual collective Gogolplex

—  Became world famous in Flanders with his performances in the BRT talent contest:

  • Sterrenwacht 1990-1991

—  Was elected a Member of Parliament in 1991, with no manifesto or campaign:

  • with Paula D’Hondt initiated the Centre for Equal Opportunities and Combatting Racism
  • was an initiator of the declaration of illegality of the Vlaams Blok’s 70-point plan in the Flemish Council and made a resignation speech in French
  • played a decisive part in voting in the St Michiels Agreements (State Reforms)
  • handed over a substantial part (25,000 BF) of his monthly salary to the Aids Foundation

— Publications:

  • Het Spel van de Spaanse Monnik Ambrosio (Antwerp, Dramatisch Akkoord, 1972)
  • Torquato Tasso – translation (Brussels, Etcetera no.1, 1983)
  • Ondertussen in Parijs – signed limited edition, also a poster (Krocht theater, Rotterdam, 1987)
  • Portrait de Théâtre 1985-1990 (Amsterdam, Bert Bakker, 1991)
  • Oeuvres (Antwerp, Bebuquin, 1993) – Kleur is Alles, Het Stuk-Stuk, In Ondertussendoor, Naar Vulvania, In het moeras, Titus Andonderonikustmijnklote and Meneer, de zot & tkint
  • Magna Opera Düus (Brussels, Kaaitheater & De Onderneming, 1999) Bloetwollefduivel and Bêt Noir
  • Sasja danse (Brussels, Kaaitheater & De Onderneming, 2000)
  • Amlett (Antwerp, Het Toneelhuis, 2001)
  • «Betonliebe + Fleischkrieg» Medeia (Brussels, Kaaitheater, 2001)
  • Cirque Danton ( Antwerp, Het Toneelhuis, 2002)
  • Cannibali ! ( Antwerp, Het Toneelhuis, 2003)
  • O Death (Antwerp, Het Toneelhuis, 2004)
  • Œuvres Rares / Rare Works (Brussels, Bloet and Kaaitheater, 2006)
  • Wintervögelchen (Brussels, Bloet, Kaaitheater and Comp. Marius, 2008)
  • Bakchai (Brussels, Bloet, Kaaitheater and De Roovers, 2010)
  • Zeg hé (dag hé, sex hé, dood hé) three children’s books (Literarte, 2010)
  • Tanzung 6 poems (Ghent, Campo, 2010)
  • Niks of niks (Brussels, Bloet, Kaaitheater and Comp. Marius, 2012)
  • Schiller / Tasten (Brussels, Bloet, Kaaitheater and De Roovers, 2012) designed by Paul Verrept (Bebuquin). Prize for the Best Designed Book in 2012 from the Association of Flemish Publishers
  • Shylock (Brussels, Bloet, Kaaitheater and Comp. Marius, 2013)
 designed by Paul Verrept (Bebuquin)
  • Oh Love 6 poems for Much Dance (Brussels, Bloet, Kaaitheater, Münchner Kammerspiele and Pumpenhaus Münster, 2014)
 designed by Paul Verrept (Bebuquin)
  • Geboeid / Prometheus (Brussels, Bloet, Kaaitheater and De Roovers, 2015) designed by Paul Verrept (Bebuquin)
  • Ne Swarte (Brussels, Bloet, Kaaitheater and Comp. Marius, 2016)
 designed by Paul Verrept (Bebuquin)

— Walter Hus, composer, created three operas out of plays by Jan Decorte:

  • Meneer, de zot & tkint (Kortrijk, Limelight, 2000)
  • Bloetwollefduivel (Rotterdam, Limelight & RO-theater, Rotterdam, 2001)
  • Titus Andonderonikustmijnklote (Ghent, Limelight & Publiekstheater, 2002)

— Wim Vandekeybus made three performances from the play Bêt Noir by Jan Decorte:

  • Black Biist (Göteborg Ballet, Göteborg, 2009)
  • Bêt Noir (2006) with16 children and the Fanfakids
  • Oedipus / Bêt noir (Ultima Vez & KVS, Brussels, 2011)

— Curiosa:

  • adapted 30-odd Flemish and Dutch books for teenagers for BRT School Radio in the early 1970s
  • was film and theatre critic on BRT Radio and theatre critic on BRT Television, mid-1970s
  • has all his life written poems and songs (3 numbers for Roland in 1995, Marin Miramar for Arno in 1996)
  • danced in a performance called Ode au Printemps in the ‘Lundis de la Balsamine’ series, Brussels, in about 1985
  • performed with Charles et les Lulus, Christmas 1991 (I wanna be Elected by Alice Cooper) and with The Radio’s, summer 1992 (Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan)
  • have appeared on CD: his piece Je t’aime mon Bébé (Noblesse Oblige, Brussels, 1994) – his versions of That’s Life (Frank Sinatra, Antwerp, 1998) and of Give Peace a Chance (John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Antwerp, 2003)
  • published photos entitled Polaroid (EX, Brussels, 1983) and Sigrid (Humo 2606, 1990)
  • did an interview with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker at Klapstuk ‘83 and with Ghislaine Nuytten in Humo 2567, 1989
  • published Chronique de sauteuse and Fragment d’un discour amoureux in Parti Pris 5 & 6, Brussels, 1993
  • in 1995 wrote De Kunst van het Samenspreken (CVP, Brussels)
  • in 2006 took part in the 0110 concert in Brussels, sang the Stranglers’ song No more heroes
  • on 21 & 22 May 2014 sang the Stranglers’ song No more heroes in Oostende on the occasion of Arno’s 65th birthday
  • Vocals The John Hails Society Mauro Pawlowski – bass, Eric Thielemans- drums
  • Chantal Akerman‘s Jeanne Dielman is in 2022 declared N° 1. in the prestigious Sight and Sound Poll, which happens once a decade. For the first time in its 70-year history, an esteemed international poll of film experts has ranked a film by a woman as the greatest of all time. Jan Decorte plays the son, Sylvain Dielman.

Sigrid Vinks

born on 4 January 1956

  • studied Germanic Philology at the UFSIA and UIA, 1974–1978
  • met Jan Decorte in 1976
  • acted in Jan Decorte’s film Hedda Gabler in 1978
  • worked as research assistant to Professor Carlos Tindemans in the Department of Theatre Studies at the UIA in 1979
  • worked a translator, dramaturge and costume designer on Jan Decorte’s stage productions as from 1981
  • translated the following into Dutch, among other works:
    • Maria Magdalena by Hebbel, 1981
    • Mauser and De Hamletmachine by Müller, 1981
    • Torquato Tasso by Goethe, 1982
    • Der Auftrag by Müller, 1983
    • Verkommenes Ufer – Medeamaterial – Landschaft mit Argonauten by Müller, 1983
    • various writings by Goethe and Hölderlin – Mythologies, 1984
    • Selbstbezichtigung by Handke for Rosas, 1999
    • Herakles 2 oder die Hydra by Müller, 2007
    • Herzstück by Müller, 2007
  • Translated the following into German, among other works:
    • Kleur is alles by Jan Decorte, 1985
    • Het Stuk-Stuk by Jan Decorte, 1986
    • In Ondertussendoor by Jan Decorte, 1987
    • Naar Vulvania by Jan Decorte, 1989
    • Meneer, de zot & tkint by Jan Decorte, 1992
    • Titus Andonderonikustmijnklote by Jan Decorte, 1993
    • Amlett by Jan Decorte for Schaubühne, 2002
    • Bêt noir by Jan Decorte for Ultima Vez, 2006
    • O Death by Jan Decorte for Münchner Kammerspiele, 2013
  • As from 1984 acted in all Jan Decorte’s productions:
    • Anatomie (1984)
    • Kleur is alles (1985)
    • In het kasteel (1985)
    • Op een avond (1986)
    • Het Stuk-Stuk (1986)
    • Macbeth-Party (1987)
    • In Ondertussendoor (1987)
    • Naar Vulvania (1989)
    • In het moeras (1990)
    • Meneer, de zot & tkint (1991)
    • Titus Andonderonikustmijnklote (1993)
    • Bloetwollefduivel (1994)
    • Bêt Noir (1999)
    • Marieslijk (2000)
    • Sasja danse (2000)
    • Amlett (2001)
    • «Betonliebe + Fleischkrieg» Medeia (2001)
    • Cirque Danton (2002)
    • Cannibali ! (2003)
    • Dieu& les esprits vivants (2005)
    • & et Burgaudine (2005)
    • Dido & Aeneas opera by Henry Purcell (2006)
    • Müller/Traktor (2007)
    • Wintervôgelchen (2008)
    • Bakchai (2010)
    • Tanzung (2010)
    • The Indian Queen opera by Henry Purcell (2011)
    • Liszt / O Death (2011)
    • Niks of Niks (2012)
    • Schiller/Tasten (2012)
    • O Death (2013)
    • Bloetwollefduivel sound-play + performance (2013)
    • Shylock (2013)
    • Much Dance (2014)
    • Geboeid/Prometheus (2015)
    • Ne Swarte (2016)
    • Stand Down (2017)
    • Hamlet 0.2 (2018)
    • Das Ende = The Beginning performance (Jan Decorte – Bloet Pukkelpop, 2019)
    • Body a.k.a. (2019)
    • Inondertussendoor staged lecture (2021)
    • BLOOD LTD by Bloet – Jamais je n’oublierai la mort (2021)
    • Folies à Deux performance (Volksroom Brussel 2022)
    • Burgaudine performance (Bye Bye Kaai – Kaaitheater 2022)
  • Acted in:
    • The fin comes a little bit earlier this siècle by Jan Fabre, 1998
    • Iedereen Beroemd film by Dominique Deruddere, 1999
    • Nagras by De Onderneming, 2000
    • Begijnenstraat by Het Toneelhuis, project in Antwerp prison, 2004
    • Blinde Liefde by the KVS, directed by Ruud Gielens & David Stosberg, 2006
    • Blitzkrieg short film by Colin Waeghe, 2008
    • Een gelukkige verjaardag by De Koe, 2009
    • Listen to your heart performance festival ‘Love at first sight’, Toneelhuis 2020
    • La Ronde dance performance  Boris Charmatz  Grand Palais – Parijs  and Europalia Brussels & Charleroi 2021
    • Harder-Better-Faster-Stronger concert movie, dance and choreographie 2021