Discover the program

During the opening of the third edition of the No Limits Festival, Gouden Kalf winner and actor Daan Buringa (Joe Speedboot) will talk about the importance of representation of people with disabilities in the cultural sector and society. The festival will also be opened by the culture warden, Lotte van Basten Batenburg.

How can we cope with sensory stimuli in a world that revolves around efficiency? With Content Warning: Less Stimulating, the mixed-ability group Speels Collectief sets out to find a place where people who are sensitive to sensory stimuli can also settle down and be present. Expect a gentle, fluffy world where you can be your very soft self: plenty of earplugs, eye masks within easy reach, blankets for everyone and, hopefully, a low-stimulation rave. There will be an online discussion with Lisa Jansen after the show.

Are you blind or visually impaired and would you like to take part in a touch tour of the performance? Book your ticket here. (opens in a new window)

Would you like more information about this performance? Click here (opens in a new window) or check out the trailer here (opens in a new window)

In the performance Lived Fiction, seven performers, with and without disabilities, share their own stories and experiences. They do so through dance, movement and spoken word. The performance consists of two parts. You’ll see solos, duets and group performances. Each artist demonstrates what dance and movement mean to them. You’ll also see how they experience life and the bond they share with one another. The performance is at times serious and moving, and at other times playful and funny. This allows the audience to witness the different ways in which people can experience dance and life.

Would you like more information about this performance? Click here (opens in a new window) or watch the trailer here (opens in a new window).

Are you blind or visually impaired and would you like to take part in a touch tour of the performance? If so, please book your ticket here (opens in a new window).

Would you like to know what to expect from the performance? Click here for the video (opens in a new window) and here readable pdfs (opens in a new window).

In collaboration with the Holland Dance Festival.

Deaf performance artist Boaz Blume has put together a programme featuring international deaf artists especially for the No Limits Festival! This programme can be viewed free of charge in the foyer of Theater aan het Spui between the evening performances.

Deaf performance artist Boaz Blume has put together a programme featuring international deaf artists especially for the No Limits Festival! This programme can be viewed free of charge in the foyer of Theater aan het Spui between the evening performances.

Networkingevent | The No Limits Festival has a large international network and is keen to share this with others. Together with DutchCulture, we are organising a networking drinks event for programmers, performers, creators and other professionals who wish to contribute to greater inclusion in the cultural sector. During the event, DutchCulture will facilitate opportunities to engage in conversation with various Dutch and international programmers, performers and creators. The No Limits Festival is inviting a delegation of international programmers from countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Spain. This is a great opportunity to expand your network and meet new potential partners.

Programme

14:30 - Doors are open

15:00 - 16:00 Pitches

16:15 - 16:25 Welcome

16:25 - 17:15 Network moment

17:15 - 18:15 Drinks & snacks

Pitches | Prior to the networkingevent, No Limits Festival is organising pitches by Dutch disabled professionals, specifically for (international) programmers, in collaboration with PodiumINC. PodiumINC will be present to give a short presentation on their online platform. This online platform provides an overview of the range of inclusive companies and artists with disabilities.

When purchasing your ticket, you can indicate that you would also like to attend the pitches (limited number of places).

Water’s gushing out, the power’s gone out, the gutter’s blocked and the pipes are bursting. Oh, what a mess – let’s just hope this all works out and the place doesn’t blow up!

Whether you’re handy or not, we need you; all hands on deck! We’re connecting pipes, gluing, sawing, drilling and laying pipes. And the pipes sound absolutely brilliant too! Together with the other DIY noises, they create amazing music that people dance to. It’s a joy to watch TINKER TALES at work!

You won’t want to miss this spectacle! A dance performance in which you play a part and won’t want to stop doing odd jobs. The DIY enthusiast is born!

And of course, the broken washing machine gets fixed, and at the end we create a huge chain reaction together with the audience. Come and experience it!

Would you like more information about this performance? Click here (opens in a new window)

The sound of shattering glass, a balloon popping or a piece of wood creaking. We all know what it sounds like when something breaks or shatters. But what does it sound like when something is saved from breaking?

In Zer-Brech-Lich, choreographer Alessandro Schiattarella and his ensemble create a musical theatre piece that explores the fragility and diversity of bodies. On stage, three performers with disabilities – Victoria Antonova, Alice Giuliani and Laila White – explore their own identities and those of others through dance, text, sounds, objects and original songs written especially for the piece by the Swiss artist Gina ÉTÉ.

Zer-Brech-Lich asks how coming to terms with one’s own fragility can become a political message that sparks new sensory experiences.

After the performance, there will be a discussion with Irene van Zeeland (Holland Dance Festival) and Zer-Brech-Lich choreographer Alessandro Schiattarella.

Would you like more information about this performance? Click here (opens in a new window) or watch the trailer here (opens in a new window)

Eva Eikhout is an inspiring woman who, despite her physical disability, lives her life with energy, humour and perseverance. In her theatre talk, she shares her story in a light-hearted way, without any sense of gloom. As a programme maker and presenter, she knows how to tackle life’s toughest challenges with humour.

The show, written and directed by Menno Stam (known for Last One Laughing), combines cabaret-style timing with audience interaction. It offers a humorous perspective on Eva Eikhout’s story.

Eva talks about her life and the challenges she faces, with plenty of self-deprecating humour. Her story is about finding yourself, even when the world isn’t made for you, and living the life you want. All this is wrapped up in an energetic and cheerful performance. Eva shows that you don’t have to beat the world to beat yourself.

Would you like more information about this performance? Click here (opens in a new window)

Would you like to order wheelchairtickets? Click here (opens in a new window)

Watch these impressive short films from the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain and France. Each short film offers an intriguing and honest glimpse into lives we may not yet be familiar with. These award-winning short films, including an Oscar shortlist nomination for Beyond Silence, are sure to leave a lasting impression. Following the screening, there will be a brief Q&A with actress Henrianne Jansen from Beyond Silence and deaf perfomer Boaz Blume of Dreaming Hands.

Films: Beyond Silence (NL), De Sucre (SP), Noise: Unwanted sound (NL/KR), Les Chaussures Rouges (FR)

Deaf performance artist Boaz Blume has put together a programme featuring international deaf artists especially for the No Limits Festival! This programme can be viewed free of charge in the foyer of Theater aan het Spui between the evening performances.

Deaf performance artist Boaz Blume has put together a programme featuring international deaf artists especially for the No Limits Festival! This programme can be viewed free of charge in the foyer of Theater aan het Spui between the evening performances.

Building on the experiences of Stopgap’s ‘Lived Fiction’, we will share a series of practical and reflective exercises during this session that introduce co-creative approaches to audiodescription for dance and theatre. Shifting the focus away from sight, we will explore how text, sound and touch can enhance the sensory experience of dance and theatre for audiences. At Stopgap, audio description is considered an integral part of the creative process, not something that is added on afterwards, and it forms an essential element of the esthetics of accessibility.

We will discuss ways in which it can be integrated into performances and how it influences the choreography. The session will be led by audiodescriber and Stopgap’s Access Artist Lily Norton, supported by Senior Dance Artist Christian Brinklow and dance artist Monique Dior Jarrett. This session is suitable for dancers, performers, creators and audiodescriptors from a variety of backgrounds. No prior experience of audiodescription or dance is necessary to participate.

Photographer: Chris Parkes.

Lucy Bennett (opens in a new window) (Stopgap’s Co-Artistic Director and choreographer) and dancers from Lived Fiction Nadenh Poan (opens in a new window) and Jannick Moth (opens in a new window), will guide you through an engaging, hands-on exploration of Stopgap’s Equitable Dance Practice. Through a blend of practical exercises, creative tasks, and demonstrations, you'll refresh your knowledge of inclusive dance principles before diving deeper into a choreographic approach that focuses on the access considerations of both dancers and audiences as a source of creativity.

Alongside the practical elements will be time for open discussion and questions, for you to reflect, share experiences, and seek guidance tailored to your specific contexts.

This workshop is ideal for those with experience in Inclusive Dance Practice, looking to take their teaching to the next level.

Photography by Chris Parkes. We are organising this masterclass in collaboration with the Holland Dance Festival.

Eight young creators and actors are developing their own artistic ideas as part of the WILD LAM coaching programme. Following their collaborative series Handicapable (opens in a new window), they are presenting their first solo works in *Wij Zijn Hier!*. From stand-up comedy and music to short films and experiential theatre: in a series of short showcases, you’ll discover a new generation of creators and their work in progress.

Wij Zijn Hier! is part of the WILD LAM (opens in a new window) coaching programme.

Networking drinks Following Wij Zijn Hier!, WILD LAM will bring together professionals from the film, television, theatre and cultural sectors with the eight creators. Meet new talent, make contacts and discover opportunities for collaboration. The networking and the pitches are made possible in part by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW).