Organised and moderated by: Ruth Benschop
First meeting: January 13, 2026, 15:00 – 17:00
Location: MERIAN art-science lab, University College Maastricht (UCM) Heksenstraat 8, Maastricht
The program line Oefenen Oefenen (pronounced as: [ˈufənə(n) ˈufənə(n)] asks questions about how in artistic (research) practices we rehearse, and what it means to learn to do so. Oefenen Oefenen is interested in a large variety of rehearsal practices such as the learning of lines, sketching or drafting, choir rehearsals, on-site run-throughs, etcetera, but also open try-outs, making-of documentaries or staged behind the scenes processes. To support and contextualize research into practices of practicing, exercising, probing, rehearsing etcetera, I am starting an offline reading group to which you are invited.
Before each meeting, participants will prepare by reading one or two texts (that I will share beforehand, if possible) that engage with the (broadly conceived) topic of Oefenen Oefenen. These texts may for example include academic analyses of or philosophical reflections on the rehearsal as a genre, historical or sociological contextualisations of practices of practicing, fictional evocations or how-to manuals or guides. During the reading group meeting we will then discuss the texts we have all read. You are very welcome if you have an interest in the topic, either practically or theoretically. Everyone is welcome: artists and artistic researchers of all disciplines, teachers and students in the arts, students and scholars of the arts or of rehearsal practices and any interested others.
For this first meeting, please sign up no later than Wednesday January 7th to ensure your place (max 10 participants) and to receive the texts for the meeting by sending an email to ruth.benschop@zuyd.nl. Also, for more information, reach out to me via email. Note that you can attend the meetings regularly or occasionally and that the session will proceed with a minimum of 2 participants. The meetings will be in Dutch or English, depending on participants’ preferred language and we will incorporate active translation practices depending on available expertise and requirement.
