On Friday 28th of November, VHDG will organize a workshop about collectivity and dramaturgy in the visual arts, where we will dive into the challenges and opportunities that we encounter when working together, and the role that dramaturgy can have in group processes. The session will count with a series of presentations, including practical advice and hand-on exercises, facilitated by Koen Bartijn (Dramaturg and Artistic leader at VHDG) and Lola Diaz Cantoni (Artist facilitator and Project leader at VHDG).
Date: 28/11, 14:00 – 17:30hs
Location: dbieb Leeuwarden, Blokhuisplein 40, 8911 LJ Leeuwarden
Language: English
Limited spaces! Reserve yours by signing up by 26/11 via lola@vhdg.nl ~ for questions, feel free to reach out to us via the same address.
Whether you have experience working collectively or you haven’t experienced it yet, you are welcome!
About the facilitators:
Koen Bartijn is the Artistic Director of VHDG. With an academic background in dramaturgy, Koen has initiated several art collectives and supported artists in their artistic development both visual and performing arts. At VHDG, he curates and shapes the organisation’s artistic programme. He is also the chair of Platform BK, a national advocacy organisation dedicated to strengthening the social and economic position of art workers in the Netherlands
Lola Diaz Cantoni is an artist facilitator graduated from Academy Minerva in 2019, and is since 2025 project leader at VHDG. She is and has been part of a number of collectives and initiatives, where the common thread of interest is the sharing of knowledge, doings and responsibilities, on a horizontal level.
Part 1 — Working Together in the Arts
In this workshop we will dive into art production as a collective practice. How can we make an artwork together, and what are the challenges and benefits of doing so in relation to an individual practice? Making an artwork as a collective or assembly is very much a relational endeavour: getting everyone on board, sharing responsibilities, creating collective ownership, making decisions together, and aligning different artistic visions and ideas. We will reflect on what it means to collaborate, how to deal with conflicts and differences, and how collective creation can open up new artistic possibilities.
Part 2 — The Role of Dramaturgy in Collective Practice
In theatre, much of this relational work normally falls on the shoulders of the dramaturg. A dramaturg researches, develops, and supports the storytelling of a play or performance by providing context, historical background, and feedback to help the artistic team shape the work’s meaning and impact. They are often seen as the first spectator — someone who attends rehearsals to observe, reflect, and articulate what is being created, and what meanings emerge through artistic choices such as movement, voice, lighting, and set design. A dramaturg is also present to foster a shared understanding and align the visions of all collaborators — the director, actors, scenographer, composer, and others — so that the performance can truly become a unified work of art.
In visual art, there is no dramaturg. But this shouldn’t stop the visual artist or collective from doing the dramaturgical work. It can also be carried by the whole collective, where the entire artistic team collectively shapes the content they wish to communicate. This kind of permanent dramaturgy can be artistically fertile, as it brings together the knowledge, imagination, methods, and techniques of all collaborators. In this workshop, you will be introduced to the work of the dramaturg, and together we will explore and practice how dramaturgy could play a role in collective visual art making.
This program is part of the series of masterclasses De Praktijk als Kompas (Practice as Compass) organized by De Noordenaars. De Noordenaars is a network of visual arts venues, project spaces, and production houses in Drenthe, Groningen, and Friesland. Together, they organize the talent program Artist in Space and activities for visual artists to meet each other and art venues in the North and share knowledge. This program is made possible financially by the Mondriaan Fund, the Pictoright Fund, and We The North.
