Blog – Theater Education Program

TEP@Bonaire Research Week

TEP@Bonaire kicked off with a research week from October 20–24, 2025. During this week, a workshop was held with professionals from Bonaire to explore how art and culture can support citizenship education in elementary schools. The workshop was led by a theater instructor from the Netherlands and Curaçao and concluded with a theatrical performance. In addition, dialogue sessions were held with government officials from the education and culture sectors and professionals from the social and cultural fields. The week was organized in collaboration with Artculture Education Bonaire and Cultuurcoach Bonaire.

By Dennis Meyer|2026-05-21T15:01:16+02:0021/05/2026|TEP@Bonaire|0 Comments

TEP@Aruba Research Week

TEP@Aruba kicked off with a research week from October 12 through 18, 2025, in collaboration with Fundacion Arte Pro Arte. This week focused on three main areas:
a neighborhood theater workshop, discussions with government agencies and educational institutions, and the first in-person meeting of the design team for the new regional
theater teacher training program.

During the workshop, theater professionals, teachers, and social workers from Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and St. Eustatius on how theater can contribute to stronger neighborhoods and greater social cohesion. Under the guidance of experienced creators from Aruba, Colombia, Curaçao, and the Netherlands, participants learned how to work with local residents to collect, develop, and present stories from the neighborhood. Personal experiences, local history, and current issues were developed into theatrical scenes and presentations.

In addition, discussions were held with representatives from the government and the education sector regarding the importance of theater education for Aruba’s cultural and social development. At the same time, the design team continued to work on developing a regional, part-time associate degree program in theater education as part of the Theatre Education Program.

By Dennis Meyer|2026-05-21T14:59:52+02:0021/05/2026|TEP@Aruba|0 Comments

TEP@Suriname – Research Week

TEP@Suriname will take place in October 2026: an inspiring and intensive week of exploration where theater, education, and society come together. The Theater Education Platform (TEP) brings together professionals from Suriname, the Caribbean, and the Netherlands around a shared ambition: to strengthen theater education and build a sustainable cultural future. Suriname offers a unique context. In this rich, multicultural society, theater has played a crucial role for generations in telling stories, passing on cultural heritage, and bringing people together. From Anansi tales to modern performing arts: here, theater is not a luxury, but an essential tool for identity formation and social dialogue. That is precisely why this research week focuses on an urgent and promising question: how can theater contribute to nation-building and the strengthening of a shared, diverse identity?
During this week, knowledge is not only shared but, above all, developed in practice. In intensive workshops, experienced theater makers and educators collaborate with professionals from the field to develop new forms of theater education rooted in Surinamese reality. At the same time, efforts are being made to strengthen cultural entrepreneurship: how do ideas grow into sustainable projects, how is employment created, and how can the cultural sector become more effective?
Roundtable discussions bring together education, culture, and policy to take structural steps toward a regional, accelerated higher professional education (HBO) program in Theater Education. This program must be accessible to a new generation of creators and teachers, and contribute to a strong cultural infrastructure in the region. TEP@Suriname is thus more than a research week. It is a collective movement where past, present, and future converge. Een uitnodiging om te bouwen aan een samenleving waarin verhalen verbinden, verschillen worden gevierd en theater een motor is voor ontwikkeling, identiteit en verandering.

By Dennis Meyer|2026-05-28T11:06:15+02:0005/05/2026|TEP@Suriname|0 Comments

TEP@Curaçao – Research Week

In May 2026, we will launch TEP@Curaçao: an intensive week of research that brings together theater, education, and cultural entrepreneurship. The Theatre Education Platform (TEP) brings together creators, educators, schools, policymakers, and international partners to address one pressing question: How can we build a sustainable future for theater education and the cultural sector in the Caribbean and Suriname?
The context of Curaçao is at the heart of this week. Drawing on the rich local traditions of storytelling, music, and community art, we are developing new forms of education and collaboration. In a multilingual society, where people switch between languages and worlds on a daily basis, theater offers a unique space for expression, identity formation, and connection. At the same time, the need is urgent: there is a chronic shortage of trained theater teachers and a fragile cultural production chain in which talent does not always have the opportunity to flourish.
During this research week, we will not only talk, but above all, take action. In practical workshops, theater professionals, teachers, and young people work together to develop new forms of theater education rooted in the Curaçaoan context. At the same time, creators and producers are developing concrete plans for cultural productions—from concept to presentation—through an intensive process. Co-creation, learning by doing, and connecting local knowledge with international expertise are central to our approach.

This week is more than just a snapshot; it is a building block for a broader movement. The proceeds will serve as the foundation for a regional, accelerated associate degree program in Theater Education and for a stronger, more sustainable cultural ecosystem in which education, creators, and policy reinforce one another.
TEP@Curaçao is thus an invitation: to build, explore, and create together. Not based on shortcomings, but on potential. Not about the region, but with the region. This is where the future of theater education is taking shape.

By Dennis Meyer|2026-05-28T11:07:07+02:0005/05/2026|TEP@Curaçao|0 Comments