During the lockdown in 2020, we felt the need of getting more in touch with each other. That’s why we organised an unconventional dating program together with the Drag Up Family and art initiative Ongekend. The program, called IN DE (S)MAAK, challenges existing dating conventions.
Eight people from the art, drag and queer scene reacted on an open call. They were paired up and went on a total five dates. Online of offline, depending on the measures. We gave them challenges, like using drag as a method to not be yourself, or only communicate non-verbally. Those dates served as preparations for the last date, which we filmed in De Bossche Brouwers, a bar in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
We turned the dates into a miniseries on Youtube. Here you see how the life of Emmie and Sophie’s gotten too busy, so they sent two objects on a date. Also Mart and Anouk did not feel the need to make contact with each other. They each ended up going on a date with themselves. Henk and Lidwien connected in what eventually became a working relationship and made an absurdist performance in which they rigorously dealt with classic male-female relationships. Roos and Dakota embraced the weirdness of everyday life and conversed as if they were chatting with each other.
Curious? Check it out NOW!
To celebrate the weirdness of IN DE (S)MAAK we displayed the miniseries at different events. The movies became part of All Too Human Festival in De Nieuwe Vorst in Tilburg, which we framed as the pre-première. Of course we combined this with a drag up, where people could get ready for the pink carpet!
The big première took place in Verkadefabriek ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Dakota Mokhammad started the evening with a performance and between the screenings the participants told something about their process. We closed with a small party with the tunes of Miss Fiasco. Read here an article by spoken word artist Eef van den Boom about the impact of the miniseries on her life.
Curious about the show? Check out all the videos on our Youtube channel!
