The documentary and polyphonic work of young theatre-makers Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere is based on concrete social, political and ecological situations, events or places that reflect broader global themes. What characterises the duo is how they carry out their research – by means of scientific examination, interviews and fieldwork.

Silke Huysmans completed the drama programme at the KASK School of Arts in Ghent in 2013. Hannes Dereere obtained his degree in theatre studies at Ghent University. Since then, each work has further advanced their strong interest in the documentary parameters of theatre.

Their first piece, ›Mining Stories‹ (2016), explored the impact of a recent mining disaster in the south of Brazil, the region where Huysmans grew up. Huysmans and Dereere used field recordings to collect witness accounts and brought those together on stage. It resulted in a theatrical polyphonic analysis of the destruction caused by the disaster. Their second piece ›Pleasant Island‹ is presented at PACT in the framework of IMPACT19.