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.