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Arnhems Stadsatelier

'Create in Arnhem'

Arnhems Stadsatelier is a brand-new collaboration between four cultural organizations in Arnhem: Theater a/d Rijn, Plaatsmaken, ArtEZ, and The Hub. Five artists are given the space and opportunity to conduct artistic research in various locations across Arnhem in the coming months and share their work with the city's residents, students, and each other. The program encourages unique collaborations between people and organizations in Arnhem and breaks artistic boundaries through cross-disciplinary and innovative research.

Social theater by Abhishek Thapar turns the spotlight on invisible kitchen workers in the hospitality industry. Lacuna Kitchen is a community arts project where theater, gastronomy, community-building, and social activism come together in a long-term research process and a performance that engages both the intellect and the heart.

Additionally, four emerging creators—Ro Smit, Mel Kikkert, Levi Overvest, and Charlotte Gillain—are conducting their research at Plaatsmaken and Theater a/d Rijn, taking their first steps into the cultural field. Their work touches on social themes and is characterized by diverse analog and digital art forms, exploring new ways to experience art.

Arnhems Stadsatelier is made possible with support from the municipality of Arnhem.

Sharing Experiences, Methods, and Research

Creating art across different domains requires diverse approaches. A key principle of Arnhems Stadsatelier is to share the research, experiences, and methods that precede the final works. In addition to public events, the research will be documented through various (online) publications, videos, photo reports, and interviews with the artists, conducted by curator, art journalist, lecturer, and moderator Lieneke Hulshof. Post-show discussions will be organized with audiences and participants.

Abhishek Thapar will involve ArtEZ students in his research on social-artistic work and his documentary-style approach to storytelling. The Hub will develop programs centered around sharing artistic research.

Why Arnhems Stadsatelier?

The four partner organizations believe in giving a new generation of makers the space to experiment with new forms of art across various disciplines. With this initiative, they highlight Arnhem as a city where makers can continue to develop their craft, even after completing a creative or artistic education. The artistic research at Arnhems Stadsatelier delves into audience engagement, reaching those who do not naturally encounter art, and fostering cross-disciplinary work.

The pilot edition of Arnhems Stadsatelier runs from September 2024 to February 2025. Create in Arnhem!

Want to participate in a project? Sign up via fleur@residentiesarnhem.nl

Follow the latest updates on Instagram: @arnhems_stadsatelier

The Indian-Dutch theater maker and storyteller Abhishek Thapar creates visually striking and intimate performances that blur the line between documentary and fiction. He intertwines personal narratives with major global themes.

Now settling in Arnhem for his latest project, Lacuna Kitchen, Thapar will premiere this work at Theater a/d Rijn in April 2025. It is neither an ordinary restaurant, a traditional theater production, nor a typical community project, but rather a fusion—where the kitchen becomes a stage for transformation.

Lacuna Kitchen creates a space where the stories of others—particularly those of kitchen workers with a migration background—are brought to light. Through shared experiences of food and storytelling, Abhishek Thapar aims to build cultural and emotional bridges, fostering deep understanding and healing.

During the research phase, audiences will have the opportunity to join Kitchen Telling Events, where these stories come to life.

Learn more about Abhishek Thapar’s project here.

Graduated in 2023 (BEAR ArtEZ), Ro Smit invites the audience to participate in workshops that culminate in a collective exhibition, focusing on memories and their loss. He explores how objects gain meaning through memories and conducts research on screen printing techniques at Plaatsmaken.

Learn more about Ro Smit’s project here.

Graduated in 2023 (BEAR ArtEZ), Levi Overvest ventures into Klarendal, gathering topics through a democratic voting process that reflect the concerns of young residents in Arnhem. These themes serve as inspiration for new work, which he will create at Plaatsmaken. Levi is researching screen printing on ceramics. The resulting artworks will be exhibited in public spaces in Klarendal and at Plaatsmaken.

Learn more about Levi Overvest’s project here.

Graduated in 2023 (Creative Writing ArtEZ), Mel Kikkert is fascinated by the internet and its inhabitants, exploring interpretations of this world. They push the boundaries between the virtual and the physical realms. Topics such as role-playing and the distance between fantasy and reality are central to their work. At Theater a/d Rijn, Mel is investigating theater as a medium and creating new work through words, images, and digital tools.

Graduated in 2021 (Mime Training AHK), Charlotte Gillain works from the body and seeks to make the way our brain stores memories tangible. Together with designer Zak Lennard, they explore the physical experience of remembering and visualize this inner world through digital design.