Company Barbarie is a professional theatre collective consisting of seven women. All of them graduated at the RITS drama school in Brussels. After graduating, they decided to join their paths, while still continuing their individual trajectories as actresses.

In the course of the years, the “Barbaries” developed their own specific visual language. Visuality and humor are two important distinctive features that emerge in every production. In terms of content, the focus is on existing clichés and exposing prejudice.

The productions of the Barbaries expand the horizon of the spectator and makes cracks in existing prejudices. In a complex and rapidly changing world, everyone needs something to hold onto.

However, the danger of generalisation is always looming. The female warriors of Company Barbarie fight with all their charms against deeply rooted clichés that are often mistaken for truths. Their visual approach allows them to make the substance of their propositions tangible, without being pedantic, without claiming to know the ‘truth’. The Barbaries strongly believe in a purified visual language because it works in an associative way. It is open to interpretation and invites a nuanced, complex narrative. Images work in an associative way and go beyond black-and-white narratives.

Humor is also an important parameter for the work of the Barbaries and a valuable instrument to convey criticism. The mixture of humor and content and content from the gut feeling: that is Company Barbarie.

Company Barbarie works as a collective. Each their own opinion, each their own thing, but the seven of us together are much more than the sum of the parts.

Company Barbarie are: Ruth Beeckmans, Evelien Broekaert, Liesje De Backer, Karolien De Bleser, Amber Goethals, Lotte Vaes and Sarah Vangeel