Doos is an adventure with Mr. Hat, a curious, brave and child-like character who dives into imaginary worlds and captivates the audience with strange, exciting and funny escapades.
In his newest adventure, Mr. Hat’s imagination sees him diving into a simple cardboard box only to find wild weather, crazy creatures, a most unusual choir and a wonderful voyage through space.

https://vimeo.com/110708883

Doos is a non-language based multidisciplinary performance for children and their parents.
The result of an ongoing international collaboration between Silvia Bennett dancer , myself as lighting designer and visual artist and Gabor Csongradi composer. Doos offers a special sensory experience that leads the audience on a poetic and magical journey.
Determined to bring high level contemporary art to young audiences, the company cleverly weave accessible narratives and friendly characters together with more challenging and unusual abstract explorations.
Mr Hat, the character was created in 2009 by Italian performer Silvia Bennett, as she started working for Memo Association.
Silvia, Mr Hat and lots of happy children have been on many adventures since and so Silvia was invited to create a new piece for 2 Turven Hoog Festival in 2014. She has brought her elaborate working process with Tri Co. to meet this world of children performances.

I have found a great pleasure in directing this process, trusting the artistic qualities of my collaborates and the magic of the character. I was combining composing on stage with light together with directing. Lou Cope was guiding our group through the process with her highly efficient and sensitive dramaturgic support. Encouraged by the neurological studies of Alison Gopnik, in this performance using our three staging elements we are engaging the associative brain of children between 2-6. Based on our feedback so far from our young audiences the joy was mutual.

Doos is touring in Netherlands in 2015 and is available (also internationally) for booking now.
Please visit stknopen.com for current information, and befriend Mr.Hat on Facebook.

Our project premiered in 2014 September and was supported by AFK, VSB fonds, Rabobank, Dansmakers Amsterdam, 2 Turven Hoog festival and Overtoom 301. Graphic design by Patrick Heerdink, press photos by Bop Mulder.

Rehearsal photos by Mihaly Stefanovicz