Jetse Batelaan

Jetse Batelaan has been the artistic director of Theater Artemis since 2013. He graduated in 2003 from the directing program at the Academy of Theater and Dance in Amsterdam. Even while still a student, he created striking, almost wordless performances with rather long titles. After graduating, he began working at the Gasthuis Theater in Amsterdam. Meanwhile, he created his first children’s theater production with Theatergroep MAX. From 2009 through 2012, Jetse served as a resident director at the Ro Theater.

At Theater Artemis, he works in the most radical way possible to build a company that pushes boundaries and thereby opens up new spaces. Jetse Batelaan has received numerous prizes and honors for his work. For example, in 2019 he received the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale, and in 2021 he was awarded the ITI Award in Düsseldorf. On March 31, 2022, Jetse Batelaan became a member of the Academy of Arts. In September 2026, he received the directing award (regieprijs 2026) at het Nederlands Theater Festival.

“Batelaan strips everyday actions down to their bare essence while simultaneously imbuing them with a dreamlike absurdity. His productions are a marvelous blend of minimalism and variety.” Marijn van der Jagt, Vrij Nederland

“To me, Jetse is the most important theater director we have in the Netherlands. I’ve known him since our days at the Amsterdam Theater School. Twenty-five years ago, we created Echte vrouwen joggen in regenpak, een avontuur, together there. Ever since his very first school production, I’ve been amazed by his unique way of thinking and creating. His absurd, disruptive work makes me fall out of my seat laughing (yes, literally), often brings me to tears and sends shivers down my spine—and yet, time and again, it gives me a glimmer of hope for that little creature called humanity.” Elien Van Den Hoek, regieprijs 2026