Bianca van der Schoot
Bianca van der Schoot (Eindhoven, 1973) is a Dutch theatre maker, performer and actress, known for her experimental and visual approach to theatre. She graduated from the Mime Opleiding in Amsterdam in 1999 and has formed the artist duo Boogaerdt/VanderSchoot with Suzan Boogaerdt since 2000. Their work is at the
intersection of performance art, theatre and visual art, exploring themes such as the influence of visual culture and technology on human beings. Through a gender-sensitive lens, BVDS explores how different realities, whether virtual or dream worlds, interface with the human user.
In season 24/25 she directs the ITA Ensemble in Time for Joy.
In their early work, such as the Visual Statements series (2011-2014), they focused on the impact of spectacle society and the representation of the female body. Performances such as Bimbo and Hideous (Wo)men confronted audiences with the alienation by media and the sexualisation of women. In 2015, Van der Schoot was appointed artistic director of Ro Theatre, but she resigned this position in 2016 when the company merged into Theater Rotterdam. However, she remained active as a creator and member of the artistic team.
They later developed projects such as Future Fossils and Rooms for Transformation, a series of installative and performative works, in which the audience was invited to experience of collective peace and introspection through sleep rituals and sound performances. The most recent work is the musical video installation SONGOFSONGS (2024); a queer, eco-feminist narration of the Song of Songs based on the idea that (ecological) activism can start with paying attention to that which you love.
-|-In addition to their work in theatre, BVDS also presented their first exhibition in 2022, Travelling Without Moving at TENT Rotterdam, and in 2024 the exhibition WOMBTOMBS at MU Hybrid Art House in Eindhoven.
In addition to her work at Boogaerdt/VanderSchoot, Van der Schoot has regularly been involved as a director and consultant with other companies, such as De Warme Winkel and Toneelgroep Oostpool. In 2024, for instance, she directed the play Myrthe Siebenga zoekt een kamer at De Warme Winkel. Her multidisciplinary approach and focus on physical transformation make her a unique voice in the contemporary theatre landscape.
Photo © Annaleen Louwes