Sonne Pol

As an artist-educator, I am at my strongest when I am receptive whether the setting is social-civic, educational, or artistic. In all these environments, I value remaining open to the people with whom I share time and space.

Whether teaching or engaged in a creative process, I enjoy working in an interdisciplinary way; you might find me with a drill in hand and sawdust in my hair, but also fiddling with needle and thread, hunched over a text, or running, wriggling, jumping, and shaking around a room.

But across all those disciplines, I feel the strongest connection to everything visual design and movement. I love conveying as much as possible without words, and letting players experience something rather than simply being told about it.

As an artist-educator, I feel like a jack-of-all-trades; I possess a wide range of skills and work across various areas, yet there is a strong framework holding it all together.

What inspires me
So much happens with people—within themselves, between one another, and in response to the world. My creative process begins with observing people. I am fascinated by the friction points in human connection and development—the moments where things fail to work or come to a standstill. I aim to make those underlying tensions—those instances of failure or stagnation—tangible through physical and visual theatrical work. I explore how a (physical) experience translates into a space or image, and conversely, how a space or image can evoke a (physical) experience.

What is my ambition or vision for the future?
My interest in the field is still broad.

I feel a strong urge to further explore and develop my artistic side. I think it would be amazing to develop my skills as a director through programs for young creators after completing my training. I might even want to pursue a master’s degree in theatre design. And, secretly, I have a goal: to present a show or performance at the Zéro Festival in about five years’ time

Furthermore, while creating my performance, I’ve noticed that I am deeply drawn to the subject of trauma. From an artistic standpoint, there is great power in poetically revealing something that lies beneath the surface something invisible and making that intangible quality tangible for an audience.

On the other hand, I believe there is great potential in facilitating participatory art with participants who are directly or indirectly affected by trauma. I dipped my toes into this during an exchange in Belfast, where I guided people of various ages through a ‘body mapping’ process. I would like to further explore and develop this approach, as well as other methods where people create art with, because of, or despite their traumas.

I am also deeply invested in the development of others. I derive great pleasure from observing a classmate’s rehearsal, participating in an audition, or simply catching up with everyone during breaks. I certainly want to channel that engagement into my future career, whether as a director or an arts educator. I also wouldn't rule out eventually moving into a role as a student care coordinator at a university of applied sciences or a secondary school.

What will you be showing during the finals?
During the finals, I will be presenting my performance *DESONDANKSZIJ*.

How do you deal with pain that defies understanding—pain that seeps down from one generation to the next? This core question gave rise to the performance *DESONDANKSZIJ*. It is a piece of physical theatre exploring the culture of silence and the taboos surrounding sex and intimacy within the ‘safe’ confines of a family.

The performance reveals coping mechanisms—ways of dealing with a distressing event—and how, over time, these can take on a life and a pain of their own, felt by the next generation. And so, the transmission of pain continues as time goes on. I sought to make that invisible, subcutaneous element visible through the performance and the costumes. At a time when everyone and their mother is talking about intergenerational trauma, I looked for a way to translate that theme that transcends language and terminology.

Internships:

- Theater instructor at Leyden Academy for the Generatie Mixer project (February–April 2026)

- Assistant director at De Toneelschuur in Haarlem, under the direction of Koen Verheijden (August–October 2026)