dekapers
Playing without limits is what dekapers excel at. They are children and young people who, every Wednesday for a year, discover and explore the world of the performing arts together at hetpaleis. They draw inspiration from the productions of hetpaleis, current affairs, the theatre repertoire and their own lives. Professional theatre-makers guide them in this process using various theatre styles.
No theatre experience is necessary, but curiosity and a desire to play and create with fellow dekapers are essential. A dekapers year consists of two parts. From September until the Christmas holidays, they explore different aspects of theatre. After the Christmas holidays, they work with their group on a full-scale performance. The Easter holidays = showtime!
‘hetpaleis has a workshop tradition stretching back more than 30 years. dekapers are a natural part of this. We deliberately work with small groups and believe it’s important that children and young people feel at home and are part of hetpaleis.
As we want to give everyone an equal opportunity, we use a lottery system. The registration period for the 26–27 season has now closed. You can sign up for the waiting list at the bottom of this page.
We are maintaining the current number of groups and hope, in this way, to see as many children and young people as possible progress through their Dekapers programme.
Practical information
dekapers S – you’ll be in Year 3 or Year 4 next school year
dekapers M – you’ll be in Year 5 or Year 6 next school year
dekapers L – you’ll be in Year 7 or Year 8 next school year
dekapers XL – you’ll be in Year 10, Year 11, Year 12 or Year 13 next school year
When?
dekapers S + M
Every Wednesday from 2 pm to 4 pm
16, 23, 30 September
7, 14, 21, 28 October
18, 25 November
6, 13, 20, 27 January
3, 17, 24 February
3, 10, 17, 24 March
14 April
workshop week during the Easter holidays
Tuesday 30 March to Saturday 3 April (day of the performance)
dekapers L + XL
every Wednesday from 6 pm to 8 pm
16, 23, 30 September
7, 14, 21, 28 October
18, 25 November
6, 13, 20, 27 January
3, 17, 24 February
3, 10, 17, 24 March
14 April
workshop week during the Easter holidays
from Monday 5 April to Saturday 10 April (day of the performance)
prices
€390 | €78 for those entitled to an increased subsidy or the reduced rate
good to know
- general terms and conditions for the workshop
- complaints procedure
- rules for dekapers:
- Limited number of participants: everyone is seen and heard during the workshop.
- Commitment and punctuality: acting and creating theatre isn’t something you do alone, but as a group. Keep your diary free and always arrive on time so that we can start together and you don’t miss anything.
- Participants’ attendance is recorded. If a participant is frequently absent, their parents or carers will be contacted.
- Practical enquiries regarding registration and payments can be made at reception or via info@hetpaleis.be.
- For questions about the content of the workshop, please contact the members of the artistic-educational team or the workshop leaders via educatie@hetpaleis.be. They’ll also be on hand before and after the workshop and are easy to approach.
- Is something bothering you? Do you need someone to talk to? Are you feeling uncomfortable in the group? hetpaleis has several Integrity Contact Points (ICPs) you can turn to. An ICP will listen and work with you to see how the situation can be addressed. For dekapers, that person is Brechtje.
- Zero tolerance for (cyber)bullying. Any form of bullying is unacceptable. You can’t solve bullying on your own. You have to tackle it together, right where the bullying is happening. That’s why it’s important to confide in someone. There’s always someone at hetpaleis ready to listen.
- Each workshop series follows a set pattern of evaluation, change and growth. At the end of the workshop series, participants (and their parents) are given an evaluation form. Any concerns raised are followed up.
