DOX was founded in 1997. It is a youth theatre company based in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Under artistic leadership of Hildegard Draaijer, young, ambitious and talented actors/dancers aged 18 to 25 work on physical theatre productions. These young performers from diverse cultural and social backgrounds, stay with DOX for a year in which they participate (fulltime or part-time) in the training programme ‘DOX Works!’ They are educated by trainers from theatre and dance schools and by professional directors and choreographers. Yearly, DOX produces two shows with these young people which tour through The Netherlands and abroad. The ‘DOX-ers’ also learn how to teach their skills to other young people (through peer education). The DOX style is best described as physical theatre with a mix of different theatre and dance forms. The shows are poetic as well as confrontational and deal with present-day themes. With these shows DOX appeals especially to large audiences of young people (12+), but not exclusively.
In 2005, Dox made a short theatre performance with five young refugees, commissioned by the Foundation to Encourage Happiness. This show, ‘It Depends On How You Look at It’, formed part of the festival ‘Barbies and Bombs’ and subsequently successfully toured various refugee camps in the Netherlands. It was directed and choreographed by Jeanine Coco en Carole van Ditzhuyzen and was also performed as part of the CAL’s ‘Art in my backyard’ festival.
