Tutti Fratelli is the social-artistic workshop where actress Reinhilde Decleir has been the mentor of since 2003. Original mother Reinhilde is no longer with us. With heart, gut, reason, deeply rooted empathy and tons of energy, she turned Tutti Fratelli into a household name, a workshop and home for people living on the margins of society. Where they can draw sustenance from image, word and sound. Her mission: to make the invisible person visible. Over all those years she created performances with fragile and disadvantaged people to help them grow in self-image and to support them. It's not just about financial poverty, but also spiritual poverty. Looking beyond the façade is important. Tutti Fratelli is a refuge, a place where beauty, peace and support can be found. Culture as the binding factor. The Fratelli's celebrate the arts with full voice.
Reinhilde sensed that her end was approaching and made sure that someone would continue her work with equal commitment, power and compassion in the person of actor/theatre maker Nico Sturm. We talk to him about what is about to happen.
-When Reinhilde Decleir asked you to continue her work. How did that land?
Tutti Fratelli was not unfamiliar to me. In 2019, Reinhilde asked me to direct something here with the message: "Tutti Fratelli is a special place in the Lange Gasthuisstraat with special performers." I was allowed to write something myself or choose a piece. It became 'The Invisible Ones': a new order, a wonderland, shaped by Fratelli. It clicked immediately. At the first rehearsal I stood up on a chair and spoke to them from my heart. About how I stand in life with all the problems that exist, and how I want to make the world more beautiful with art. That's essentially where the first spark flew. Reinhilde said then: "Nico, we need to talk." The succession was taboo for her for a long time, she kept putting it off. But then suddenly that illness was there and the concern: "How will things go on if I'm not here?!".
-Tutti Fratelli is now well known far and wide. Building on what she has created is a huge responsibility!
When she asked me to continue her life's work, it wasn't really a shock. Strange but true, I found it a natural, obvious question. In all naïveté I said yes wholeheartedly. You don't know what will fall on your shoulders. You don't know that either, because otherwise you might not start! Earlier this year the building next to us was demolished to build a new one. On one side a bank building, those walls were shored up. On our side they didn't. Our building showed cracks after a while, floors subsided! Quite a few spaces are now closed off and being shored up. They suggested we move elsewhere. But we want to stay here. Our people have found a second home here. I went to knock on the doors of quite a number of prominent people to plead our case. A whole file is now being prepared to make the building safe and usable again.
-Is there concern from your own position and perspective regarding the situation of the people who come here?
Absolutely. That was also one of the basic reasons I took it on. It's a special audience, there has to be empathy but you shouldn't let yourself be swept away by it either. There has to be a certain discipline and strictness when we rehearse. That's the artistic process and then we put the misery aside for a while.
-Reinhilde was a no-nonsense woman. She pursued a constructive approach to give their lives more meaning.
There's a good quote in our new production 'The Störm': "Only imagination, not reason, is capable of moving mountains and overcoming storms." That fits Fratelli perfectly. That's why we make theatre, opera, etc. here... in the beauty and power of imagination to help people grow and make them visible. Make them believe in themselves.
-On stage they live, they count. People come to watch them.
That's right. What was very important to Reinhilde: not only to be visible on stage and receive applause for it, but also to make sure that it's not just about admiration. That's easy: put them in beautiful costumes with beautiful music and the audience will jump up to applaud. But we want to go further and create 'wonder' and that can only happen if the performances are artistically interesting and strong enough. We set the bar high and expect hard work. Not condescending or easily satisfied, but challenging them out of their comfort zone and pushing them to go further.
-In the concert 'We Shall Continue' a false note was once sung.
Among the Fratelli there are people who sing magically beautifully, there are some who sing a bit more shakily or uncertainly. It would be a shame if we then said: the best singers get the solos and the less good ones we put in backing vocals. At Tutti Fratelli it's not about good or bad: we do it together. That mix makes it fair and special. If someone occasionally goes off the rails 'so be it'! With this production we stood at Theater aan Zee, at the Kursaal no less, in front of a sold-out hall! When KMSKA opened, we sang in the square with great success. Our people are there after all.
-This weekend Tutti Fratelli literally and figuratively opens its windows and doors for a three-day arts festival. What are the highlights?
Our annual Festival, usually on Poverty Day October 17. Normally we would have premiered our new production in September. We've now postponed it to January because we needed more time. As a result, our Festival has also been shifted. What's going to happen? We traditionally sing on Friday evening at 6 p.m. from the first floor with open windows into the city. At 7 p.m. there's the opening of the exhibition by studio Borgerstein from Sint-Katelijne-Waver, with a similar operation as Fratelli but then visual art. For a weekend, visitors can come and view their works and also purchase them. After that there's a performance 'Zandzoekers' in the Zirkstraat, because our own hall is not available now. Subsequently we come back down here for a pleasant gathering and dance party. Our DJ is Fonne Wuyts, the son of Reinhilde. One big family. Saturday and Sunday there are also lovely things to experience. Mathias from Fratelli will perform the monologue 'Pleinvrees'. There's a puppet show with very large matryoshka-like dolls. There is singing, acting, there's a tea post by the Sisters Hirngespinst and of course the exhibition… all very affectionate things.
-On January 13 follows the premiere of 'De Störm'. Reinhilde managed to get none other than Tom Lanoye on her side.
Actually, it's the other way around. Tom Lanoye took the first step. The plan originated several years ago during Theater aan Zee, after a revival of 'Bloemen voor een autist' written and directed by Jan Sobrie. Tom, Jan and Reinhilde were having a pleasant drink together with a Duveltje. At one point Reinhilde was called away and Tom said: "I have a fantastic idea for Fratelli to celebrate their 15th anniversary. An adaptation of 'The Tempest' by Shakespeare, but I don't know if Reinhilde would be interested!" Reinhilde was of course curious. Lanoye had to explain his idea. He had one condition that Reinhilde would take on the lead role of Prospero but also the double role of the mother and Sycorax with the Fratelli's around her. Reinhilde agreed and all the essential people to make a performance were immediately on the spot: a writer Tom Lanoye, a director Jan Sobrie and Reinhilde. That's how it actually came about.
-A performance in verse. Teaching the Fratelli's such language and achieving a finalité is probably a struggle.
We try to make things that we think are worthwhile. To elevate them above themselves. 'De Störm" by Shakespeare and Tom Lanoye in iambic pentameter… I challenge any professional company to tackle it. That is indeed not easy. Just to get it out of your mouth! You have to go miles for that, so to speak, you have to invest time, train a lot to run that marathon. Somehow there's no complaining. It has been a very long process, also with Reinhilde's illness and death. There had to be time to breathe and to mourn. There was a lot of sorrow but also a lot of fighting spirit: we must continue for Reinhilde. They were relieved that I was there to continue her work in good hands. Our people do need some encouragement, but we have every confidence that it will succeed and strike a chord.
-'Störm' with an umlaut – why?
It's Antwerp-style and sounds better.
-It's an inspiring trip for body and soul again.
It is. It's every time a new challenge. It's a leap into the unknown, but they've learned that by now here.
-How do you see the further development of Tutti Fratelli?
We continue to follow the laid-out lines further, especially towards adults. Reinhilde had already made contacts with many people such as Kyoko Scholiers, Olympique Dramatique, Dominique Van Malder to create a production. As before, one major production will be created per year. We will continue singing as well. We have built up a nice repertoire in the meantime. We will maintain and further develop that. Besides that, I also want to start a number of small things that are quality time for Fratelli per se, such as monologues, poetry. Some have certain dreams that cannot be directly realized in a piece. It's a bit of supply and demand. In addition to the major productions, there are several small satellite projects. We are also raising funds for a mobile theatre that we can use multifunctionally. A bit like the wheeled little house of Radio Gaga. We're doing that out of necessity because our venue is now barricaded. It's a statement. Our building started to collapse a month before Reinhilde's death. However, we didn't want to burden her with that. It was an incredible metaphor for what was happening. Reinhilde, in a manner of speaking, also collapsed and the building likewise. I'm glad I can support Fratelli. With everything that's going on, it's been flying around the clock lately!
-Your own career is therefore on the back burner!
That's not so bad. Reinhilde impressed upon me to continue doing things myself. She did that too. That keeps you fresh. Only I will be more selective in what I do and don't take on.
Klassiek Centraal wishes Nico Sturm and Tutti Fratelli fair winds.
WHO: Tutti Fratelli
WHAT: 'Spiegels van de Ziel,' a three-day art festival
WHEN: 9, 10 and 11 December 2022
WHO: Tutti Fratelli
WHAT: celebrates 15th anniversary with De Störm by William Shakespeare, adaptation Tom Lanoye
WHEN: première at Roma 13 January 2023