Dear summer reader,

Your Beursschouwbrigade is about to start their summer nap – just a matter of sanity, common sense, fresh air and a healthy mind in a healthy body. But what does it mean to be healthy, anyway? And who gets to decide? After the summer we'll dive in together.

Those who wish can – at leisure – take a peek at our full fall programme. 

Till then x
B.

MUSIC
PERFORMANCE
FILM
EXPO
CONVERSATIONS

Who decides what it means to be well? And who determines what a healthy and valuable body should be? What makes a life meaningful, and how do we grieve loss? Can we see illness as a form of resistance?

In a society that often measures worth based on productivity, certain bodies are put aside as vulnerable, sick, or disposable. These bodies are labeled as deviant because they don’t fit the outdated standards of health and sanity established by a society that excludes many. How do individuals cope with these labels, burdened by racial, gender, and class biases? The focus programme 'get well soon' encourages us to view illness not just as a personal affliction, but as a reflection of systemic flaws and inequalities.

The program celebrates those who challenge the stigma of illness and reject the confines imposed by oppressive governing bodies. The idea of a 'perfect, healthy' body associated with power seeps through the cracks, highlighting the gritty reality and collective strength found in diverse communities.

This fall, beursschouwburg explores radical healing therapies, practices of self-defense and deviance, other forms of proximity, family and wellbeing, anti-ableist visions, tools of resistance and new conversations with the dead. Immerse yourself in a programme focusing on health, sickness, and thriving in a turbulent world.