Maarten Heijnens

Maarten Heijnens (b. 1996) graduated in 2019 from the Performance program at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts and has since created work at the intersection of performing and visual arts. After his studies, he worked intensively for three years with Anthony van Gog, with whom he created Breathing Piece (2019) and Heartscore (2021).

In 2024, he graduated from DAS Theatre (MA), focusing on designing spaces that invite audiences to reflect on social codes, our so-called “etiquette” for interaction. His work references everyday situations — such as a meeting — and uses the theatrical context to examine them under a magnifying glass. By estranging the familiar or ordinary, he seeks to create room for wonder and reflection on social situations we often experience without thinking.

Since 2024, he has been part of Platform Nexus and serves as an artistic researcher at Studio Dries Verhoeven. As a performer, he has appeared in works by Romeo Castellucci / Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio, Studio Dries Verhoeven, URLAND, The Airport Society (in collaboration with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen), Lara van Hoof, and Sabine Pendry.