Hier gebeurt niets

Sam Verhaeren received a grant for the development of new work. In the physical performance Hier gebeurt niets, Sam, in collaboration with Jantien Fick, explores how boredom can turn into destructive impulses. Sam grew up in a small village, where occasional, inexplicable outbursts of violence occurred: a boy filming himself running over dozens of chickens or someone crashing into the village café. Sam, too, was not immune to this behavior. Looking back, he increasingly sees the connection between boredom and sudden acts of violence. In this wordless performance, Sam and Jantien confront the sense of hopelessness by actively seeking out danger.

Sam Verhaeren is a physical performer and theater maker working at the intersection of theater, performance, and circus. Since graduating from the Amsterdam University of the Arts (2022), he has moved between these disciplines: he performed in the circus production Knock Knock Who’s There by Boost Producties, appeared at De Parade with Ik ga niet voor je liegen, and was part of Jantien Fick’s improvisational performance Fuzzy Logic at Oerol. As a creator, he further developed his practice during two in-depth residencies. At the Verkadefabriek, he explored the ceaseless movement of life in a vat of cornstarch, and at Podium Bloos, he and Jantien researched the impact of danger. In his work, he uses physical risks to heighten the senses and make the unpredictability of life tangible.