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‘It’s not that I consciously chose this profession, I gradually fell into it. While studying sociology, I volunteered at a community center and used puppetry at a summer camp. I then attended a workshop with a famous puppeteer who advised me to do an internship in Bulgaria. There, then on the other side of the Iron Curtain, I had my first encounter with professional puppet theater some 35 years ago. I thought: this is more versatile than teaching social studies.
“I now give performances and workshops at various locations – from theaters to living rooms, care centers and TBS clinics – and I travel all over the world as a representative of the Dutch Puppetry Association. I have already been to Australia, Cuba, Iran and China. Around the world, puppetry is mainly seen as appropriate for children, but in some countries, adult puppetry is sometimes used to indirectly comment on society.
“I often get the question whether I can live on this and I have to admit that it is not a fat pot. In addition to teaching civics and puppetry, I worked part-time in a call center for ten years to make ends meet. But after a fall of the stairs and because of corona, my income is now supplemented with social assistance. I don’t mind, I will retire in fourteen months and then I will receive about 300 euros per month in addition to my AOW.”
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‘I find traveling around as a representative of the Dutch puppeteers very inspiring, but it also costs a lot of money, because I have to pay for those trips myself. In 2018, for example, I spent 900 euros on a ticket, visa and extra costs for the transport of my dolls to China. Since corona, all conferences and workshops are online, so that saves money.
“I don’t spend anything on sports; loading and unloading around the performances is enough fitness for me. And I do tai chi – I’ve taken classes in the past and now I’m repeating them myself. I also work a lot in the garden and I often cycle. So I get enough exercise. If I sometimes earn a little more, I like to buy books, go to more shows or go out for dinner. I like to spoil myself with that.
“I live with fifteen households in a central housing project: each has its own home and we share common areas. Together we have a living room and kitchen, a hobby room, chickens and a vegetable garden. Everyone pays 50 euros per month for use. A wash in the communal washing machine costs 1 euro, which you simply sign on a list. It is a mini society, I meet people with whom I would not otherwise come into contact so quickly.”
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