Eva Bal

'''Eva Bal''' (also known as '''Eva Elisabeth, baroness Gerretsen''') (June 25, 1938,The Hague - May 9, 2021) was a Dutch theater director, pioneer in the youth theater domain.

== Biography ==

=== Personal life === Eva Elisabeth Gerretsen was born on June 25, 1938, in The Hague.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Philip of Tielens |date=10 May 2021 |title=Eva Bal, de oermoeder van het Vlaamse jeugdtheater |url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20210510_94998470 |access-date=3 January 2025 |website=De Standaard |language=nl}}</ref> In 1960 she graduated in drama from the Hogeschool voor Dramatische Kunst in Utrecht.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2021-05-10 |title=Eva Bal (83), barones en oprichter jeugdtheater in Gent, overleden |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2021/05/10/eva-bal-oprichtster-jeugdtheater-in-gent-overleden-op-83-jarig/ |access-date=2021-05-10 |website=vrtnws.be |language=nl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Eva Bal (1938 - 2021) |url=https://www.kopergietery.be/nl/nieuws/eva-bal-1938-2021 |access-date=2021-05-11 |website=KOPERGIETERY |language=nl}}</ref> In 1966 she married August Bal, whose name she took and with whom she had three children: Martijn Bal, Sarah Bal (a psychologist and behavioural therapist) and Vincent Bal (a film director).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Pionier van Gentse jeugdtheater Eva Bal (82) overleden |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20210510_92954788 |access-date=2021-05-10 |website=Het Nieuwsblad |language=nl-BE}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> August Bal died in 1984 and she later remarried, to Walter Mareen.<ref name=":0" />

She died on May 9, 2021, after suffering for several years from Alzheimer's disease.<ref name=":0"/><ref name=":1"/>

=== Career === She arrived in Belgium in 1961 to give courses in dramatic expression.<ref name=":0"/> She moved to Flanders in 1963 and worked for the Ministry of Culture to give new impetus to youth theatre.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Theatermaker Eva Bal (Kopergietery) overleden |url=https://www.theaterkrant.nl/nieuws/theatermaker-eva-bal-kopergietery-overleden/ |access-date=2021-05-11 |website=Theaterkrant |language=nl}}</ref>

In 1978, Bal founded the youth theatre centre ''Speelteater Gent'',<ref name=":0"/> where young people and children could attend theatre workshops.<ref name=":1"/> In 1993, the center moved to ''Kopergietery'', a former copper foundry in the centre of Ghent, and is now known under this name.<ref name=":1" /> She developed her method, "from improvisation to theatre".<ref name=":2"/>

She worked with Raymond Bossaerts, Frans Van der Aa and Mia Grijp, and travelled both domestically and internationally.<ref name=":0"/> She created performances for, among others, ''Jeugd & Theatre'', the ''Beursschouwburg'', the ''Arca Theater'' in Ghent and the ''Brussels Kamertoneel''.<ref name=":1"/>

After Yugoslav War, she worked with children in Zagreb.<ref name=":1"/> She was a professor at the Hogeschool voor Theater in Maastricht and at the Ghent Conservatory. She co-founded the International Youth Theatre and was a member of the ''Raad voor Cultuur'' of the Flemish Community of Belgium.

In 2003, Eva Bal handed over the artistic direction of Kopergierty to Johan De Smet.<ref name=":0"/>

== Works ==

* 1976: ''Vreemd kind in je straat'' * 1983: ''De Boot'' * 1987: ''Wie troost Muu?'' * 1991: ''Landschap van Laura'' (with Alain Platel) * 1992: ''De tuin'' (with Alain Platel)

== Awards and influence ==

* Wanda Reumer Award * Multiawarded with Signaal Award, in particular for ''Wie troost Muu?''<ref name=":0"/>

On 3 September 2000, she was ennobled and elevated to the rank of baroness by King Albert II,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bertrand Maus de Rolley et Jean-Claude de Troostembergh |title=Etat présent de la noblesse belge |publisher=Etat présent des familles ASBL |year=2022 |location=Bruxelles |page=61}}</ref> for her commitment and pioneering work in youth theatre. Her motto was ''Het Kan''.<ref name=":0"/> Director and choreographer Alain Platel considers that Eva Bal's influence extends beyond Europe: "Until Eva Bal, children were a kind of scenery in the theatre, with a few sentences of text. Eva took children very seriously and worked with them and for them at a high level".<ref name=":0" />

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bal, Eva}} Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Category:Belgian baronesses Category:Youth theatre companies Category:Dutch theatre directors Category:2021 deaths Category:1938 births