A Magical Journey Through the Realm of the Soul
Singer and word artist Nynke Laverman draws you into wondrous worlds with her enchanting voice, always leaving you a little soul struck. Her latest performance, OAK, is a magical journey through the realm of the soul, where trees, animals, and stones share their stories. Through songs, spoken word, and storytelling, she and sound artist Sytze Pruiksma weave an intricate musical landscape—sometimes edgy and contemporary, sometimes echoing the spellbinding rhythm of an ancient ritual.
With OAK, Nynke continues the path she began with her previous performance Plant. Set within a dreamlike stage of analog video projections, she gently and humorously holds up a mirror to our Western worldview while simultaneously offering a new perspective on reality. The image of humankind as destroyer of the Earth cannot be the whole story. We are so much more.
Together with composer/musician Sytze Pruiksma, Nynke Laverman has been creating adventurous, atmospheric music with deeply poetic and meaningful texts for over 20 years. She blends her native Frisian language with English. After debuting with Frisian fados, she gained national and international acclaim for her unique artistry and soulful voice—described by The Independent as “a leaf-blown shimmer of a voice.”
In 2021, she released Plant, a haunting album praised by critics as hypnotic—like a musical film in which you lose yourself. The spoken word piece Your Ancestor traveled across the world, opening hearts, festivals, and conferences as a moving wake-up call.
Nynke finds inspiration in cultures that live in harmony with their surroundings, such as the Kazakh nomads in Mongolia, with whom she spent time. Their worldview, in which everything is interconnected, became a driving force in her work, fueling her exploration and questioning of the Western mindset.
Nynke: “Through my music, I hope to evoke a world in which people can better listen to themselves.”
This performance is part of SHIFT, an initiative by Explore the North and Stadsschouwburg De Harmonie.
SHIFT presents raw, honest, relevant, and disruptive performing arts. You come to SHIFT because you want to understand what’s happening—in your mind, in the world, with others, within yourself, on both a grand and intimate scale. It’s made for curious thinkers and critical dreamers.
Throughout the year, SHIFT presents must-see performances at diverse locations—outside the conventional theater paths. From spoken word to postmodern dance. From theatrical manifestos to poetic requiems. These are works by both emerging and established creators who speak to the present moment and the future.