JULIAN HETZEL
Julian Hetzel is the founder and the artistic director of Studio Julian Hetzel, a creative laboratory for international performing arts based in Utrecht (NL). Hetzel creates performative experiences for theatres and galleries that have a political dimension and a documentary approach. His works haa been produced and presented internationally.
Julian Hetzel was born in the Black Forest and is currently based in Amsterdam. He studied at the Bauhaus University Weimar and at DasArts Amsterdam. Hetzel is a founding member of the German electro-pop band Pentatones. Hetzel was an associated artist at SPRING Performing Arts Festival Utrecht and at Frascati Amsterdam. In 2017, The Automated Sniper received the VSCD-Mimeprijs. Since 2016, Hetzel has been working in close collaboration with the Gent based art centre CAMPO and Schauspiel Leipzig/Residenz. Hetzel was invited to present three works at the Venice Biennale Teatro in 2019. All Inclusive (2018) and Mount Average (2020) have been selected for the Nederlands Theaterfestival (2019, 2021). The performance installation SELF has been selected as the Dutch national entry at the Prague Quadrennial in 2019. Three works of Studio Julian Hetzel were selected for the Impulse Theatre Festival (2018, 2019, 2024). In 2024, two productions by Studio Julian Hetzel were selected for the Dutch Theater Festival: Diarrhea is My Favorite Color (in collaboration with Theater Artemis) and SPAfrica (in collaboration with Ntando Cele). Diarrhea is My Favorite Color was nominated for the VSCD Mime/Performance Award 2024, and Willemijn Zevenhuijzen won the Golden Cricket 2024 for the most impressive stage performance in youth theatre for her role in this production. Finally, SPAfrica won the directing award for the most impressive direction of 2024.
Since 2021, Studio Julian Hetzel has received structural funding from the city of Utrecht and the Fonds Podium Kunsten.
Hetzel works as a mentor for various institutions, such as:
DAS Theater Amsterdam (NL), DAMU Prague (CZ), La Sapienza (IT), Norwegian Theatre Academy Frederikstadt (NOR), Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
(BE), KASK Gent (BE), University of Utrecht (NL), HKU Utrecht (NL), Minerva Art Academy Groningen (NL), Bauhaus University Weimar (DE), University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt (DE), Burg Giebichenstein Halle (DE), University of Tehran (IRN), FONDO (IT), PAN PAN Mentorship (IRL).
Selection of presentations: Venice Biennale del Teatro (IT), Wiener Festwochen (AU), Steirischer Herbst Graz (AU), Santarcangelo Festival (IT), Spielart-Festival Munich (DE), Impulse Theater Festival (DE), Theater der Welt Mannheim (DE), Adelaide Festival (AU), MMCA Seoul (KR), Espacios Revelados Buenos Aires (ARG), Quadrennial Prague (CZ), Kaai Theater Brussels (BE), STARY Teatr Krakow (PL), NOVY Teatr Warsaw (PL), Malta Festival Poznan (PL), Tampere Festival (FIN), Biennale Bern (CH), Belluard Festival Fribourg (CH), AuaWirLeben Bern (CH), Festival Theaterformen Hannover (DE), Brut Vienna (AT), Saal Biennale Tallinn (EST), Actoral Marseille (FR), 104 Paris (FR), Next Festival (FR), National Theatre Riga (LV), Lliure Barcelone (ES), Teatro Municipal do Porto (PT), Nederlands Theaterfestival (NL), Het Theaterfestival (BE), Vooruit Gent (BE), SPRING Utrecht (NL), Noorderzon Groningen (NL), Festival Boulevard Den Bosch (NL), Dutch Design Week Eindhoven (NL), Transform Festival Leeds (UK), Dublin Theatre Festival (IRL).
